Lucas Jones
Call: 2022
Practice Overview
Lucas started practice as a tenant at 3VB in October 2024, following the successful completion of his pupillage. His experience during pupillage spanned a broad range of commercial disputes, arbitration and advisory work. He accepts instructions across all of Chambers’ main specialisms.
Before coming to the Bar, Lucas was the judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux, the Chancellor of the High Court. In that role, he worked on a variety of commercial cases at first instance and on appeal, involving such areas as civil fraud, insurance, sanctions, professional negligence, competition and public international law.
Lucas graduated with a Double First in Classics from Magdalen College, Oxford, winning a number of college and university prizes. He went on the City Law School to complete the GDL and the BVS, achieving a Distinction in both, before being called to the Bar as a Major Scholar of the Inner Temple.
His recent instructions include:
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC v Manghat: acting for a major UAE banking institution in a complex US$1bn fraud claim in the ADGM Courts arising out of the collapse of FTSE 100 company NMC Health plc (led by Rajesh Pillai KC, Scott Ralston and Rebecca Zaman)
- Re Thames Water Utilities Holdings Ltd [2025] EWCA Civ 475, [2025] EWHC 338 (Ch) and [2025] EWHC 369 (Ch): acting pro bono in a public interest intervention by Charlie Maynard MP in the £3bn restructuring of the UK’s largest water and sewerage company (led by William Day)
Arbitration
- Acting for a Turkish mining company in an LCIA arbitration arising out of the sale of a cargo of bauxite (led by Can Yeginsu)
- Acting for a Spanish energy company in an LCIA arbitration concerning the delivery of liquefied natural gas under a long-term supply contract (led by Can Yeginsu)
- Assisted with advice on multi-billion-dollar oil and gas arbitration between energy majors (as a pupil)
- Assisted with research for arbitration proceedings brought by a supranational body alleging the fraudulent misappropriation of infrastructure loans (as a pupil)
- Assisted with research and drafting for an action by a trade finance provider for the recognition and enforcement of an arbitral award in the DIFC Courts (as a pupil)
- Drafted advice on a contractual claim by a major wealth management firm in arbitration proceedings brought against a former wealth manager (as a pupil)
Banking & Finance
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC v Manghat: acting for a major UAE banking institution in a complex US$1bn fraud claim in the ADGM Courts arising out of the collapse of FTSE 100 company NMC Health plc (led by Rajesh Pillai KC, Scott Ralston and Rebecca Zaman)
- Advising a bank on partnership law in connection with the enforcement of a loan agreement against a firm of solicitors (as sole counsel)
- Regularly acting as sole counsel for banks, building societies and other lenders in the County Court defending claims for breach of contract, for mis-selling, and claims under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and the Data Protection Act 2018
- Alongside his practice, Lucas is co-author of the chapters on payment services, e-money and forex in the forthcoming 5th edition of Banking Litigation; the author of the chapter on the examination of letters of credit in the forthcoming 5th edition of Jack: Documentary Credits; and the author of the chapter on costs and litigation funding in the forthcoming 1st edition of Securities Litigation
- Drafted a skeleton argument resisting permission to appeal in proceedings brought by charity trustees against a bank for breach of mandate (as a pupil)
- Drafted a skeleton argument for an application on behalf of a bank in the context of an alleged authorised push payment fraud (as a pupil)
Civil Fraud & Asset Tracing
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC v Manghat: acting for a major UAE banking institution in a complex US$1bn fraud claim in the ADGM Courts arising out of the collapse of FTSE 100 company NMC Health plc (led by Rajesh Pillai KC, Scott Ralston and Rebecca Zaman)
- Acting for a law enforcement agency in proceedings for the recovery of property said to derive from a substantial money laundering scheme (led by Andrew Sutcliffe KC and Tom Rainsbury)
- Various Claimants v Glencore plc [2024] EWHC 1556 (Comm): assisted with a Financial List claim under ss. 90 and 90A FSMA based on alleged misstatements in and omissions from Glencore’s prospectuses and published information (as a pupil)
- PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints [2023] EWCA Civ 1132, [2024] KB 559: assisted with the leading case on the effect of Russian sanctions on English litigation in the context of a high-value fraud claim (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
Commercial Dispute Resolution
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC v Manghat: acting for a major UAE banking institution in a complex US$1bn fraud claim in the ADGM Courts arising out of the collapse of FTSE 100 company NMC Health plc (led by Rajesh Pillai KC, Scott Ralston and Rebecca Zaman)
- Acting for a Turkish mining company in an LCIA arbitration arising out of the sale of a cargo of bauxite (led by Can Yeginsu)
- Acting for a Spanish energy company in an LCIA arbitration concerning the delivery of liquefied natural gas pursuant to a long-term supply contract (led by Can Yeginsu)
- Drax Smart Generation Holdco Ltd v Scottish Power Retail Holdings Ltd [2024] EWCA Civ 477: assisted with preparation of submissions for an appeal concerning the interpretation of a share purchase agreement between major energy companies (as a pupil)
- nChain Holding AG v Ager-Hanssen [2024] EWHC 1230 (Comm): drafted a skeleton argument for a committal application in proceedings brought by a blockchain firm against its former CEO for breach of confidence (as a pupil)
- Assisted with research and drafting for a claim by a UAE sovereign wealth fund for specific performance of a loan agreement (as a pupil)
- Drafted pleadings for a breach of warranty claim under a share purchase agreement for the sale of an investment platform operator (as a pupil)
Company, Insolvency & Restructuring
- Re Thames Water Utilities Holdings Ltd [2025] EWCA Civ 475, [2025] EWHC 338 (Ch) and [2025] EWHC 369 (Ch): acting pro bono in a public interest intervention by Charlie Maynard MP in the £3bn restructuring of the UK’s largest water and sewerage company (led by William Day)
- Appearing as sole counsel in the County Court in applications under the Companies Act 2006
- Assisted with advice on the effect of potential conflicts of interest, legal professional privilege and confidentiality on office-holders’ information-gathering powers under ss. 234 and 236 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (as a pupil)
Cryptoassets & Cyber Fraud
- Drafted pleadings in ICC arbitration proceedings brought by a cryptocurrency firm against a payment services provider arising out of the alleged fraudulent misappropriation of bitcoin (as a pupil)
- Conducted research and drafted written submissions resisting an application for permission to appeal against an amendment application judgment, in the context of a fraud claim brought against persons unknown and major cryptocurrency exchanges (as a pupil)
- Assisted with research on the Money Laundering Regulations in support of a fintech firm’s application to the FCA for registration as a cryptocurrency exchange (as a pupil)
Financial Services
- Acting for a regulator in connection with an application to distribute funds recovered from failed investment schemes, involving issues of Quistclose trusts and tracing (led by Philip Hinks)
- Alongside his practice, Lucas is co-author of the chapters on payment services, e-money and forex in the forthcoming 5th edition of Banking Litigation
- Drafted advice on a company’s challenge to a regulator’s decision to discontinue the listing of its shares (as a pupil)
- Drafted statement of case on behalf of a regulator in proceedings before the Upper Tribunal (as a pupil)
- Assisted with advice on potential group actions against financial institutions, involving the definition of “collective investment scheme” under s. 235 FSMA and causes of action under ss. 19, 21 and 138D FSMA (as a pupil)
Insurance & Reinsurance
- Assisted with advice on the interpretation of a product liability policy (as a pupil)
- Quadra Commodities SA v XL Insurance Co SE [2023] EWCA Civ 432, [2024] Bus LR 435: assisted with the leading modern case on the concept of insurable interest (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
Professional Negligence
- Assisted with drafting in a professional negligence claim against a barrister arising out of consumer credit proceedings (as a pupil)
- Drafted pleadings for professional negligence claims against IFAs (as a pupil)
- McLean v Thornhill KC [2023] EWCA Civ 466, [2023] 1 WLR 3802: assisted with an appeal concerning a professional negligence action against a leading tax silk for advice about film finance schemes (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
Public International Law
- OperaFund Eco-Invest SICAV plc & Anor v Kingdom of Spain: assisted with research and advice in proceedings for the enforcement of an ICSID award against a state (as a pupil)
- Zhongshan Fucheng Investment Co Ltd v Federal Republic of Nigeria [2023] EWCA Civ 867: assisted with a case concerning the effect of the State Immunity Act 1978 on actions for the enforcement of arbitral awards against states (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
- Crane Bank Ltd v DFCU Bank Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 886: assisted with an appeal concerning the foreign act of state doctrine in proceedings alleging a corrupt scheme by Ugandan officials to take control of a bank and sell its assets at an undervalue (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
