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.
Arbitration
- Assisted with advice on multi-billion-dollar oil and gas arbitration between major energy companies (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
- 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)
- Regularly acting as sole counsel for major banks in the County Court defending claims under the Consumer Credit Act 1974
- Alongside his practice, Lucas is co-author of the chapter on payment services and foreign exchange in the forthcoming 5th edition of Banking Litigation
Civil Fraud & Asset Tracing
- 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)
- Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority v Azima [2023] EWCA Civ 507: assisted with an appeal concerning an attempt to set aside a judgment for fraud in proceedings brought by a UAE sovereign wealth fund against a prominent businessman (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
Commercial Dispute Resolution
- 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)
- Assisted with drafting and research for secret commission claims against energy brokers and suppliers (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
- 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)
- McGaughey v Universities Superannuation Scheme Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 873, [2024] 1 All ER 962: assisted with an appeal concerning derivative claims brought against directors of a pension scheme’s corporate trustee (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
Competition
- Evans v Barclays Bank plc [2023] EWCA Civ 876, [2024] 1 All ER (Comm) 573: assisted with an appeal raising questions about the proper approach to the certification of claims in collective proceedings arising out of the foreign exchange cartel scandal (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
- UK Trucks Claim Ltd v Stellantis NV [2023] EWCA Civ 875, [2024] 1 All ER (Comm) 543: assisted with an appeal concerning the effect of intra-class conflicts of interest on the choice of class representative in the truck manufacturer cartel collective proceedings (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
- Secretary of State for Health v Servier Laboratories Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 763: assisted with an appeal concerning a mitigation defence in proceedings brought by health authorities against a pharmaceutical group for breaches of competition law (as judicial assistant to Sir Julian Flaux C)
Cryptoassets & Cyber Fraud
- Drafted pleadings in an arbitration claim 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
- Assisted with advice on restitution orders and distribution applications under s. 382 FSMA, involving issues of Quistclose trusts (as a pupil)
- 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 & Investment Treaty Arbitration
- 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)
