Call Date: 2002

Practice

Camille has a broad commercial disputes practice with particular focus on the construction and engineering, energy, IT and telecommunications and professional negligence sectors. She represents a wide range of clients including governments, contractors, private employers and their professional advisors all over the world, including in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

She has impressive experience of all forms of dispute resolution including expertise in domestic and international arbitration, mediation, Commercial Court litigation and adjudication, where her experience includes advising on the enforcement of awards as well as conducting hearings in front of adjudicators on her own. She carries out a considerable amount of advocacy, regularly appearing in Court and Arbitration conducting trials and other hearings.

In addition to the wide and varied workload as Junior Counsel that one would expect for her qualification, Camille also has an exceptional track record acting as sole counsel, having been retained in many high value, complex disputes both in the UK and overseas. It is this individual experience combined with her considerable advocacy skills that sets her apart from her peers.

Construction and Engineering

Camille regularly advises on and acts for clients, both domestically and internationally, in connection with all the standard forms of building and engineering contracts. She has particular experience of disputes involving design/build defects, cost overruns and delay and disruption cases. Her recent experience includes:

International

Acting on behalf of an African government against a multi-national joint venture consisting of well-known French and South African contractors in an International Arbitration under the Procedural Rules of Conciliation and Arbitration of Contracts Financed by the European Development Fund. The dispute, worth €70m, concerns the termination of a major EDF road rehabilitation project, governed by the EDF standard conditions of contract (similar to FIDIC); She was involved throughout the pleadings and preparation of the case and represented her client at the hearing, making submissions and cross examining witnesses of fact and expert witnesses; [Africa]

Acting for a German contractor in a dispute, worth in excess of £13m, (regarding termination, delay, unforeseen ground conditions and EoTs) relating to a pioneering construction project in Malaysia. The Contract form is FIDIC Red Book, her involvement to date includes advising and drafting submissions relating to points of law, in the DAB procedure; [Malaysia]

Domestic

Acting in a dispute relating to the construction of a fluegas desulphurisation plant. The case concerned issues relating to parent company guarantees, misrepresentation and letters of credit;

Acting as Junior Counsel for Kier Building in multi-party declaration proceedings in the TCC. The Claimant claimed 4 declarations regarding the proper construction of a contract relating to climate control system in the landmark headquarters of a HBOS (Halifax, Bank of Scotland PLC);

Advising and acting as sole counsel in connection with an ICE contract in a £4m on-going multi-party dispute concerning nominated contractors, piling, unforeseen ground conditions and contract/no-contract issues;

Acting in a dispute relating to a large residential development. The case concerned the duties of certifiers and the construction of the bespoke contract;

Acting as Junior Counsel in this leading case concerning the role and independence of contract administrators in construction contracts. Her role included drafting Statements of Case and submissions and acting at junior Counsel at the hearing;

Scheldebouw BV v St James Homes (Grosvenor Dock) Ltd (2006) BLR 113;

She has extensive experience of advising householders, adjoining owners and party wall surveyors on matters relating to the Party Wall Act 1996, including acting on a number of appeals under the Act and acting for clients in injunction proceedings relating to the Act.

Adjudication

Camille has considerable experience in relation to adjudication and the HGCRA. This experience includes advising on the enforcement of adjudicators' awards, bespoke adjudication agreements and adjudications under the Act and High Court enforcements of adjudicators' decisions. She has also conducted adjudications, advised on and prepared referral/response documents on behalf of defendants, claimants and insurer clients. Recent highlights include:

Successfully enforcing an adjudicator's decision at the TCC, recovering all sums claimed and obtaining an order for indemnity costs.

Art Consultancy Ltd v Navera Trading Ltd [2007] ADJ.L.R 05/31

Professional Negligence

She has considerable experience in representing claimants, defendants and their indemnity insurers in professional negligence cases. This includes advising on and representing clients in respect of cases relating to allegations of negligence against, surveyors, engineers, contract administrators, party wall surveyors and architects. Recent cases include:

Acting as sole Counsel for the Claimant, a Registered Social Landlord, in an ongoing multi-party High Court litigation against a professional multi-disciplinary firm in relation to a phased regeneration project at a large housing estate in London. Issues in dispute, worth over £10m, include procurement, cost overrun and certification claims;

Acting as sole Counsel for a high net worth individual in a £2.5m dispute relating to construction, preservation and renovation works at a Grade 1 listed estate against a defendant architect. Issues include defects allegations, procurement, cost overruns / cost control and delay;

Acting as Junior Counsel in an adjudication on behalf of a well known mechanical and electrical engineering firm defending allegations of professional negligence in relation to a construction and regeneration project at an acute hospital.

Energy and Utilities

Camille has particular expertise in the energy sector having been instructed as junior counsel in a number of substantial high value disputes on behalf of major energy companies. Her recent experience includes:

Advising in connection with an ongoing ICC Arbitration relating to a power and desalination plant in the Middle East; issues in the case relate to termination, commissioning, delay and design defects; [Middle East]

Acting as junior Counsel in an international oil and gas Arbitration, conducted under the auspices of the LCIA, which concerned a marine oil extraction facility.

The dispute related primarily to cost overruns and liquidated damages. Her involvement included the preparation of advice, case preparation and investigation and assisting with drafting and statements of case;

Acting as Junior Counsel in a further international oil and gas Arbitration relating to allegations of design and construction defects in a land based oil extraction facility in the Middle East. Her involvement included case preparation and drafting of statements of case;

Acting as Junior Counsel in an Arbitration which related to allegations defective workmanship, cost overruns and delay and disruption in respect of waste to energy plant. Her involvement included case preparation and drafting of statements of case for court proceedings.

IT and telecommunications

She has experience in the IT and Telecommuncations' field acting for suppliers and contractors in relation to telecommunication systems. Examples of her recent work include:

Advising and ongoing involvement on behalf of a well known mobile telecommunications company in a dispute worth £8m concerning GSM Gateways, licensed operator's conditions, pre-action disclosure and competition law;

Advising in connection with a Primary Connection Point survey / refurbishment contract; her advice was provided on issues of contractual obligations of good faith and confidentiality and the extent of Adjudicator's powers.

Reported cases

Scheldebouw BV v St James Homes (Grosvenor Dock) Ltd [2006] BLR 113

ART Consultancy Ltd v Navera Trading Ltd [2007] ADJ.L.R 05/31

Tollgate Ltd v The Secretary of State for Transport [2006] EWLands ACQ 45 2004