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Overview Expertise Related Insights, Events & Cases

Nicholas is a specialist commercial litigator. He acts as counsel in domestic and international disputes across the construction, energy, technology and infrastructure sectors.

Since joining Chambers as a Tenant in September 2024, Nicholas has been instructed on a number of complex and high value disputes. As junior counsel, he recently acted successfully for the UK owner of an oil refinery in its defence of a £1.5 million adjudication claim and he is currently acting for a European contractor in an international arbitration claim for more than €50 million relating to the construction of a hotel-casino complex in the Mediterranean.

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As sole counsel, Nicholas has a busy practice representing private employers, contractors and companies in adjudication hearings, interim applications, case management conferences and trials. A large portion of his practice also involves advising clients at the different stages of litigation, arbitration and mediation. He has a particular interest in procedural issues in international arbitration and matters involving good faith arguments.

Before joining Atkin Chambers, Nicholas studied History at University College London (specialising in Early Modern Middle Eastern architectural history) where he graduated at the top of his year and he later went on to study private international law at the Hague Academy of International Law. He was awarded three major scholarships from Gray’s Inn to complete his law and bar studies at the City Law School in London.

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Expertise

Construction, Engineering & Infrastructure

Nicholas has acted on a range of technically complex and high value construction, engineering and infrastructure disputes and he is particularly adept at managing large expert teams. Recent experience includes:

International Arbitration

  • Hotel-Casino, Europe: Acting as junior counsel in an ICC arbitration for a Main Contractor in its delay and disruption claims against its Employer in relation to the construction of a hotel-casino resort in the Mediterranean with a total contract value of over €250,000,000 (with Zulfikar Khayum).
  • Landmark Hotel, UAE: Drafting statements of case and Stern Schedules during pupillage in a DIAC arbitration defending a claim for more than 1 billion AED concerning the construction of a landmark hotel in Dubai.
  • Railway Project, East Africa: Acting as junior counsel on behalf of an East African contractor to draft its Defence and Counterclaim in an LCIA arbitration in relation to a railway project with a total contract value of over $25,000,000 (with Mathias Cheung).
  • Residential Project, UAE: Advising on a procedural challenge to the appointment of an arbitrator in relation to an ICC arbitration in the ADGM Courts.
  • Power Plant, UAE: Advising an unexploded ordnance contractor on its contractual claims against UAE and Swiss parties for mine clearing works in relation to the construction of a multi-billion-dirham waste to energy plant in the UAE.
  • Power Plant, Saudi Arabia: Advising during pupillage on an ICC arbitration relating to the defective supply of feed water heaters by an engineering company to a power plant project in Saudi Arabia.
  • Power Plant, Finland: Advising during pupillage on delay and disruption claims in relation to the construction of a power plant in Finland.
  • Hydropower Project, Europe: Experience during pupillage of a several hundred-million-dollar ICC arbitration concerning the termination of a hydropower project in the Caucasus.
  • Before joining Atkin Chambers: Nicholas trained in international arbitration and private international law as a Michael Mustill scholar at the Hague Academy of International Law. During law school Nicholas’ team successfully competed in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition: winning the White & Case Pre-Moot in Frankfurt and receiving an Honourable Mention in Vienna.

Adjudication

  • Residential Smash & Grab: Acting for a residents’ management association in their response to a smash & grab adjudication in relation to blocks of residential flats in London.
  • Oil Refinery Turnaround: Acting for an oil refinery in parallel adjudications relating to: (i) the valuation of a multi-million-pound refractory contract; and (ii) responding to a ‘smash and grab’ adjudication (with Mathias Cheung).
  • Adjudication Enforcement: Acting as sole counsel on behalf of a Main Contractor to challenge the enforcement of an adjudicator’s award totaling £100,000 on jurisdictional grounds (against a 1995 call opponent).
  • Port Infrastructure: Drafting a Notice of Adjudication and Referral Notice for a £12.5 million ‘smash and grab’ adjudication during pupillage.

Domestic Litigation

  • Roofing Defects: Successfully acting as sole counsel for a roofing contractor to set aside Default Judgment and drafting a Defence and Counterclaim against a sub-contractor in respect of water ingress defects to a train station re-development in London.
  • Flooring Defects: Successfully acting as sole counsel at trial and preparing the Defence for a flooring supplier in a case concerning allegations of defects to the wooden flooring at a residential property.
  • Hospital PFI: Advising on the appropriate method for claiming costs under a complex PFI hospital contract during pupillage.
  • Steel Plant: Drafting Particulars of Claim in relation to property damage to a steel production plant during pupillage.
  • Home Renovation: Advising a homeowner on the prospects and quantum of their claim against their builders for a house renovation project in London.
  • Waste-to-Energy Plant: Preparing research notes and assisting with the drafting of the List of Issues in a case concerning a dispute over the profit-sharing provisions of a complex contract for a waste to energy plant during pupillage.
  • Fire Safety Defects: Drafting Particulars of Claim in a complex fire-safety dispute concerning defective cladding at an apartment building in the Paddington basin during pupillage.

Mediation

  • Fire Safety Defects: Drafting a mediation position statement on behalf of the Claimant in a high value multi-party fire-safety defects claim concerning a high-rise student accommodation building in London during pupillage.

Energy & Natural Resources

Nicholas has acted on both domestic and international disputes concerning energy and natural resources. Recent experiences in this sector overlap with those listed under ‘Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure’ and include:

  • Oil Refinery Turnaround: Acting for an oil refinery in parallel adjudications relating to the valuation of a multi-million-pound refractory contract and responding to a ‘smash and grab’ adjudication (with Mathias Cheung).
  • Power Plant, UAE: Advising an unexploded ordnance contractor on their contractual claims against UAE and Swiss parties for mine clearing works in relation to the construction of a multi-billion-dirham waste to energy plant in the UAE.
  • Power Plant, Saudi Arabia: Advising during pupillage on an ICC arbitration arising under a contract for the supply of feed water heaters by an engineering company to a power plant project in Saudi Arabia.
  • Power Plant, Finland: Advising during pupillage on delay and disruption claims in relation to a power plant in Finland.
  • Hydropower Project, Europe: Experience during pupillage of a several hundred-million-dollar ICC arbitration concerning the termination of a hydropower project in the Caucasus.
  • Waste-to-Energy Plant: Preparing research notes and assisting with the drafting of the List of Issues in a case concerning a dispute over the profit-sharing provisions of a complex contract for a waste to energy plant during pupillage.

General Commercial Litigation

Nicholas has experienced and assisted on both domestic and international commercial litigation matters involving civil fraud and real estate disputes. Recent experience includes:

  • Fraud Claim Strike Out: Successfully acting as sole counsel for a public transport body in the United Kingdom in its successful strike out of a more than £350,000 civil fraud claim brought against it.
  • Lost Luxury Goods: Acting as sole counsel for a seller in its claims under contract, in bailment and conversion against a re-seller and its managing director in respect of the loss of luxury goods totalling over £80,000.
  • Real Estate, UAE: Drafting a skeleton argument for an application to strike out allegations of civil fraud in a Dubai real estate case in the Abu Dhabi Global Markets Courts during pupillage.
  • Real Estate, London: Preparing research notes to assist a High Court trial in the Commercial Court concerning the purchase and sale of a landmark London property in Chelsea during pupillage.
  • Misrepresentation: Drafting a Letter of Claim alleging claims of misrepresentation and unjust enrichment against a multi-national private household staff agency.

Information Technology

Nicholas’ experience in the information technology sector includes advising a software distributor in Iraq on its claim for wrongful termination against a multinational software company during pupillage.

Equality Law

Nicholas accepts equality and discrimination law instructions relating to commercial service providers and public bodies. Recent experience includes:

  • Acting on a pro bono basis for a disabled claimant in his claims under the Equality Act 2010 against a multi-national retailer.
  • Acting for a multi-national technology company in the defence of claims made against it under the Equality Act 2010.
  • Acting for a public transport body in the United Kingdom in the defence of claims made against it under the Equality Act 2010.

Additional Information

City Law School, Bar Vocational Studies (2022 – 2023)

  • Prince of Wales Scholarship (Gray’s Inn)
  • Residential Scholarship (Gray’s Inn)
  • Winner, White & Case Vis Pre-Moot, Frankfurt
  • Honourable Mention for Respondent’s Memorandum, Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition, Vienna

The Hague Academy of International Law, Certificate in Private International Law (August 2022)

  • Michael Mustill Scholarship (Gray’s Inn)

City Law School, Graduate Diploma in Law (2021 – 2022)

  • City Law School Scholarship for Academic Excellence
  • Sheila Mars-Jones Scholarship (Gray’s Inn)

University College London, History (1st Class Honours) (2018 – 2021)

  • Ranked first out of 232 students
  • Dean’s List for highest performing students in the Faculty of Social and Historical Studies
  • Burns Prize for highest awarded dissertation
  • Academic Scholarship for summer courses at Sapienza Università di Roma

Related Insights

Nicholas Zeolla included in 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List of England & Wales

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Nicholas Zeolla to deliver Vis Moot Training Session on 9th November

On 9th November, Nicholas Zeolla will deliver a ‘Vis Moot Memorial Writing Session’. In this…

Atkin Chambers welcomes new tenants William Haslam and Nicholas Zeolla

Atkin Chambers is delighted to announce that William Haslam and Nicholas Zeolla have joined as…

Get in touch

For more information please contact our clerks on
+44 (0)20 7404 0102 or clerks@atkinchambers.com

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