Joseph Gourgey joined Quadrant Chambers on 1 October 2021, upon successful completion of pupillage. He is developing his practice in line with Chambers’ core areas of work.
He graduated from St Hilda’s College, Oxford with a first in jurisprudence, obtaining the College prize in both Finals and Prelims. On the BCL he studied Commercial Remedies and Conflicts of Law, winning the Reynolds Scholarship from Worcester College, Oxford. He completed the BPTC with an Outstanding.
Joseph worked as a private tutor in contract and commercial law between 2018-20 and as a Finalist Mentor at St Hilda’s College Oxford in 2018-19. He also volunteered at the Free Representation Unit in Social Security Tribunals. Joseph took part in a vacation scheme at Hogan Lovells, which included experience with the insurance disputes team.
Recent case highlights include:
- Acting as sole counsel in the Commercial Court to successfully challenge an arbitral award under section 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996 (Ducat Maritime Ltd v Lavender Shipmanagement Inc [2022] EWHC 766 (Comm)).
- Acting as junior counsel in a two-week arbitration (led by John Russell KC) in a charterparty dispute arising out of the detention of a vessel in foreign waters; followed by a section 69 appeal in the Commercial Court regarding the scope of the Article IV.2(a) Hague Rules defence (Mercuria Energy Trading Pte v Raphael Cotoner Investments Ltd [2023] EWHC 2978 (Comm))
- Acting as junior counsel (led by John Kimbell KC) in the Commercial Court in a $14.4m aircraft lease agreement, concerning matters of breach of contract and unjust enrichment (Olympic Council of Asia v Novans Jets LLP [2022] EWHC 88 (Comm))
- Acting as junior counsel (led by Gaurav Sharma) to successfully obtain summary judgment for the sale of 350,000 carbon credits (Pact Capital AG v The Hut.com Ltd [2023] 12 WLUK 116).
- Acting as junior counsel (led by Gemma Morgan) for the insurer in a two-week Commercial Court trial concerning refund guarantees under shipbuilding contracts worth €36.8m (Havila v Abarca [2022] EWHC 3196 (Comm)).
- Acting as counsel for the Charterers under four shipbuilding contracts and related bareboat charterparties in a $90m two-week arbitration. Joseph gained experience cross-examining factual and expert witnesses.
- Acting as junior counsel (led by Gaurav Sharma) for the Claimant in a section 68 Arbitration Act 1996 challenge in a dispute concerning alleged sham sale and purchase agreements (BPY v MXV [2023] EWHC 82 (Comm)).
- Acting as junior counsel (led by John Kimbell KC) in a 5-day arbitration arising out of alleged unseaworthiness of a vessel on delivery (settled on day 4 of the arbitration).
- MAERSK HONAM Litigation (Ongoing): Instructed as junior counsel (led by Robert Thomas KC) in a dispute arising out of a containership fire on board the Maersk Honam in March 2018. This litigation includes a Limitation Action in the Admiralty court and a related LCIA Arbitration.
Aviation
- Acting as junior counsel (led by John Kimbell KC) in the Commercial Court in a $14.4m aircraft lease agreement, concerning matters of breach of contract and unjust enrichment (Olympic Council of Asia v Novans Jets LLP [2022] EWHC 88 (Comm)).
- Advising and drafting pleadings concerning claims arising out of the carriage of goods by air.
- Advising and drafting pleadings in personal injury claims brought under the Montreal Convention.
Commodities & International Trade
- Acting as junior counsel (led by Gaurav Sharma) to successfully obtain summary judgment for the sale of 350,000 carbon credits (Pact Capital AG v The Hut.com Ltd [2023] 12 WLUK 116).
- Acting as junior counsel (led by Ben Gardner) in an RSA Arbitration dispute concerning the sale of 1.1m tonnes of white refined sugar (settled on favourable terms shortly before the hearing).
- Advising and drafting pleadings as sole counsel concerning claims arising out of the carriage of goods by air.
- Acting as junior counsel to successfully resist an appeal to a GAFTA Award pursuant to section 69 Arbitration Act 1996 concerning the Tribunal’s assessment of damages.
- Acting as sole counsel in LCIA proceedings to successfully challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction to a claim for USD 300,000 under a sugar contract..
- Regularly advising and drafting pleadings as junior counsel in disputes concerning damage to cargo carried by sea.
International Arbitration
- Regularly instructed as sole and junior counsel to act in challenges and appeals to arbitration awards under sections 68 and 69 Arbitration Act 1996 (including Ducat Maritime Ltd v Lavender Shipmanagement Inc [2022] EWHC 766 (Comm)) as sole counsel; BPY v MXV [2023] EWHC 82 (Comm) and Mercuria Energy Trading Pte v Raphael Cotoner Investments Ltd [2023] EWHC 2978 (Comm) as junior counsel.
- Acting as sole counsel in LCIA proceedings to successfully challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction to a claim for USD 300,000 under a sugar contract.
- Assisting with the successfully dismissing an arbitration challenge HKIAC terms in the High Court of Hong Kong.
Shipping
- Acting as sole counsel in the Commercial Court to successfully challenge an arbitral award arising out of a charterparty dispute under section 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996 (Ducat Maritime Ltd v Lavender Shipmanagement Inc [2022] EWHC 766 (Comm)).
- Acting as junior counsel in a two-week arbitration (led by John Russell KC) in a charterparty dispute arising out of the detention of a vessel in foreign waters; followed by a section 69 appeal in the Commercial Court regarding the scope of the Article IV.2(a) Hague Rules defence (Mercuria Energy Trading Pte v Raphael Cotoner Investments Ltd [2023] EWHC 2978 (Comm))
- Acting as junior counsel (led by Gemma Morgan) for the insurer in a two-week Commercial Court trial concerning refund guarantees under shipbuilding contracts worth €36.8m (Havila v Abarca [2022] EWHC 3196 (Comm)).
- Acting as counsel for the Charterers under four shipbuilding contracts and related bareboat charterparties in a $90m two-week arbitration. Joseph gained experience cross-examining factual and expert witnesses.
- Acting as junior counsel (led by John Kimbell KC) in a 5-day arbitration arising out of the alleged unseaworthiness of a vessel on delivery (settled on day 4 of the arbitration).
- MAERSK HONAM Litigation (Ongoing): Instructed as junior counsel (led by Robert Thomas KC) in a dispute arising out of a containership fire on board the Maersk Honam in March 2018. This litigation includes a Limitation Action in the Admiralty court and a related LCIA Arbitration.
- Drafting pleadings as sole counsel in a $42 million demurrage claim
- Regularly instructed as sole counsel in LMAA proceedings including disputes concerning off-hire, unseaworthiness, safe ports, underperformance and cargo damage.
Commercial Dispute Resolution
- Acting as junior counsel (led by Gaurav Sharma) for the Claimant in a section 68 Arbitration Act 1996 challenge in a dispute concerning alleged sham sale and purchase agreements (BPY v MXV [2023] EWHC 82 (Comm)).
- Advised and drafted pleadings in a claim brought against directors of a housing company for breach of fiduciary duty
- Acting as junior counsel (led by Jeremy Richmond KC) in a claim for the delivery up of goods from a warehouse.
- Regularly Instructed as sole and junior counsel in claims concerning the Sale of Goods Act 1979.