Julia Purcell Senior Associate – Dispute Resolution

Julia specialises in the resolution of complex, high value commercial disputes, often with a cross-border element.

+44 (0) 20 7851 0117

jp@branchaustinmccormick.com

Julia has acted for both domestic and foreign clients (Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Lebanon, Cyprus, Switzerland, to name but a few) in cases involving trusts, civil fraud, breach of contract, professional negligence, shareholder and partnership disputes, representing corporations and individuals active in many industry sectors.  Julia has also worked on large project litigation including complex civil fraud matters arising from the CIS and spanning a number of off-shore jurisdictions.

Julia holds a Law BA (Hons) and MA (Cantab) from Trinity College, Cambridge and is a fluent Russian speaker.

In 2021 Julia contributed to the Russian Arbitration Association’s Guide to Legal Citation which unified the rules of translation, abbreviation and citation of Russian legal terms in commercial arbitration and litigation into English.

Out of the office Julia enjoys gardening, art, theatre, ice skating, classical music and spending time with family and friends.

Expertise

  • Career Highlights
    • Advising in a £300m+ claim for fraud, unjust enrichment and application for a worldwide freezing order against a former UBO of a Ukrainian bank (including proceedings and evidence for the High Court and Court of Appeal)
    • Defending a professional trustee against personal and proprietary claims brought in the Commercial Court and seeking to trace the proceeds of the settlor’s historic fraud into the trust fund (based in Jersey);
    • Leading a multi-million pound Commercial Court claim by a Russian software developer against an English hedge fund for breach of a software licence agreement regulating the use of the defendant’s trading strategy and breach of a related partnership agreement;
    • Advising on a number of high-value claims arising out of a fraud by a former director and shareholder of the client company group which had been conducted over two decades;
    • Advising on an LCIA arbitration with respect to certain loan notes issued by a Cayman Islands entity, involving allegations of fraud and duress by former owners of a failed bank.
    • Advising on a large ICC arbitration over the Olympic development in Sochi;
    • Advising on an LCIA dispute alleging a fraudulent sale of a Black Sea oil terminal at a significant undervalue in breach of the shareholders agreement.
    • Acting for a private art collector in High Court proceedings against an international auction house successfully challenging the attribution of a painting to a particular artist.