Adam Griffiths

Adam’s postgraduate research focused on the development of the fiduciary relationship and the regulation of corporate governance. Adam welcomes instructions in these narrow fields while maintaining a broader commercial, contract and modern Chancery practice both at first instance and on appeal.

With a wealth of experience in employment–derived matters, Adam welcomes instructions, particularly in the High Court and EAT on employment disputes within the context of broader commercial litigation.

Instructions
Notable unled instructions

● Advising on and drafting pleadings concerning the prohibited assignment of loans, breached director’s duties and champertous litigation. (September 2023 – ongoing) c. £2m

● Appearing in, advising and drafting grounds in appellate judicial bias proceedings Aspect Windows v Adam Retter [2023] EAT 95 (April 2023)

● Advising on and drafting Part 8 proceedings concerning the contractual interpretation of dispute resolution clauses in the circumstances of a business sale and purchase agreement in the High Court (KBD) (April 2023 – ongoing)

● Appearing in urgent injunctive proceedings in the High Court (QBD) resisting quia timet relief in the circumstances of an improperly prepared originating application relating to commercial contracts (August 2021)

● Appearing in a mediation, advising on and drafting pleadings in a submarine construction methods/shipbuilding case in the High Court (Adm) (April – August 2021) c. £1m

● Appearing in a multi–week hybrid trial in the High Court (LMC) along with advising and drafting pleadings in this commercial contract/shipbuilding dispute: Global Technologies Racing v Alex Thomson Racing [2020] EWHC 3334 (Comm) (September 2018 – December 2020) c. £1m

● Appearing in a mediation between a hedge fund manager and a property fund: HIMML v R (July – September 2020) c. £3m

Having studied admiralty law under Professor Francis Rose—and with a background in professional yacht racing—Adam attracts specialist maritime and admiralty work, and is uniquely placed to understand many of the practical issues faced by parties in
this area of litigation. Adam accepts appointments as an arbitrator to resolve disputes arising from collisions between vessels, particularly those engaged in competitive racing.

Instructions
Notable unled instructions:

● Appointed as Arbitrator to resolve a dispute arising from a three–vessel collision in the Bristol Channel. Award issued (April 2023 – August 2023)

● Advising and drafting pleadings in a superyacht refit dispute in the High Court (Adm) (December 2022 – ongoing)

● Appearing in a mediation, advising and drafting pleadings in a submarine construction methods/shipbuilding case in the High Court (Adm) (April – August 2021) c. £2m

● Appearing in a multi–week hybrid trial in the High Court (LMC) along with advising and drafting pleadings in this commercial contract/shipbuilding dispute: Global Technologies Racing v Alex Thomson Racing [2020] EWHC 3334 (Comm) (September 2018 – December 2020) c. £1m

● Advising and drafting pleadings in matters concerning a breached charterparty in respect of a high performance race yacht (March 2020 – July 2020)

● Prosecuting the master of a ferry in Bournemouth Crown Court for conduct endangering life and contrary to IRPCAS following a vessel collision: R v Jarvis (The Telegraph), 15 January 2019 (January 2019)

● Advising on the procedure and prospects of a judicial review against a maritime regulatory body of uncertain public nature (October 2018)

Adam is sought by solicitors faced with unusual regulatory and public law issues, chiefly matters of shipping regulatory law, human rights inquest proceedings and contempts.

Instructions
Notable unled instructions:

● Appearing in and advising on novel Brexit transitional provisions in the Coroner’s Court relating to the Middleton classification of an inquest based on regulated medical devices (May 2023)

● Appearing in, advising and drafting grounds in appellate judicial bias proceedings Aspect Windows v Adam Retter [2023] EAT 95 (April 2023)

● Prosecuting the master of a ferry in Bournemouth Crown Court for conduct endangering life and contrary to IRPCAS following a vessel collision: R v Jarvis (The Telegraph), 15 January 2019 (January 2019)

● Advising on the procedure and prospects of a judicial review against a maritime body of uncertain public nature (October 2018)

● Appearing in two, multi–week Article 2 Coroner’s inquest on behalf of the family of the deceased. Notwithstanding jury directions to return a short form conclusion, Adam successfully protected a jury’s five–page narrative conclusion relying on ‘jury prerogative’ jurisprudence from the 18th Century: Re. C. J. Jeffery (March – September 2018)

● Representing a defendant facing a custodial sentence in committal for contempt proceedings in the County Court: BCC v Hammond (April 2018)

● Advising on a prosecution under maritime regulatory law (IRPCAS) following a collision at sea (March 2018)

Adam has previously appeared on behalf of employers in the Hong Kong Labour Tribunal.  In England and Wales, Adam is instructed in lengthy and legally complex employment tribunal hearings with a wealth of experience in multi-party combined cases, Adam has a wealth of experience advising on and arguing novel points of appellate interest.

Instructions on matters with related commercial/insolvency disputes and wider strategic implications in the civil courts are particularly welcomed by Adam.

Instructions

Notable unled instructions:

• Appearing in, advising and drafting grounds in appellate (EAT) judicial bias proceedings: Aspect Windows v Adam Retter [2023] EAT 95 (April 2023)

• Appearing in urgent injunctive proceedings in the High Court (QBD) resisting quia timet relief in the circumstances of an improperly prepared originating application relating to employee springboard contracts (August 2021)
• Appearing in a multi–million pound employment mediation between a hedge fund manager and a property fund: HIMML v R (July – September 2020) c. £3m
• Appearing and advising in connection with Employment Tribunal and High Court litigation concerning ownership of and discrimination within a law firm: E v B (November 2019 – January 2020) c. £1m
• Appearing as one of five counsel in a significant TUPE action with over three weeks of listings: Reeve and ors v Scion and ors (June 2018 – January 2020)
• Resisting claims of discrimination and unfair dismissal in a multi-week trial with significant public interest: Harding v Southampton Street Pastors (May – June 2019)
• Advising and appearing for applicant respondents in a limitation matter applying for the strike out of claims against solvent companies in lieu of claims surviving against insolvent entities: Webb v Black and Wight, and ors (April 2019)
• Securing an eleven weeks award (from a solvent transferee) in a contested failure to inform and consult TUPE action for five Claimants: Marsh and ors v Thomas and ors (February 2019)
• Securing awards against the secretary of state in technical multi-party insolvency-derived proceedings (April – June 2018)