Call: 2018
Anna is a sought-after advocate in international commercial litigation and arbitration, particularly where established commercial law meets fast-moving technological, geopolitical and environmental change. She also has a recognised practice in public international law and human rights.
She acts in complex, high-value, multi-jurisdictional disputes across shipping, technology, banking and financial services, insurance and sanctions. Her work combines questions of jurisdiction, contractual construction and enforcement with particular expertise in climate and energy, ESG, group actions and corporate responsibility. Her public-law and human-rights work includes major constitutional and LGBTQ+ rights litigation. She was nominated for Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
Anna’s international outlook is shaped by her German and Chinese roots, Swiss upbringing and UK education, and she works comfortably across legal and cultural contexts. A native-level German speaker, she previously worked in international arbitration at Homburger AG in Zurich, has written on the Chinese renewable-energy sector, and is a member of the GMAA and the British-German Jurists’ Association.
Highlights of Anna’s work include:
Overview of practice areas:
A version of Anna’s CV in Chinese can be found here.
Anna is ranked Up and Coming by Chambers and Partners and a Rising Star by The Legal 500 for shipping. She regularly acts as sole counsel as well as in counsel teams in charterparty, bills of lading, ship-sale, shipbuilding and cargo disputes, including LMAA and other international arbitrations. Her work often involves war risk, sanctions, jurisdiction, injunctive relief, decarbonisation and new technologies. She is an LMAA Supporting Member and held a position on the YMP committee for several years. In 2023, she spent a summer on secondment to Nordisk Defence Club in Oslo.
Spec 1 Limited & Ors v The Export-Import Bank of China [2026] EWHC 1162 (Comm): Acted for the borrower companies in a US$61 million ship-finance dispute concerning an asymmetric jurisdiction clause, parallel proceedings and anti-suit relief. The applications included anti-suit, anti-anti-suit and possibly the first anti-anti-anti-suit relief sought in the Commercial Court, together with security for costs. Led by Sean O’Sullivan KC and Jawdat Khurshid KC.
Shell UK v Greenpeace UK and others: Acted for the Greenpeace defendants in the first English case concerning climate protest on the high seas, engaging jurisdiction and UNCLOS; led by Richard Lord KC. See Climate, Energy & ESG below.
Major vessel-fire and pollution arbitration: Acts for owners in a substantial LMAA arbitration concerning General Average, stowage and pollution following a prolonged chemical fire.
Foreign-award and maritime-assets dispute: Acted for the owners of key maritime assets in a major shareholder dispute concerning recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards.
Mooring casualty and pollution arbitration: Acts for owners in an LMAA arbitration concerning a breakaway casualty, pollution and charterers’ due-diligence obligations.
Anna regularly acts in high-value domestic and cross-border litigation, international arbitration and mediation. This often raises issues of contractual construction, fraud, shareholder disputes, economic torts, jurisdiction and enforcement, as well as anti-suit and freezing relief. She acts alone and in larger counsel teams;
Spec 1 Limited & Ors v The Export-Import Bank of China [2026] EWHC 1162 (Comm): Acted for the borrower companies in a US$61 million ship-finance dispute concerning an asymmetric jurisdiction clause, parallel proceedings and anti-suit relief. The applications included anti-suit, anti-anti-suit and possibly the first anti-anti-anti-suit relief sought in the Commercial Court, together with security for costs. Led by Sean O’Sullivan KC and Jawdat Khurshid KC.
ClientEarth v Shell’s Board of Directors [2023] EWHC 1137 (Ch): Worked on this significant derivative shareholder action during a year-long part-time secondment to ClientEarth in 2021-22. The case concerned directors’ duties, the board’s management of climate risk and corporate strategy, and the requirements for shareholders to pursue a derivative claim.
London International Exhibition Centre v RSA [2023] EWHC 1481 (Comm); LIEC v Allianz [2024] EWCA Civ 1026: Acted for insurers in High Court and Court of Appeal Covid-19 business-interruption litigation on causation under ‘at the premises’ disease clauses, led by Aidan Christie KC.
Ben Line Agencies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd v Acteon Integrated Solutions Ltd: Sole counsel for the successful defendants in resisting substantial proposed amendments to a contractual claim.
DIFC anti-suit injunction: Acted with Sean Brannigan KC for a major real-estate developer in an urgent application before the DIFC Courts.
Worldwide freezing injunction: Acting alone, obtained a worldwide freezing injunction in the High Court.
Anna has significant experience of climate and energy disputes, shareholder and greenwashing litigation, corporate accountability and emerging ESG and supply-chain regulation. Her experience combines instructions as counsel with specialist secondments to ClientEarth and Mishcon Purpose; each entry states the capacity in which she worked.
Shell UK v Greenpeace UK and others: Acted for Greenpeace UK, Greenpeace International and individual activists in the first English case concerning climate protest on the high seas. The proceedings engaged jurisdiction, UNCLOS, conspiracy and climate change; the claim settled. Part of a multi-chambers team led by Richard Lord KC.
ClientEarth v Shell’s Board of Directors [2023] EWHC 1137 (Ch): Worked on this significant derivative shareholder action during a year-long part-time secondment to ClientEarth in 2021-22. The case concerned directors’ duties, the board’s management of climate risk and corporate strategy, and the requirements for shareholders to pursue a derivative claim.
Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and others v Secretary of State for BEIS [2022] EWHC 1841 (Admin): Assisted during her ClientEarth secondment with the successful judicial-review challenge to the Government’s Net Zero Strategy.
Greenwashing matters: Worked during her ClientEarth and Mishcon Purpose secondments on disputes involving major aviation and energy businesses, including related shareholder and conspiracy issues.
Greenpeace Nordic and others v Norway, App. No. 34068/21: Assisted during her ClientEarth secondment with an amicus submission on the importance of environmental-impact assessments.
Carbon markets and environmental regulation: Advised on carbon-credit exchanges, advertising-regulator decisions and corporate accountability for water pollution
Anna is regularly instructed in significant IT disputes e.g. concerning delayed delivery, fitness for purpose, termination and quantum. Her wider technology practice includes data protection and emerging AI regulation; at LIDW 2026 she spoke on technology disputes involving ESG and data-centre projects.
Topalsson v Rolls-Royce Motor Cars [2023] EWHC 1756 (TCC): Acted for a German software company in a four-week TCC trial concerning the implementation and termination of a major automotive visualisation-software project, led by Terence Bergin KC and Matthew Lavy KC.
Logistics software-delivery dispute: Acted with Thomas Crangle for a major logistics enterprise in a substantial dispute involving an allegation of fraud.
Charity software dispute: Acted in a successful mediation for a charity following the failed delivery of a CRM system.
Automated-driving and electric-vehicle disputes: Acted for and advised on the UK disputes strategy for a major electric-vehicle producer on self-driving capabilities;
Data Protection Act claim: Successfully defended a global fashion retailer against alleged breaches of data-protection legislation.
Anna acts in construction and infrastructure litigation and adjudication, including substantial defect claims and long-running contractual disputes, both as junior counsel and alone.
Hospital PFI dispute: Acted with Sean Brannigan KC and Matthew Thorne in a substantial dispute concerning fire-safety and structural defects at a hospital.
DIFC jurisdiction dispute: Acted with Sean Brannigan KC in a successful application re contested jurisdiction between DIFC and the onshore Courts.
Adjudications: Acted as sole counsel in an adjudication worth several millions; secured a favorable outcome in a long-running (12 years) dispute that culminated in an adjudication.
Anna has detailed experience of business-interruption insurance and the consequences of the FCA test-case litigation. She acts for insurers and policyholders in coverage disputes. Read her analysis of the Supreme Court’s FCA test-case judgment.
London International Exhibition Centre v RSA [2023] EWHC 1481 (Comm); LIEC v Allianz [2024] EWCA Civ 1026: Acted for insurers in High Court and Court of Appeal Covid-19 business-interruption litigation on causation under ‘at the premises’ disease clauses, led by Aidan Christie KC.
Business-interruption strike-out: As sole counsel, obtained strike-out of a claim applying the FCA test case on the meaning of damage and denial of access.
FCA Covid-19 business-interruption test case: Advised a global insurer through policy review, the hearing and advice on the judgment’s business implications.
Anna has experience of large-scale group litigation, parent-company liability and corporate accountability, including work undertaken during specialist secondments and related climate and human-rights matters. She has advised every stage of case / portfolio generation and worked with several litigation funders.
Município de Mariana & others v BHP: Worked on the launch of the UK’s largest group action while seconded to Pogust Goodhead, including complex questions of jurisdiction under the Brussels Recast regime and parent-company liability.
Greenwashing claims: advised on a portfolio of major greenwashing complaints.
Anna has an academic background in public and public international law and is a member of the Attorney General’s C Panel. Her practice covers judicial review, constitutional law, treaty obligations, state responsibility, sovereign immunity, UNCLOS and the law of international organisations. Her cross-border commercial work also raises private international law issues of jurisdiction, applicable law and enforcement; related matters appear under Shipping, Commercial and Civil Liberties above.
R (Miller) v Prime Minister [2019] UKSC 41: Acted for Sir John Major, the Fourth Intervener, in the Divisional Court and Supreme Court proceedings concerning prorogation, led by Lord Garnier KC and acting with Tom Cleaver. The Supreme Court unanimously held that the prorogation was unlawful, null and void.
Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and others v Secretary of State for BEIS [2022] EWHC 1841 (Admin): Assisted during her ClientEarth secondment with the successful judicial-review challenge to the Government’s Net Zero Strategy.
International administrative tribunal: Acts in confidential proceedings concerning internal procedural integrity, disclosure and the law of international organisations.
Pro bono judicial reviews: Acted through Advocate in two successful judicial-review challenges, including one led by Anthony Speaight KC.
Anna acts in disputes involving banks, financial assets and regulatory questions. Her experience includes banking litigation, fraud and limitation, freezing relief and instructions from the Financial Conduct Authority. Her ship-finance work is set out under Shipping above.
James & James v HSBC UK Bank plc [2026] EWCA Civ 88: Sole counsel for HSBC at two High Court hearings, obtaining strike-out of the claim in full; appeared for the successful respondent in the Court of Appeal, led by James Purchas, in an appeal concerning fraud, limitation and reopening an ex tempore judgment.
FCA privilege advice: Instructed by the Financial Conduct Authority to advise on legal professional privilege and litigation privilege.
Financial-services enforcement proceedings: Assisted with an interim-payment application in FCA proceedings concerning alleged contraventions of sections 19 and 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Anna has acted and advised in professional-negligence disputes concerning solicitors, surveyors and architects, with particular experience defending professionals and addressing overlapping contractual and causation issues.
HR Professional negligence claim: secured strike out of large sections of the claim; ongoing.
Solicitors’ negligence claims: Successfully defended solicitors in a number of professional-negligence disputes.
Surveyor and architect claims: Advised and acted in disputes involving allegations against surveyors and architects.
Anna advises on UK and EU sanctions, including the Russia Regulations. Her practice spans frozen assets, shareholder and creditor rights, technology transfers, data protection, travel restrictions and licensing in fast-moving cross-border matters. She regularly works with Alex Haines.
Sanctions and sovereign-immunity issues in high-value commodities disputes.
Delisting challenges, frozen assets, licensing and associated corporate-law issues.
The rights of designated creditors in insolvency proceedings.
Restrictions on technology transfers and services involving Russia-based developers.
Sanctions screening, strict-liability exposure and the interaction with UK GDPR.
EU travel restrictions, payment processing and sanctions due diligence.
Anna is ranked as a Rising Star for International Human Rights by The Legal 500. Her practice includes constitutional and international litigation concerning LGBTQ+ equality, freedom of expression and protest, and obligations in relation to climate targets.
The Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago and others v Jason Jones, JCPC/2025/0095: Acts pro bono for the only interveners, representing nearly 200 LGBTQ+ organisations, in a landmark Privy Council appeal on decriminalising same-sex intimacy. Working with Adam Goldenberg and Grace McDonell of McCarthy Tétrault; judgment is awaited following the July 2026 hearing. Judgment expected in autumn 2026.
Kattina Anglin v Governor of the Cayman Islands [2025] UKPC 30: Appeared pro bono for Colours Caribbean, led by Alex Potts KC. The Privy Council unanimously upheld legislation securing civil partnerships for same-sex and opposite-sex couples in the Cayman Islands.
Ferguson and others v United Kingdom, European Court of Human Rights: Instructed with Alex Potts KC for Colours Caribbean as an intervener in proceedings concerning the revocation of same-sex marriage in Bermuda; Ongoing.
Attorney General’s C Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown
Writing: The Catalan Sea: Court of Appeal guidance on sanctions risk (2026); Same-sex marriage in Bermuda and pro bono (Counsel, 2024); The FCA v Arch: Supreme Court causation and the Orient Express (2021); Whose Gold is it Anyway? State recognition and act of state (2021); Global Water: remoteness of damages in contract (2021); Halliburton v Chubb in the Supreme Court: Challenging Times? (2020); Contact Tracing: The Ethical and Legal Issues (2020); R (Miller) v Prime Minister: An Unlawful Prorogation (2020)
Speaking: LIDW 2026: sanctions risk in commercial disputes; LIDW 2026: technology disputes in international arbitration, including ESG and data centres; ICMA XXIII Singapore 2026: AI in Arbitration; counsel in sanctions mock arbitration; LISW 2025: sustainable offshore construction, energy and shipbuilding; CIArb London YMG 2024: ESG arbitration disputes; Climate change risk mitigation for business leaders (2024); SCL 2023: AI-based decision-making and the right to human decisions; LISW 2023: contractual risk allocation and decarbonisation; LIDW 2023: injunctions from the English Court; Renewable-energy disputes and greenwashing (2023)
LMAA, COMBAR, Society for Computers and Law, UKELA, TECBAR, JUSTICE, BICCL.
German (bilingual); French (good); Italian and Mandarin (basic).
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