Jacob Haddad
Call 2021
Instruct Jacob
To instruct Jacob please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5555 or email [email protected].
Jacob Haddad specialises in complex, high value commercial litigation and arbitration. Jacob is equally comfortable acting as sole counsel or as junior counsel in a larger team.
His particular interests are in commercial disputes, civil fraud, shipping & commodities, IT & technology and construction & infrastructure. He enjoys working on cases which involve technically demanding expert issues.
Jacob’s recent case highlights include:
- IBM v LzLabs (10 week trial in the Technology & Construction Court: April 2024). Representing IBM in a high-profile technology dispute involving allegations of reverse engineering of IBM mainframe software and claims for breach of contract, procuring breach of contract and unlawful means conspiracy. Led by Nicholas Saunders KC (Brick Court Chambers), Fred Hobson KC (Brick Court Chambers) and Matthew Lavy KC. Included in The Lawyer’s “Top 20 Cases of 2024”.
- Acting for the respondent to a high value claim for alleged fraudulent misrepresentations made in the course of the sale of a vessel (with James Watthey and Sean O’Sullivan KC).
- Chugga Chugg v Privinvest Holding SAL. Acting for Privinvest Holding SAL (led by Rani Noakes). Commercial Court proceedings resulting in a multi-day trial which concerned a claim under a refund guarantee following termination of a shipbuilding contract.
- Instructed in relation to a defence sector construction project dispute involving expert-led delay and quantum analysis. Led by Sanjay Patel KC.
Before coming to the Bar, Jacob was a Herchel Smith Fellow at Harvard University (2018-2019). He has a First Class degree in English from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. In his Part I examinations at Cambridge, he achieved the top Starred First.
IT & technology
Featured IT & technology cases
- IBM UK Ltd v LzLabs GmbH & Ors: (10 week trial in the Technology & Construction Court: April 2024). Representing IBM in this high-profile technology dispute involving allegations of reverse engineering of IBM software and claims for breach of contract, procuring breach of contract and unlawful means conspiracy. Led by Nicholas Saunders KC (Brick Court Chambers), Fred Hobson KC (Brick Court Chambers) and Matthew Lavy KC.
- Preparing the defence in a claim for unpaid fees in relation to sales acceleration software involving potential cyber fraud by a third party.
- Assisting as a pupil with an interim injunction application by a healthcare company against a provider of data storage services following a cyber-attack which compromised sensitive customer information.
- Assisting as a pupil with a Part 18 Request for Further Information in an IT project dispute.
- Assisting as a pupil with a dispute concerning alleged breach of an IT consulting services contract under which assistance and advice was given in relation to software licensing exposure and audits.
- Assisted as a pupil with advice regarding potential injunctive relief in relation to the threatened withdrawal of a trading platform on expiry of an IT services agreement.
Shipping & commodities
Featured Shipping & commodities cases
- Acting for the respondent to a high value claim for alleged fraudulent misrepresentation arising under a contract for the sale of a vessel (with James Watthey and Sean O’Sullivan KC).
- Drafting Claim and Reply and Defence to Counterclaim Submissions in a LMAA Small Claims arbitration involving issues of the validity of a notice of readiness, laytime interruption, the calculation of laytime and alleged vessel damage.
- Advising in relation to a potential Inter-Club Agreement cargo claim.
- Advising in relation to the scope of an ad hoc arbitration agreement in a collision claim.
- Assisting with drafting an application to enter default judgment pursuant to CPR 61.9 in an admiralty claim in rem.
- Advising on a commodities dispute involving issues of repudiation and non-delivery.
- Acting as junior counsel in ongoing arbitration proceedings concerning a contract for the international distribution and licensing of goods in the life sciences sector.
- Drafting a pleading in a cargo claim in the High Court (London Circuit Commercial Court) on an urgent basis.
- Drafting pleadings in disputes concerning unpaid berthing charges and alleged canal boat defects.
- Advising on a potential dispute concerning baseplate corrosion on a vessel.
- Assisting as junior counsel with an advice in relation to a voyage charterparty dispute which involved issues as to liability in circumstances where Charterers had failed to surrender the original bill of lading to Owners after completion of discharge of cargo, limitation and quantum.
Construction & infrastructure
Featured Construction & infrastructure cases
- Instructed in relation to a defence sector construction project dispute involving expert-led delay and quantum analysis. Led by Sanjay Patel KC.
- Acted as sole counsel in an urgent High Court application in the Companies and Insolvency List regarding the deferral of the dissolution of a company and the reinstatement of liquidators arising out of post-Grenfell cladding litigation.
- Advising on a domestic construction dispute involving sewage treatment works.
- Instructed as junior counsel to Kate Livesey in preparation for a CCMC in a c. £8 million TCC case which includes a claim against a building contractor (the first defendant) for allegedly defective works.
- Assisting Thomas Crangle and James Leabeater KC as a pupil with an arbitration involving variations and delay claims brought by an architectural finishes design consultancy against a contractor on a large infrastructure project in the Middle East.
Insurance
Featured Insurance cases
- Advising an insurer on whether to invoke fraud in relation to an insurance claim by the insured concerning allegedly damaged agricultural machinery.
- Assisting with an advice as a pupil on potential remedies for an insurer following allegedly dishonest conduct by the insured in the course of underlying litigation.
Professional Negligence
Featured Professional Negligence cases
- Instructed as junior counsel to Kate Livesey with preparation for a CCMC in a c. £8 million defects case in the TCC which includes a professional negligence claim against a firm of project managers and costs consultants (the second defendant) engaged as Employer’s Agent under the relevant building contracts.
- Assisting as a pupil with written submissions in response to an application for permission to appeal on the proper approach to quantification of loss of a chance damages in a solicitor’s negligence claim.
Other experience
Jacob has been instructed as sole counsel in numerous trials and contested applications in the County Court, including in relation to consumer banking (PPI) and breach of contract matters.
Judgment handed down in Chugga Chugg Pty Ltd v Privinvest Holding SAL [2025] EWHC 585 (Comm)
On 14 March 2024, the Commercial Court handed down judgment in the case of Chugga Chugg Pty Ltd v Privinvest Holding SAL...
Judgment handed down in IBM United Kingdom Ltd v LzLabs GmbH & Ors [2025] EWHC 532 (TCC)
On 10 March 2025, the TCC handed down judgment in the case of IBM United Kingdom Ltd v LzLabs GmbH & Ors [2025] EWHC...
Dubai Arbitration Week 2024
Rachel Ansell KC, Sanjay Patel KC, Laurence Page, Andrew Stevens, Quentin Tannock, Katy Handley, Jacob Haddad and...
The Lawyer Top 20 Cases 2024
The Lawyer Top 20 Cases, released today, includes matters with the most significant sums in dispute as well as disputes...
Instruct Jacob
To instruct Jacob please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5520 or email [email protected].
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Call: +44 (0) 20 7842 5555
