Quentin Tannock

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Quentin Tannock has a commercial practice with a strong focus on advocacy, combining legal excellence with practical business experience.

Quentin acts and advises in complex and high-value arbitrations, litigations and mediations. He enjoys working in a team on larger disputes and is regularly instructed as sole counsel.

Quentin is well regarded for his approachability, responsiveness, calmness and ability to communicate easily with clients and yet be tenacious when representing clients in a wide range of courts and tribunals. While he offers much experience in all of Chambers’ areas of expertise, Quentin has a particular interest in taking on challenging, new work in a range of areas with a capacity to analyse and advise on cases quickly and authoritatively.

Quentin has sole counsel experience in the High Court and Court of Appeal (Civil Division), as well as in institutional and ad hoc arbitrations. Quentin also contributes regularly to major publications on areas of law ranging from technology law to shipping law.

Background

Quentin’s background is in law and business. Prior to being called to the Bar in the UK, among other roles, Quentin qualified and practised as a solicitor, ran an Arbitration Centre in Africa, lectured arbitration and mediation to final year law students and formed his own patent research company, providing IP-related strategy and policy advice to multinational corporations and international organisations. Quentin also worked for the University of Cambridge and was an executive in a US-based venture capital company, making and managing VC investments in Europe and the USA.

Academically, Quentin holds a master’s in law from the University of Cambridge. He was subsequently a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, in the Faculty of Law, with a research focus on international commercial arbitration. For five years, in 2018-2022, Quentin delivered a series of lectures on IP and business to science master’s students at the University of Cambridge.

Commercial Litigation and International Arbitration

Quentin’s practice has a focus on high-value, complex litigations and arbitrations across all areas of commercial law.

Quentin is an in-demand junior who enjoys working in a team. As well as being led in major disputes by Chambers’ leading silks, he has been instructed as sole counsel in the Court of Appeal and High Court as well as in institutional (ICC, LCIA, LMAA) and ad hoc arbitrations.

Quentin is instructed to appear in a wide range of commercial matters in the courts including trials and applications hearings in the High Court (including in the Chancery Division and Kings Bench Division), frequently against counsel of a higher level of call, including silks.

Quentin also has relatively significant appellate experience. Quentin’s appeal experience includes successfully acting for Appellants and Respondents, across commercial, negligence and construction practice areas. In the last year, Quentin was sole counsel in the Court of Appeal, successfully appearing against a silk and a junior (in Armstead v Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company Limited [2022] EWCA Civ 497). He has also acted in numerous appeals in the High Court and the County Court.

Quentin’s relevant arbitration experience spans commercial, construction and shipping arbitrations as well as disputes concerning the law of other jurisdictions and advising in respect of jurisdiction and enforcement issues. Prior to the Bar, Quentin was a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law in the Faculty of Law, with a research focus on international commercial arbitration and the enforcement of arbitral awards.

Quentin’s business experience prior to the Bar includes venture capital investments and international M&A. His relevant experience includes avoiding and resolving disputes between investors, company shareholders, directors, staff and suppliers arising out of investment agreements and general commercial contracts, confidentiality and non-compete undertakings, employee contracts, and shareholder agreements.

Featured Commercial Litigation and International Arbitration cases

Sole counsel in Armstead v Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 497, successfully resisting an appeal in the Court of Appeal against a silk and junior. The case addresses significant issues of general importance in the law of tort including pure economic loss, scope of duty of care and foreseeability, as well as title to sue in bailment. Read case note.

Junior counsel in a USD $80M+ International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration arising out of an explosion at a facility in the Middle East. A technically, factually and legally complex matter in front of a tribunal of leading arbitrators, chaired by Dame Elizabeth Gloster DBE.

Junior counsel in a USD $4,3M London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) arbitration arising out of the allegedly defective design of petrochemical processing facility. In addition to being technically complex, the dispute raised complex issues of law principally in the fields of professional negligence and contributory negligence. The arbitral tribunal was chaired by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury.

Junior counsel in an arbitration arising out of an explosion on a tanker.

Sole counsel acting in an ICC arbitration, representing a Chinese-based exporter in a contractual dispute with a UK distributor.

Sole counsel in an ad hoc arbitration between a Polish manufacturer and its UK distributor.

Advising a leading commercial law firm in respect of a worldwide freezing order.

Sole counsel acting in a £3m+ contractual dispute between a major multinational corporation and a former distribution partner of the corporation, involving allegations of breach of software copyright and fraudulent software licencing.

Sole counsel in a 5 day trial, held in Manchester, between a supplier and customer in the FMCG sector. Quentin lead a junior and appeared against experienced regional counsel, successfully securing his client’s £280,000 claim and the court’s rejection of a £1.8M counterclaim.

Sole counsel securing an injunction in the High Court protecting a client’s confidential information and intellectual property in a £1m+ dispute in Education International Services Limited and another v John Vahya Janoudi [2021] EWHC 888 (Comm). Read case note.

Sole counsel in a £1.5m dispute concerning alleged repudiatory breach of contract, successfully appearing against a silk.

Junior counsel in a USD $300M+ dispute in Hong Kong that arose out of hazard and safety reviews of an advanced manufacturing plant, which later suffered a catastrophic explosion.

Junior counsel instructed in a €15m+ breach of warranty dispute following the acquisition of a software development company.

Construction and Engineering

Quentin has experience in a wide range of construction and engineering disputes, advising and representing clients in litigations, arbitrations, adjudications, expert determinations and mediations. Quentin enjoys working in a team on larger disputes and regularly handles disputes as sole counsel.

Quentin’s construction and engineering experience spans contractual and tortious disputes in a range of courts and arbitration tribunals (including ICC, LCIA, and ad hoc arbitrations). He acts for employers, main contractors, sub-contractors and consultants in relation to disputes arising from projects under both standard form and bespoke contracts. Quentin has extensive experience of construction adjudication. He has also pursued and defended claims of professional negligence against architects, engineers and surveyors.

Quentin is very adept at dealing with technically complex cases. His recent instructions include cases involving failures of complex steel structures, defective design and installation of intumescent fire stopping, composite material design defects and hydrocarbon storage failures resulting in explosions. Quentin is also able to draw on his extensive advanced materials, petrochemicals, renewable energy and health sector experience, dating from prior to his call to the Bar.

Featured Construction and Engineering cases

A USD $300M+ dispute in Hong Kong that arose out of hazard and safety reviews of an advanced manufacturing plant, which later suffered a catastrophic explosion.

A USD $80M+ International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration arising out of an explosion at a facility in the Middle East. A highly technically, factually and legally complex matter in front of a tribunal of leading arbitrators, chaired by Dame Elizabeth Gloster DBE.

Junior counsel acting for Rolls-Royce in a claim for £25m+ in damages in respect of significant structural defects identified post completion in a bespoke Rolls-Royce facility, together with related claims for delay and disruption.

A USD $4,3M London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) arbitration arising out of the allegedly defective design of petrochemical processing facility. In addition to being technically complex, the dispute raised complex issues of law principally in the fields of professional negligence and contributory negligence. The arbitral tribunal was chaired by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury.

Junior counsel in a £2m+ arbitration, following explosions said to arise out of defective storage of hydrocarbons.

Instructed as junior counsel in an arbitration concerning the allegedly defective design of structural components made of composite materials, the failure of which resulted in a fatality.

Sole counsel in a dispute arising out of allegedly defective design and construction of an innovative roofing system for a major apartment block in central London.

Sole counsel in several adjudications, including adjudications brought in the context of company insolvencies.

Sole counsel in various disputes arising out of residential construction contracts, including defending claims concerning allegedly negligent and defective works.

Acting in claims against architects and other professionals in the context of construction projects.

Defending charges of unacceptable professional conduct and serious professional incompetence brought against an architect in proceedings before the Architects Registration Board Professional Conduct Committee.

Financial Services, Private Equity and Venture Capital

Quentin has advised extensively on venture capital investments, start-up financing, M&A transactions and in relation to financial services more broadly. His experience includes advising on confidentiality agreements, non-compete undertakings and disputes arising out of employee contracts and shareholder agreements (including ‘drag-along/tag-along’ and ‘good/bad leaver’ provisions). He assisted resolve major disputes in Guernsey between a hedge fund and its investors. He has also been instructed in disputes concerning alleged fraudulent misrepresentations and breaches of fiduciary duties.

Quentin gained much experience working for a venture capital company and within angel and VC backed start-up companies. He also led M&A activity, including selling the assets (including goodwill, software and data) of a UK company to a US purchaser.

Quentin’s background in business and the crossover between his commercial litigation and arbitration, technology, confidentiality and IP work make him particularly well suited to assisting resolve disputes between stakeholders in technology companies and in venture capital and angel backed businesses.

Featured Financial Services, Private Equity and Venture Capital cases

Acting in a dispute between a Guernsey-based hedge fund and its investors.

Sole counsel, acting in a dispute between investors and an investee company concerning alleged fraudulent misrepresentations.

Advising in relation to a dispute between an investment advisory firm and a former client of the firm concerning allegedly negligent advice.

Sole counsel, securing an injunction preventing the transfer of shares pending resolution of a wider shareholder dispute.

Sole counsel, advising and acting in a dispute over ‘good/bad leaver’ provisions in a shareholders’ agreement.

Junior counsel acting in relation to a €15m+ breach of warranty dispute following the acquisition of a software development company.

Insurance & Reinsurance

Quentin has extensive experience in insurance and reinsurance disputes. He has acted for a wide range of clients including policyholders, brokers, insurers and reinsurers.

As well as being led in major arbitrations by Chambers’ leading silks, Quentin has been instructed as sole counsel in insurer and reinsurer backed ICC, LCIA and ad hoc arbitrations. He also regularly appears in the courts in insurance disputes. For example, in 2022, Quentin was sole counsel in Armstead v Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 497, successfully resisting an appeal in the Court of Appeal for RSA against a silk and junior. Quentin has experience in respect of professional negligence claims against brokers, a major arbitration including allegations of defective loss adjusting, as well as in trials arising out of claims in respect of construction, home contents, motor and property insurance policies.

Quentin routinely advises in respect of insurance matters, including in relation to insurance coverage and insurance litigation prospects. In 2018, he was embedded in AXA’s London office for several months, shortly ahead of the merger of AXA and XL Caitlin to form AXA XL. In this period, Quentin advised AXA in respect of a wide range of contracts and policies.

Quentin is a member of the British Insurance Law Association (BILA).

Featured Insurance & Reinsurance cases

Junior counsel in a USD $300M+ subrogated claim in Hong Kong that arose out of hazard and safety reviews of an advanced manufacturing plant, which later suffered a catastrophic explosion.

Junior counsel acting for reinsurers in a USD $80M+ International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration arising out of an explosion at a facility in the Middle East. A highly technically, factually and legally complex matter heard over three weeks in front of a tribunal of leading arbitrators, chaired by Dame Elizabeth Gloster DBE.

Sole counsel in Armstead v Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 497, successfully resisting an appeal in the Court of Appeal against a silk and junior. The case arose in the context of a hire car insurance policy and addresses significant issues of general importance in the law of tort including pure economic loss, scope of duty of care and foreseeability, as well as title to sue in bailment. Read case note.

Acting for reinsurers in a USD $4,3M London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) arbitration arising out of the allegedly defective design of petrochemical processing facility. In addition to being technically complex, the dispute raised complex issues of law principally in the fields of professional negligence and contributory negligence. The arbitral tribunal was chaired by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury.

Sole counsel representing an insurer in a trial concerning an insurance claim in respect of alleged theft of jewellery from a family home.

Intellectual Property

Quentin’s intellectual property (IP) experience includes assisting clients resolve disputes over the ownership, exploitation and infringement of IP rights across a range of industry sectors including technology, financial services, insurance, logistics and consumer services. His experience spans patent in- and out-licensing agreements for companies, investors and universities, non-compete undertakings, reverse engineering and software licence, design right and copyright disputes, as well as advising with respect to trade mark infringement, passing off and misuse of confidential information. He also has extensive experience in relation to confidentiality, privacy and personal data issues.

Quentin has considerable experience besides his legal practice. Prior to being called to the Bar, his IP-related work included offering strategy and policy advice to some of the world’s largest companies and international organisations across a range of sectors, including energy, health, ICT and nanotechnology. Past major corporate clients include GlaxoSmithKline and Unilever. He co-authored patents, registered trademarks and negotiated the purchase and sale of software, patent and trademark assets (UK to US).

Quentin has also provided services to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), European Patent Office (EPO) and other international and governmental organisations.

For five years, Quentin lectured master of science students at the University of Cambridge on IP and business. Quentin’s lectures covered topics including patents, trade secrets and confidential information, non-disclosure agreements, commercialising IP and addressed particular IP considerations in the context of University based R&D. He has written and co-authored articles for Nature Materials, Nanoscale and other leading materials science publications.

Featured Intellectual Property cases

Advising in relation to software copyright infringement by Russian software developers of software produced by a well-known multinational.

Advising an ISP in relation to managing potential litigation risks arising from hosted content.

Sole counsel securing injunctions in the High Court protecting a client’s IP and confidential information in a £1m+ dispute.

Assisting clients resolve various trade mark, copyright and design right infringement claims.

Advising in relation to breach of copyright and IP licences in a £2m+ dispute.

Sole counsel in Education International Services Limited and another v John Vahya Janoudi [2021] EWHC 888 (Comm), making an interim injunction application securing an order protecting clients’ confidential information and intellectual property together with an award of the costs of the interim application. Read case note.

Shipping and International Trade

Quentin has experience in a range of shipping and international trade matters, across admiralty (including collisions and apportionment of liability), commodities, shipbuilding and other areas.

Quentin’s shipping experience includes, for example, acting in disputes relating to hull mould manufacture and storage, demurrage claims, the purchase of a super yacht and a range of passenger transport-related matters, including a coroner’s inquest and claims arising from a refusal to board passengers.

Quentin is very adept at dealing with engineering and technical cases and understanding underlying technical systems. Quentin’s extensive advanced materials experience, dating from prior to his being called to the Bar, makes him well suited to complex engineering and design disputes in the shipping sector.

In 2022, Quentin was sole counsel in Armstead v Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 497, successfully resisting an appeal in the Court of Appeal against a silk and junior in a case addressing concerning the extent of liability in bailment and tort for damage to hired equipment. Read case note.

From 2016, Quentin has reviewed and updated Lexis PSL content concerning international and domestic carriage of goods by sea, land and air. Quentin’s updates each year cover numerous topics, including: transport and title documents in international carriage of goods; bailment; exclusion of liability; bills of lading and sea waybills; the Hague-Visby Rules and charterparties, including voyage charters, time charters and bareboat charters, together with the incorporation of charterparty terms to bills of lading.

Quentin has also been invited to author Lexis PSL content on bailment. Quentin’s extensive Practice Note gives a working definition of bailment, discusses modern commercial bailment in numerous industry sectors and provides practical advice and pleading tips.

Featured Shipping and International Trade cases

Acting in an arbitration concerning an explosion on board a tanker.

Junior counsel instructed in an arbitration arising out of a fatal accident at sea.

Sole counsel in a dispute arising out of defective maintenance work on a vessel.

Advising in relation to bills of lading and letters of indemnity.

Sole counsel in Armstead v Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 497, successfully resisting an appeal in the Court of Appeal against a silk and junior concerning the extent of liability in bailment and tort for damage to hired equipment. Read case note.

Technology

Quentin has much experience in technology and telecoms disputes, across a wide range of industry sectors. His experience spans disputes involving confidential information, data protection and intellectual property licensing issues. He has particular experience in disputes arising out of IT project failures and IT systems integration issues across several sectors, including utilities and insurance.

Quentin’s experience includes assisting both suppliers and customers in relation to disputes arising out of outsourcing activities, software and IP licensing disputes and alleged copyright infringements. Quentin also pursues and defends claims relating to misrepresentation and professional negligence in the IT sector.

Quentin’s practical business background and cross-practice experience (including commercial, IP, confidentiality and data protection work) make Quentin particularly well suited to technology disputes that are of strategic and commercial importance to clients and raise multiple legal and regulatory issues.

Quentin draws on his considerable IT-related corporate experience when advising clients in technology cases to provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice. His experience includes the acquisition and import of software systems and databases (US to UK), sale of software systems and data (UK to US), software as a service (SaaS), cloud computing (including AWS-hosted services) and mobile app development projects. He worked on contracts for major software development projects, including collaborative R&D projects, and he helped negotiate terms for private and public sector funding of IT-related collaborative R&D programmes.

Quentin is a founding member of the Technology Disputes Network (TDN) Editorial Committee and is a regular contributor to TDN events. From 2018 to 2022, Quentin was a Society for Computers and Law Junior Lawyers’ Group committee member.

Featured Technology cases

Junior counsel in a €15m+ breach of warranty dispute following the acquisition of a software development company.

Advising in relation to breach of software licences by a major telecoms multinational in a £1m+ dispute.

Advising a major international consultancy following the termination of contract by a multinational software provider.

Advising on the merits of a claim of software copyright infringement against Russian software developers in relation to software produced by a well-known multinational.

Advising an ISP in relation to managing potential litigation risks arising from hosted content.

Sole counsel, acting for an insurer in a dispute with a bespoke software solution provider.

Sole counsel in relation to a £2m+ contractual dispute between a global telecoms provider and a multi-national software provider.

Sole counsel, acting for a multinational software provider in connection with an over-deployment dispute with a public sector organisation.

Other

Other Jurisdictions

Quentin has particular experience of disputes concerning the Law of other Jurisdictions. Quentin’s relevant experience spans the laws of Bermuda, California (USA), Guernsey, Hong Kong, Republic of Cyprus, South Africa and Zimbabwe. He also has experience of English Ecclesiastical Law.

Disciplinary tribunal hearings

Quentin has experience in disciplinary tribunal hearings. His work includes instructions in relation to proceedings of the Architects Registration Board Professional Conduct Committee, defending several charges of unacceptable professional conduct and serious professional incompetence.

Crime

Quentin has experience in criminal proceedings brought against corporate clients. His instructions include representing a FTSE 100 corporation in relation to numerous, summary only, criminal charges attracting potentially unlimited fines.

Appeals

Quentin regularly acts for Appellants and Respondents in appeals across Chambers’ commercial, negligence and construction practice areas. Quentin’s appellate experience includes successfully appearing as sole counsel in the Court of Appeal, High Court and County Court.

Featured Other cases

Acting in a dispute between a Guernsey-based hedge fund and its investors.

Advising in respect of a commercial matter in Bermuda.

Defending charges of unacceptable professional conduct and serious professional incompetence in proceedings in front of the Architects Registration Board Professional Conduct Committee.

Acting for a petitioner in an unfair prejudice petition brought under s.994 of the Companies Act 2006.

Acting and advising as sole counsel in a £1.5m expert determination.

Sole counsel in Armstead v Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 497, successfully resisting an appeal in the Court of Appeal against a KC and junior. Read case note.

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