Christopher Burdin

Call: 2010 (Middle Temple); BA (Oxon); BCL (Oxon)
Email: cburdin@3vb.com

Christopher has a general commercial practice in line with Chambers' profile. He has experience of a broad range of general commercial work, including banking, financial services, contractual disputes, professional negligence, company, insolvency, insurance, civil fraud, arbitration and conflict of laws.

Christopher is regularly instructed to appear as sole advocate at hearings in the County Court and High Court, with particular emphasis on banking and commercial contractual disputes (including consumer credit, PPI, guarantees and debt claims). He also undertakes a variety of written work, including drafting pleadings and providing written advice on all areas of general commercial law (including in connection with allegations of interest rate swap mis-selling).

Christopher has also been instructed to appear as junior counsel in more complex matters in arbitration, the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. For example:

• VTB Capital plc v Nutritek International Corp and others [2013] UKSC 5, representing the Second Defendant (led by Michael Lazarus). The Supreme Court dismissed VTB's appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision (upholding Arnold J) that England was not the proper place in which to bring VTB's $185 million claim in deceit and conspiracy. The Supreme Court further held that the corporate veil could not be pierced so as to render a fraudster liable on contracts entered into between the victim and the fraudster's puppet company;
• in relation to a $200 million worldwide freezing order in the High Court (as part of a counsel team led by Andrew Hochhauser QC);
• in relation to a substantial LCIA arbitration concerning a construction project in Russia, partly heard in New York (led by Toby Landau QC and Jonathan Davies-Jones).

Education and Awards

• BCL, New College, Oxford - Distinction (2009)
• BA in Jurisprudence, New College, Oxford - First (2008)
• Scholar, Honorary Senior Scholar and Wallace Scholar of New College, Oxford
• Jules Thorn Scholar of the Middle Temple
• Winner of the Middle Temple Rosamund Smith Mooting Competition (2010)

Professional Memberships

• Middle Temple
• COMBAR
• LCLCBA