Sebastian Gollins

Sebastian is developing a broad practice in line with Chambers’ profile in these areas and undertakes work involving contractual disputes, sale of goods, applications for urgent injunctions and commercial litigation generally.

International

Sebastian has a passion for private international law and is currently instructed on a number of matters which involve jurisdiction and choice of law issues.

Sebastian has acted in cases arising out of Singapore, France, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Malta and the Isle of Man.

Cases

• Acting on behalf of an UHNWI with regards to the contested dissolution of a 50+ year old partnership, which owns millions of pounds of assets.
• Advised a client in relation to a series of related construction projects worth approximately £700 million, from which it was expecting to recover about £7 million in commission fees.
• Instructed with regards to a professional negligence claim centred around a prestigious hotel complex which includes a Michelin 3-star restaurant.
• Involved in the highly-complex and high-value Volkswagen diesel emissions class action.
• Instructed on behalf of a tour management company that provides support to well-known artists within the music industry, in relation to a contractual dispute.
• Acted on behalf of the owner of two luxury fashion brands in a complex matter which among other things involved multiple defendant companies, issues surrounding foreign investment sourced from South East Asia, injunctive relief, and the protection of IP rights.
• Acted in a dispute concerning alleged breaches of an agreement committed by a freight forwarder whilst importing multiple shipments of goods from Turkey to the UK.
• Familiar with equine law in a commercial context having acted for a number of clients involved in the industry, including a famous racehorse trainer and the owner of a show horse that has won all of the most prestigious competitions in its category, such as the Royal International Horse Show.
• Directions hearing on behalf of the liquidators of company seeking circa £10,000,000 from the company’s formerly registered director for misfeasance and breach of fiduciary duties.
• Drafted particulars of claim in relation to a franchise dispute where damages exceeded £1 million.
• Advised the owner of a rare sports car on his rights under the Factors Act 1889.
• Involved in numerous other fast and multi-track cases.

Aviation

Sebastian has started to develop a practice in aviation and has experience dealing with carriage by air disputes involving EU regulations as well as compensation claims for delay, cancellation or denied boarding. He is happy to accept instructions in related areas.

Cases

• Acted on behalf of one of the largest airlines in Europe. Successfully argued at first instance that its bonus scheme for retired employees was discretionary, which could help prevent the floodgates being opened to hundreds or thousands of related claims.

Sebastian is experienced in banking and financial matters, including cross-jurisdictional and international banking cases. His experience includes mis-selling, rate swaps, commercial fraud, private equity ownership and investment and disputes between financial institutions.

Cases

• Acting on behalf of a client in relation to a significant claim which arises from the sale by the National Bank of Greece of eleven limited partnerships, to funds managed by Deutsche Bank Private Equity and Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Sebastian deals with a broad range of property work and is instructed in commercial landlord and tenant disputes, including breach of terms, forfeiture, lease renewals, disrepair and arrears of rent.

Sebastian’s experience extends to disputes under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, boundary and party walls disputes, adverse possession, easements and nuisance.

Cases

• Acting on behalf of the member of a world-famous musical group which has sold more than 80 million records to date and their spouse, in a confidential property dispute.
• Sir X (as trustee of Lady Y) v Z – obtained possession of trust property.

Sebastian’s practice includes a wide range of personal and corporate insolvency matters.

He regularly appears in the winding up list, bankruptcy and company restoration proceedings acting for both creditors and debtors.

He also appears in the applications list in Manchester and Leeds and is familiar with administration orders and extensions, as well as the appointment and removal of liquidators.

Sebastian also has experience in corporate insolvency applications under section (236) (delivery up of information/ private examination in court) as well as personal insolvency matters under sections 339 (transactions at an undervalue) and 423 (transactions defrauding creditors) of the Insolvency Act 1986.

Cases

• Advised the representatives of a class of 540 creditors in relation to the administration of a company involved in a significant property development. Covered in the Business Telegraph.
• Appealed an order winding up a construction firm in the High Court.
• Wound up a multinational company on behalf of the European Union.
• Obtained a bankruptcy order against a well-known television personality.
• Defended a land development company in winding up proceedings brought against it by a commercial agent where the amount in dispute was £18 million

Sebastian has experience of data protection issues under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Acts 1998 and 2018.

He has advised clients on claims arising from data breaches committed by both public and private bodies, which includes claims relating to breach of confidence and misuse of private information.

Sebastian is comfortable mediating disputes that encompass broad areas of practice and which engage all types of legal problems.

He has dealt with cases where the sums of money in issue have on occasion been as much as £18 million and is therefore able to apply this experience to help settle substantive claims.

Sebastian is capable of quickly getting to get to the heart of a dispute and has the innate ability to win the trust of disparate parties and bring them together. Whilst recognising he is not there to determine the matter, he is willing to engage with the parties on the strengths and weaknesses of their case and to ensure they move towards an agreement they want.

• Northern Circuit
• Northern Chancery Bar Association
• Northern Circuit Commercial Bar Association

• ADR Group accredited civil and commercial mediator

• BPTC, BPP Law School
• MSc, Oxford University
• LLB (Hons), Durham University
• BPP BPTC Excellence Award
• Washington DC Senatorial Internship