julia.norris@pannone.co.uk

Julia
Norris

Julia is a Senior Associate in Dispute Resolution where she specialises in acting in financial services disputes. Julia advises individuals, trusts and corporations in a variety of claims involving:

  • global currency hedges
  • offshore bonds
  • equities
  • corporate private equity investments
  • fraudulent “ponzi” schemes (including Bernard Madoff)
  • commercial property syndicates
  • international property investment schemes
  • SIPP investments
  • tax planning and trusts

The past couple of years have seen an enormous growth in this area and Julia has developed extensive experience of claims arising out of the 2008 collapse of Icelandic bank Kaupthing hf and is also currently pursuing claims following the failure of Keydata Investment Services Limited in June 2009.

Julia also has experience in claims arising out of:

  • partnership disputes (including financial services firms)
  • commercial contracts (acting for listed companies amongst other commercial clients)
  • contentious probate claims
  • shareholder disputes, including unfair prejudice actions
  • breach of warranty claims
  • breach of restrictive covenant claims allied to which she has been involved in a number of applications for injunctive relief

Best career moment: Successfully obtaining an anti-harassment injunction on behalf of a property developer. Our client had been in dispute with the defendant for over a decade following claims by the defendant that he owned a 2m strip of land, a ransom strip, which formed part of a substantial residential development. Urgent works were required to the sewerage system of the development. United Utilities’ workforce were threatened with a shotgun by the defendant who claimed that the system ran below his ransom strip and that they were trespassing. Our client, his family and employees also faced threats of violence. The defendant demanded a purchase price of, initially, £20m in return for the strip. The injunction allowed the necessary work to be undertaken, under police protection, and prevented the defendant from interfering further in the development.

Notable cases include:

  • acting in over 30 claims against financial advisors following the collapse of Kaupthing Bank. A number of claims are ongoing however the majority have settled on favourable terms at mediation
  • acted on behalf of 29 property owners against six separate defendants in respect of a defective apartment block development. The property presented a severe fire risk and the defendants included the architects, builders, project managers and the local authority
  • acted for 10 clients with connected claims arising out of their investment in a fraudulent property investment scheme. The case involved complex arguments regarding causation and loss by reference to the individual knowledge of each client.  The case was settled favourably following a mediation
  • acting on behalf of a trust in respect of the fraudulent withdrawal of £500,000. The funds are currently being traced and a freezing order considered

Julia qualified as a solicitor in 2006.