Lucy Kean 3

Lucy Keane

Year of Call: 1988
Email Address: [email protected]
Telephone: 020 7583 8055

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Clerk Details

  • Clerk Name: David Fielder
  • Clerk Telephone: 020 7583 8055
  • Clerk Email: [email protected]

Overview

Lucy Keane FCIArb is a commercial barrister qualified in five jurisdictions. She is a barrister in England & Wales (call:2019), an attorney at law in New York, an advocate in Scotland, and a barrister in both Ireland and Gibraltar.

Lucy specialises in international dispute resolution, with particular interest and expertise in international commercial arbitration. Lucy’s most recent experience has been in Gibraltar, where she acted as counsel in a number of complex cases ranging from corporate insolvency to shareholder disputes. Lucy also appeared as counsel in cases involving crypto assets, including a recent multi-million pound claim before the Supreme Court of Gibraltar involving worldwide freezing and ancillary orders and a LCIA arbitration concerning crypto investment.

Lucy, called to the Bar in Scotland in 1988, has extensive experience as an advocate dealing with commercial litigation in the UK. Her range of experience includes shareholder disputes, commercial contracts, investment funds and associated regulatory issues, sale and carriage of goods and international trade. Lucy also deals with shipping and energy disputes. Lucy gained invaluable experience in international oil and gas matters early in her career as counsel in the team representing Occidental Petroleum in the proceedings arising from the Piper Alpha disaster and her interest in international arbitration and energy-industry cases developed from there.

Lucy is qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and holds the CIArb's Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration. Her enthusiasm for international arbitration extends to conducting lectures and training on the subject, particularly in relation to advocacy in international arbitration. This has included lecturing at Leiden University to Dutch practitioners.

In 2022, Lucy was appointed by the European Commission to its pool of individuals suitable for appointment as Arbitrator in bilateral trade disputes, giving her the opportunity for appointment as Arbitrator in specified cases or on pre-agreed rosters under relevant trade agreements with third countries.

Being qualified in five jurisdictions, Lucy has the ability to work across legal borders with ease. Her facility with languages has proven to be invaluable and Lucy has particular competence and experience in working on cases in German. Lucy recently used her German language skills as part of the team acting for Volkswagen AG in its defence of the High Court claim alleging breaches of diesel emissions limits by the car manufacturer.

As a New York lawyer, Lucy retains excellent links with legal professionals in the USA and is available to advise on issues of US Federal Law and New York State Law. She is Co-Chair of the New York State Bar Association International Section Committee on Art Law, Art Funds and Art Finance, reflecting her passion for art and its intersection with law and business.

Lucy is a regular speaker at conferences, most recently at the New York State Bar Association 's International Section Global Conference in Hamburg.

In addition to her expertise as counsel in civil cases, Lucy has solid experience as a criminal advocate, having held an appointment in Scotland as an Advocate-Depute (senior prosecutor). She has strong capability in dealing with white-collar crime, fraud, asset recovery proceedings and corporate investigations.

Lucy has represented both the Crown and other parties in fatal accident inquiries (equivalent to inquests) involving sudden or suspicious deaths. She recently acted for a medical professional in Scotland's longest inquiry (inquest) held in Glasgow Sheriff Court, a complex and challenging matter involving a number of specialisms including haematology, oncology and neurology.

Lucy’s breadth of experience has included a judicial appointment in Scotland as a part-time Sheriff sitting in the sheriff courts in both civil and criminal cases. She has appeared in courts at all levels in Scotland and has taken a case from first instance to the House of Lords. She is an extremely competent advocate whose advocacy experience ranges from interlocutory matters to complex appeals. Lucy was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Advocacy by the Faculty of Advocates in 2016.

Expertise

  • Commercial
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    Lucy Keane is an experienced commercial barrister with a practice encompassing high-value disputes across the fields of crypto-assets, insolvency, fraud, shipping, gaming, financial sanctions, and international arbitration. She is frequently instructed in matters involving complex cross-border structures, novel asset classes, and urgent injunctive relief.

    Lucy's work commonly involves multi-jurisdictional elements, emergency applications, and interactions between court proceedings, arbitration, and regulatory regimes. She regularly appears in the Gibraltar Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, English Courts and in international arbitrations under major institutional rules (including LCIA and ICC).

    She has particular expertise in disputes involving digital assets and blockchain platforms, shareholder and investment disputes, contested insolvency processes, and fraud claims arising from corporate insolvency. Her instructions frequently involve issues of professional duties, directors’ liabilities, trust structures, and the interaction of domestic and international sanctions regimes.

    Lucy also has extensive experience in maritime and offshore disputes, including claims involving vessel arrests, maritime liens, priority rankings, and LMAA arbitrations. Within the regulated sector, she advises on commercial, licensing, and compliance issues for clients in the technology, pharmaceutical, and gaming industries.

    Areas of Expertise

    • Cryptocurrency and digital asset disputes
    • Cross-border commercial litigation
    • Urgent injunctions (WFOs, ASIs, trust preservation orders)
    • Insolvency and restructuring litigation
    • Fraud and asset recovery
    • Shipping and admiralty
    • International arbitration (LCIA, ICC, LMAA)
    • Gaming and technology disputes
    • Financial sanctions
    • Regulatory matters (healthcare, IP, professional discipline)

    Recent and ongoing Work

    Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets

    Ready Makers Inc & Ors v Christina Macedo & Ors: Acting in high-value proceedings concerning ownership of shares in a Gibraltar digital assets vehicle and proprietary claims to $PLAY tokens worth c.£100m. Appeared in short-notice applications for WFO and trust preservation relief; subsequently acted on applications to vary and discharge. The court ultimately discharged the injunction for nondisclosure, awarding indemnity costs. Now subject to appeal.

    LCIA arbitration and Gibraltar litigation: concerning a £65m bitcoin venture. Issues include breach of contract, competing jurisdiction, and enforcement of an anti-suit injunction. Successful defence of security for costs application (£1m) and challenges relating to enforcement in the Netherlands.

    Insolvency

    Wild v Castle Trust and Management Services Ltd: Acted for the liquidator of a PCC seeking appointment of an administrator over a trustee company. Involved complex interaction between trust liabilities and corporate insolvency. Administration granted. Related proceedings converting administration to liquidation and in a Court of Appeal challenge.

    Green Realisations 123 Ltd (In Administration) v Edwards & Others: Acting in £26–50m claims against former directors of an insolvent insurance company involving breaches of fiduciary duty, alleged mismanagement, and contested dividend payments.

    Fraud and Asset Recovery

    Joint Trustees in Bankruptcy of Gregory King v Douglas Park: Acting in claims under the Fraudulent Conveyances Act 1571 following a £100m hedge-fund related fraud. Defended strike-out application; court refused application despite criticism of pleadings.

    Shipping and Admiralty 

    Hassan Azari & Ors v Former Owners of M/V Med Star: Acted in claims by Masters and Crew alleging wrongful dismissal; court held claims fell outside admiralty jurisdiction.

    M.H. Bland & Co. Ltd v Former Owners of M/V Med Star: Application involving priority of maritime claims, port authority rights, and subrogation principles.

    Cayman Joint Receivers:  advising on sale of a superyacht and priority ranking of proceeds.

    LMAA arbitration: acting in an arbitration over refit dispute concerning vessel engineering works.

    Gaming

    Entain Holdings (Gibraltar) Ltd v Emerald Bay Ltd & Ors: £26m contractual/tort claim arising from Entain’s entry into the US market, involving interpretation of divestment-related agreements.

    Financial Sanctions

    Advising on Gibraltar sanctions: in the context of a £65m LCIA arbitration involving swaps and derivatives post-Russian invasion.

    Counsel to Gibraltar-based directors of Jersey and Cypriot companies: advice regarding sanctions exposure and dealings with Russian-linked entities.

    International Arbitration

    Acting in Paris-seated ICC arbitration: concerning distribution rights in Lebanon.

    Acting in a US$40m Hong Kong-seated ICC arbitration: involving fraud and interpretation of insurance instruments.

    Commercial Litigation

    Acting for an English software company in Swiss court proceedings; English–Swiss forum strategy and coordinated litigation succeeded in Zurich.

    Advising on cross-border rights arising from large construction works in Belgium.

    Advising investors on potential group claims against a UK onshore energy company.

    Representing FX trading company in deferred-consideration dispute; acted at trial (value £1.2m).

    Regulatory

    Acting for pharmaceutical company before MHRA panel on product licence application for palliative-care drug.

    Acting for veterinary student before Cambridge University Fitness to Practise Appeal Panel.

    Acting for medical products company before UKIPO in trade mark matters.

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