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]

Commercial

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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