Jamie Holmes

Background

About Jamie Holmes

I am an English commercial chancery barrister with a practice focussed around trusts and probate, corporate and personal insolvency, civil fraud (including freezing injunctions and other forms of interim relief) and commercial work (including international and London-based arbitrations). I am ranked in The Legal 500 2025 as a leading junior in civil fraud and offshore work, and have been ranked as a “Rising Star” for commercial litigation. I have been described in the directories as "exceptionally bright and endlessly hardworking. Tactically astute, he is always three moves ahead." I appear as sole counsel, a junior, or leading others in the High Court and in arbitrations, for instructing solicitors based across the country and internationally. Notable instructions in contentious matters include:(1) Acting for the Claimant in a c.$US2bn civil fraud claim in the BVI, against 35 Defendants across 7 jurisdictions (led by Paul McGrath KC and Nathan Pillow KC).(2) Acting for the successful Trustees in obtaining the blessing of an incorporation of the businesses of 3 partnerships, concerning 11 English trusts: Wythe v. Zavos [2024] EWHC 2784 (Ch)(with Michael Furness KC).(3) Acting as part of the team in an insolvency test case in the High Court arising out of the Post Office scandal: re Palmer [2024] BPIR 1090 (with Tom Grant KC).(4) Obtaining permission to bring a double derivative claim alongside an unfair prejudice petition in the Chancery Division (with Clare Stanley KC). The case made new law on obtaining an indemnity from the company: re Arnbrow [2024] 1 BCLC 34.(5) 4-week trial before Andrew Baker J in Newcastle in the Circuit Commercial Court, concerning a 10-year sale and leaseback agreement: Canon v. TIC [2023] EWHC 3007 (Comm)(with Tim Penny KC and Ram Lakshman)(6) Acting for the successful plaintiff in two appeals before the Cayman Court of Appeal [2022 (1) CILR 118][2022 (1) CILR 572], concerning WFO's and jurisdiction challenges in civil fraud proceedings (with Tim Penny KC and Caspar Bartscherer).(7) Acting in dishonest assistance proceedings in Gibraltar and a 2-day appeal to the Gibraltar Court of Appeal [2023/GCA/016](with Andrew Mold KC). I have also acted in the High Court in cases concerning trusts (Freed v. Saffron [2023] EWHC 1919 (Ch)), probate (Morina v. Scherbakova [2022] EWHC 609 (Ch)), insolvency (re Rufus [2021] BPIR 1594), civil fraud (KMG v. Chen [2020] Bus LR 133), commercial (Devoy-Williams [2018] 5 Costs LR 1105) and pensions (Grace Bay v. TPR [2017] Pens LR 7).