Louis Doyle KC

Practice Areas

Chancery and commercial litigation with a particular reputation and extensive experience in insolvency and insolvency-related work, the latter commonly involving commercial claims litigated under the procedural umbrella of a formal insolvency. Works on both the corporate and personal sides for insolvency office-holders (including offshore since taken silk), creditors (private and institutional), shareholders and other stakeholders. Appeared in about forty reported insolvency cases. Practice also encompasses company litigation (especially shareholder and boardroom disputes, trustee/directors’ duties, company capital, share and debt disputes) credit and security, financial litigation (especially commercial contracts, guarantees and financial instruments) and interim remedies, including injunctions and summary judgment. Claims commonly involve breach of duty, accessory liability (dishonest assistance and knowing receipt), conspiracy, fraud. Practice also extends to non-contentious drafting and advisory work, including assisting with structuring of high-value transactions and legal risk assessment on proposed fundraising and related transactions.

Career

Admitted a solicitor 1994. Called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) 1996. Attorney General Panel 2001-2007. Established Kings Chambers Wellbeing 2017. Silk 2020. Called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands 2021. Also associate tenant and instructed via 9, Stone Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn.

Publications

Since first publication in 2005, co-author of what is now Doyle, Keay & Curl’s Annotated Insolvency Legislation (11th edn, 2023, LexisNexis) (with Professor Andrew Keay and Joseph Curl KC). Commentary approved of in a number of High Court cases.

Since 2010 contributing editor to leading looseleaf, Gore-Browne on Companies (LexisNexis).

General editor of bi-monthly journal, Kings Insolvency. Previously editorial board member of The Insolvency Lawyer, Insolvency Intelligence and The Company Lawyer.

Lectured widely to professional audiences on areas of interest and has undertaken pro bono work throughout career at the Bar.

Personal

Married, six children. Interests include fitness, music, literature, The Cormac McCarthy Society and Liverpool Football Club.

Work Highlights

Currently engaged in a number of high value claims and disputes Involving banks, PLCs, owner managed companies and individuals) involving a combination of claims and defences around breach of duty, breach of trust, conspiracy, civil fraud, proceeds of crime, accessory liability, unjust enrichment, restitution, breach of contract, inducing breach of contract, set-off, tracing etc, in addition to a wide range of insolvency and board room disputes, often instructed at short notice.

Defending the members of a failed solicitors LLP on high-value office-holder claims.

Advising on a profit participation agreement for investment to be used in procuring a high value credit line guaranteed by the US government.

Acting in three sets of consolidated high-value proceedings for liquidator and litigation funder in claims for unpaid share capital including claims under the Insolvency Act 1986 (including s.74 calls), s.33 of the Companies Act 2006, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of trust, estoppel (by share certificate and otherwise), mistake and rectification. Case settled before trial, 2022.

Obtaining orders at very short notice the appointment of receivers under s.37 of the Senior Courts Act 1981.

Advising Boris Becker in relation to his ongoing bankruptcy.

Advising institution on susceptibility of bank redress for financial product mis-selling to set-off (valued in eight figures).

Acting for and advising the offshore owner of a failed Football League club. Since appearing at the first hearing before the Sporting Sanctions Appeal Tribunal on behalf of the administrators of Wrexham Football Club in 2001, Louis has acted on the administrations of fourteen Football League clubs (including Leeds United, twice).

(Cayman Islands) Acting for the liquidators of an investment feeder-fund now in dissolution in respect of very high value claims arising out of a high-profile failed Cayman investment trust (contractual and statutory construction, partnership law, estoppel and tracing).

(British Virgin Islands) Advising (separately) liquidators of two heavily insolvent BVI companies on the scope of the conflict of laws principle prohibiting in a domestic state the enforcement of a revenue debt of a foreign state.