Date of Birth: 1962Date of Call: 1986
Silk Date: 2001
Languages: French and Italian (working knowledge)
General Information
MA (Oxon) Dip L, Dip Eur Law
Eldon Law Scholarship, Oxford University
Fellow All Souls College 1983-98, 2005-2007
Bencher, Gray’s Inn
Practice
Christopher Butcher QC practises in all areas of commercial law, especially banking, insurance/reinsurance, professional negligence and shipping. His practice is predominantly that of an advocate, but also involves a significant amount of advisory work. He regularly appears in appellate courts in England, and has conducted recent cases in the Privy Council and the House of Lords as well as the Court of Appeal. He also appears regularly in trials and applications at first instance, and in arbitrations.
He has acted in court, arbitration or disciplinary hearings in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Singapore.
Christopher Butcher QC was named as Chambers & Partners’ Insurance Silk of the Year 2008.
In recent reported cases Christopher Butcher QC has acted, amongst others, for HBOS, Equitable Life, CGU and Munich Re.
Christopher Butcher QC also sits as an arbitrator.
Selected Cases
In 2009 Christopher Butcher appeared for the successful appellants in the Court of Appeal in Copley v Lawn [2009] EWCA Civ 580, a credit hire case which involves issues of general application in relation to damages and mitigation. He also argued Temple Legal Protection v QBE Insurance [2009] EWCA Civ 455 in the Court of Appeal, involving issues as to the termination of agency arrangements.
In 2008 Christopher Butcher appeared for the successful appellants in the Court of Appeal in WASA v Lexington [2008] Lloyd’s Rep IR 510, which involved consideration of the reinsurance of pollution clean up costs emanating from the US, and the extent to which the reinsurance would respond “back to back” with the underlying insurance.
He also appeared for the successful respondents to the arbitration appeal in CMA CGM v Hyundai Mipo Dockyard [2009] 1 Lloyd's Rep 213, an important case involving damages for breach of an arbitration clause.
In 2007 Christopher Butcher appeared in the Court of Appeal for the successful respondents in Bee v Jenson [2008] Lloyd’s Rep IR 221. He argued the case of Fiona Trust v Privalov [2007] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 254 in the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords, a case which involves consideration of the proper construction of arbitration and jurisdiction clauses and the principle of the separability of arbitration clauses.
He acted for the successful claimant in the professional negligence case of Newline v Morgan Cole [2008] PNLR 21.
Christopher Butcher appeared for the successful respondents in the Court of Appeal in CGU International v AstraZeneca Insurance [2007] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 142, which considered the extent of the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal in arbitration matters. He also appeared in Halifax Life v Equitable Life [2007] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 528, which involves a consideration of expert determinations of disputes.
In 2006 Christopher Butcher appeared for the successful respondents in the Privy Council in Diab v Regent Insurance [2007] 1 WLR 797.
In 2005 he acted for the successful defendant in Goshawk Dedicated 2 v Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland [2006] 2 All ER 610, a case involving consumer credit, and the fall out from the demise of The Accident Group. He also acted for HSBC Rail in the Court of Appeal in HSBC Rail v Network Rail Infrastructure [2006] 1 WLR 643, a case involving damage to railway rolling stock arising from the Hatfield rail crash.
Going further back, Christopher Butcher acted for the successful reinsurers at first instance and the Court of Appeal in King v Brandywine [2005] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 655, which considered reinsurance claims in respect of pollution arising out of the Exxon Valdez spill.
He acted for the auditors in the Barings auditors’ action [2003] Lloyd’s Rep IR 566.
He has also appeared in many other cases such as Henderson v Merrett [1995] 2 AC 145, Barclays v British & Commonwealth Holdings [1996] 1 BCLC, Credit Suisse First Boston v MLC [1999] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 767, and Denby v English and Scottish [1998] Lloyd’s Rep IR 343.
What the Directories say
Chambers & Partners 2008
Banking and finance
According to contributors, Christopher Butcher QC shows “sheer intelligence” and clients are “fortunate” to engage his services. According to one interviewee “his knowledge of swaps cannot be surpassed”
Commercial dispute resolution
Christopher Butcher QC is “always on top of the papers” and “presents exceptionally well in court”.
Insurance
“Bright in the most practical way, he’s your man if you need a technical issue straightened out.” One contributor enthused “deserves his reputation for having a planet-sized brain”.
Professional Negligence
Chambers & Partners notes that 7 King’s Bench Walk has “pretty much sewn up the market for insurance-related professional negligence work” and a contributor comments that “Christopher Butcher QC is one of the first names we call on for insurance work”.
Shipping and Commodities
“Clever and with ‘first rate advocacy’, his bright and intellectually rigorous methodology is widely respected. His appearance on many of the more important cases reflects … his ‘ability on any matter that requires a good legal brain with a pinch of reality’.”
Legal 500
Commercial arbitration
Christopher Butcher QC is “hard working, a powerful advocate”.
Insurance and Reinsurance
Christopher Butcher QC is rated in the first category of leading silks.
Professional Negligence
Christopher Butcher QC is “an incredibly powerful advocate”.
Press Releases:
- 7KBW wins four Chambers Bar Awards 2009 - 01/10/09
