Stephanie Wood
Barrister
Call 2014
Stephanie has a broad commercial practice, including litigation and international arbitration. Stephanie has experience acting in a range of complex, high value cases including in the areas of banking and financial services, civil fraud, competition law and professional negligence, amongst others. Stephanie has appeared led and unled in the High Court, as well as conducting hearings in the County Court.
Recent and notable instructions include:
- Phones 4U Ltd (in administration) v EE Limited & Ors
For the Claimant in a 10-week trial in summer 2022 of an Article 101 TFEU claim against EE, Vodafone and O2 and their parent companies arising from alleged cartel conduct between those companies that caused Phones4u to cease trading and enter into administration in 2014. - Municipio de Mariana v BHP [2020] EWHC 2930 (TCC)
For the Defendants in an 8-day jurisdiction challenge and strike out application against a group action brought by over 200,000 claimants arising out of the collapse of the Fundão Dam in Brazil - DuPont Pension Trust v Yuksel Insaat AS
For the claimants in a deceit claim in the Commercial Court brought by international investors against a Turkish construction company and its directors in connection with failed financial restructuring. - AssetCo plc v. Grant Thornton LLP UK LLP [2019] EWHC 150 (Comm); [2019] EWHC 191 (Comm), [2019] EWHC 592 (Comm) and [2020] EWCA Civ 1151
For the defendant in an audit negligence claim in the Commercial Court, and on appeal in the Court of Appeal. The claims gave rise to questions of: duties owed by auditors, the 'loss of a chance' doctrine, intervening acts and the 'very thing' principle, and issues of contributory fault. - VR Partners v Exotix v CVI [2017] EWHC 2620 (Comm):
For the Third Party investment fund in an 8-day Commercial Court trial concerning the construction of a back-to-back trade of valuable Ukrainian loan interests and entitlement to unwind said trade.
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Examples of Recent Cases
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Jurisdiction & Conflict of Laws
- Municipio de Mariana v BHP [2020] EWHC 2930 (TCC)
For the defendants in an 8-day jurisdiction challenge and strike out application against a group action brought by over 200,000 claimants arising out of the collapse of the Fundão Dam in Brazil - Winkler v Shamoon [2016] EWHC 217 (Ch)
Acted (led by Simon Colton) for the claimant in a 4 day jurisdiction challenge in the Chancery Division. The claim concerned a dispute as to the ownership of shares, which gave rise to issues of jurisdiction and governing law, proprietary estoppel, constructive trusts, Israeli law and BVI law. - Swissmarine Corp Ltd v OW Supply & Trading [2015] EWHC 1571 (Comm)
Acted for the respondents (led by Camilla Bingham KC) in successfully resisting an anti-suit injunction.
- Municipio de Mariana v BHP [2020] EWHC 2930 (TCC)
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Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
- DuPont Pension Trust v Yuksel Insaat AS
For the claimants in a deceit claim in the Commercial Court brought by international investors against a Turkish construction company and its directors in connection with failed financial restructuring. - AssetCo plc v. Grant Thornton LLP UK LLP [2019] EWHC 150 (Comm); [2019] EWHC 191 (Comm), [2019] EWHC 592 (Comm) and [2020] EWCA Civ 1151
For the defendant in an audit negligence claim in the Commercial Court, and on appeal in the Court of Appeal. The claims gave rise to questions of: duties owed by auditors, the 'loss of a chance' doctrine, intervening acts and the 'very thing' principle, and issues of contributory fault. - Monk v Largo Foods [2016] EWHC 1837 (Comm)
Acted (led by Alexander Brown) for the defendant in a 5 day Commercial Court trial. The claim concerned the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993, and issues of contractual construction. - Advised on a potential claim in a very substantial construction dispute concerning a development in the city of London.
- Assisted (during pupillage) Steven Elliott in defending a claim for delivery up or damages arising out of non-delivery of securities twelve years previously.
- Assisted (during pupillage) Saul Lemer in defending creditors’ claims to unwind transactions under section 423 Insolvency Act 1986.
- DuPont Pension Trust v Yuksel Insaat AS
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Banking and Financial Services
- VR Partners v Exotix v CVI [2017] EWHC 2620 (Comm)
For the Third Party investment fund in an 8-day Commercial Court trial concerning the construction of a back-to-back trade of valuable Ukrainian loan interests and entitlement to unwind said trade. - Acted in an ICC arbitration (led by Alexander Brown) for the claimant in a professional negligence claim against an investment manager, in the context of investments in complex structured financial products.
- Assisted (during pupillage) Steven Elliott in defending a claim for delivery up or damages arising out of non-delivery of securities twelve years previously.
- Assisted (during pupillage) Conall Patton in defending a claim arising out of multiple contracts for the sale of securities, raising points under the Financial Services Act 2012 and involving issues of New York securities law.
- VR Partners v Exotix v CVI [2017] EWHC 2620 (Comm)
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Competition Law
- Phones 4U Ltd (in administration) v EE Limited & Ors
For the claimant in a 10-week trial in summer 2022 of an Article 101 TFEU claim against EE, Vodafone and O2 and their parent companies arising from alleged cartel conduct between those companies that caused Phones4u to cease trading and enter into administration in 2014.
- Phones 4U Ltd (in administration) v EE Limited & Ors
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Company Law
- Assisted Steven Elliott (during pupillage) in defending a derivative claim against a limited liability partnership, involving allegations of negligence and breaches of fiduciary duty.
- Assisted Steven Elliott (during pupillage) in advising on a potential claim by a limited liability partnership against its members for breaches of the partnership agreement, and in restitution.
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Fraud: Civil
- DuPont Pension Trust v Yuksel Insaat AS
For the claimants in a deceit claim in the Commercial Court brought by international investors against a Turkish construction company and its directors in connection with failed financial restructuring.
- DuPont Pension Trust v Yuksel Insaat AS
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Professional Negligence
- AssetCo plc v. Grant Thornton LLP UK LLP [2019] EWHC 150 (Comm); [2019] EWHC 191 (Comm), [2019] EWHC 592 (Comm) and [2020] EWCA Civ 1151
For the defendant in an audit negligence claim in the Commercial Court, and on appeal in the Court of Appeal. The claims gave rise to questions of: duties owed by auditors, the 'loss of a chance' doctrine, intervening acts and the 'very thing' principle, and issues of contributory fault.
- AssetCo plc v. Grant Thornton LLP UK LLP [2019] EWHC 150 (Comm); [2019] EWHC 191 (Comm), [2019] EWHC 592 (Comm) and [2020] EWCA Civ 1151
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What the Directories Say
Legal 500 2025 (Commercial Litigation) "She is very bright and hard-working. She also writes very well and has deep knowledge of the law and how best to deploy it. Very impressive."
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Education
- City Law School: BPTC [2013 - 2014]
- University of Oxford: BCL (Conflict of Laws, Corporate Finance Law, Competition Law and Principles of Financial Regulation) [2012 - 2013]
- University of Oxford: BA (Jurisprudence) (First Class Honours) [2009 - 2012]
- University of Melbourne: BComm (Finance) [2006 - 2009]
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Other Academic Achievements
- Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
- Company Law Prize, University of Oxford
- Second Year Law Prize, Merton College, University of Oxford
- Exhibitioner, Merton College, University of Oxford
- Corporate Finance Prize, University of Melbourne
- Dean’s Honours List, University of Melbourne
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Other Experience
- Tutor in Jurisprudence, Merton College, University of Oxford [2014]
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Languages
- French (Fluent)