Louis Castellani

Partner

Louis is a partner specialising in commercial litigation, with over 25 years of experience covering a range of contentious work across a number of the firm’s core sectors.

He advises private offices and global businesses at board level on different types of challenges, including pre-emptive and after-the-fact investigations, urgent injunctions, complex cases heading all the way to trial, appeals and arbitration under various rules. He co-ordinates cross-border litigation and enforcement against, and defence of, assets all over the world, with particular specialisation in the Middle East. Louis supports his clients with early strategic risk management decisions and encourages a pragmatic approach to avoiding litigation where possible.

Louis’ case highlights include:

Investigations

• UK plc (internal investigation into financial malpractice)
• Nasdaq listed company (investigating secret commissions)
• NYSE listed company (investigating “syphoning” of confidential information)
• General partner, private equity (investigation into underlying investments)
• UK regulated sector (investigating personal misconduct)
• Sportsperson “A” (defending an FA investigation)
• Persons “A & B” (defending an internal investigation into secret commissions)

Media, entertainment and sport

• Virtus Leisure v Universal Pictures VP Ltd (contractual and fraud dispute)
• PRS for Music v LiveNation (Music) UK Ltd & others (Tariff LP)
• Lucasfilm Ltd v Ainsworth (Supreme Court) (the “Stormtrooper helmet” case)
• LiveNation (Music) UK Ltd v Leighton-Pope & Homer (confidential information)
• Experience Hendrix LLC v Times Newspapers Ltd (breach of contract)
• Concert Promoters’ Association (PRS Tariff Consultation)
• Ticketmaster UK Ltd v Gaming International Ltd (contractual claim)
• Association of British Concert Promoters v PRS for Music (Reference to Copyright Tribunal)
• PRS for Music v Festival Republic Ltd (royalty claim)
• Xtravaganza Recordings Ltd v Modena Recordings Ltd pka “Chicane” (was an album contractually “delivered”?)
• British Association of Concert Halls (PRS Tariff Consultation)
• News Group Newspapers v Littlejohn (breach of contract)
• Cardiff City FC v Moody (search order)
• Sells Goalkeeper Products Ltd v Allan McGregor (breach of contract)

Commercial and arbitration

• BNP Paribas v AHAB v Al-Sanea (jurisdiction challenge)
• Saad Investments Company Ltd (in liquidation) v Al-Sanea (Court of Appeal) (put-option claim)
• LCIA arbitration (breach of warranty claim under SPA)
• Victoria Beckham Limited v NJ Richards (professional negligence)
• Al-Muzein & Al-Subaihi v Al-Sanea (Court of Appeal) (contractual construction)
• LCIA arbitration (assessment of damages)
• Zennström v Barlow & others (professional negligence)
• Y v Attorney-General (acting for the trustees in Re Beddoe applications)
• Hyde & others v Tyshchenko (possession proceedings)

Civil law processes

• Representing a core participant in The Litvinenko Inquiry
• Acting for families and other interested persons in a number of coronial inquests

Louis qualified as a solicitor-advocate and speaks French fluently. He spent the early years of his career at Clyde & Co.