This episode is hosted by Fountain Court senior junior Nik Yeo. It looks at algorithms and, in particular, the distinction between deterministic and non-deterministic algorithms. 

Nik is joined by three other specialists in this area, who all bring a different perspective to the discussion. They are:

•	Julia Smithers Excell who is a partner in the financial services regulatory team of White & Case. She has extensive experience across a number of areas including fintech and artificial intelligence, topics on which she is regularly invited to speak at conferences and seminars. Julia is a working group member of the Financial Markets Law Committee and contributes to various publications covering topics including the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, fintech and financial market infrastructure. 

•	Minesh Tanna who is a solicitor at Simmons & Simmons where he specialises in technology disputes and is also the firm’s global AI Lead. He regularly advises clients on AI-related legal and ethical issues and is frequently invited to speak at seminars and workshops on the subject. Minesh has recently been appointed Chair of the newly established AI Group of the Society for Computers and Law. 

•	Jacob Turner who is a junior barrister at Fountain Court. He is a former solicitor-advocate, having previously worked for Cleary Gottlieb, and has a particular specialism in technology disputes and more specifically, artificial intelligence. Jacob is the author of Robot Rules, published by Macmillan, and a contributing author to The Law of Artificial Intelligence, published by Sweet & Maxwell. He has worked on a number of cases in this area and has advised governments, regulators and businesses on their AI governance. 

Nik himself was previously a solicitor with Slaughter and May and has a long-standing interest and specialism in fintech and technology, having acted in a market-leading cryptocurrency and algorithmic trading case before the Singapore International Court of Appeal, while currently acting in a range of other cryptocurrency disputes, as well as advising on “smart contracts”, technology disputes and financial regulation. He has published articles on various aspects of cryptocurrency and algorithmic trading. 

Topics discussed in this episode include the distinction between deterministic and non-deterministic algorithms, and issues arising for both types of algorithms in doctrinal law (that is, causes of action) and regulatory law, both from a UK perspective and EU perspective. 

For more information about Fountain Court, including our technology practice, please visit www.fountaincourt.co.uk.

Season 1: Episode 10 – Algorithms: The Legal and Regulatory Landscape

This is the tenth episode of season three of The Fountain Court Podcast. The episode is hosted by Stephen Moriarty KC, a barrister at Fountain Court. Joining Stephen in the discussion are senior Indian advocates: 

Arvind Datar SA: A Senior Advocate in India whose practice is focused particularly on constitutional, commercial, taxation and regulatory laws, mainly before the Supreme Court of India. Located in Chennai, Arvind practices as a Door Tenant at Fountain Court.
Gaurav Pachnanda SA: A Senior Advocate in India and a Barrister in England and Wales. Gaurav is an experienced commercial lawyer, whose practice includes a wide range of commercial litigation, arbitration and advisory work, with a significant multi-jurisdictional component. He is based in New Delhi but also practices as a Door Tenant at Fountain Court.
Zal Andhyarujina SA: A Senior Advocate and a Door Tenant at Fountain Court specialising in commercial litigation and arbitration. He is located in Bombay and his areas of practice include arbitration, enforcement, financial services litigation, companies act and insolvency. A large part of his practice also includes cross border disputes involving international law firms and clients.
In this episode, the panel focus on the Indian legal market and explore the extent to which foreign lawyers can practice law in India and the prospects for liberalisation in the area. 
For more information about Fountain Court’s practice in Asia, please visit: https://www.fountaincourt.co.uk/international/asia-pacific/.

Season 3: Episode 10 - Providing legal services in India: The new landscape

This is the first episode in the fourth series of the Fountain Court Podcast. The episode is hosted by Niamh Cleary, a barrister at Fountain Court. It is a recording of a live streamed discussion which took place in September 2023 hosted by Fountain Court, in collaboration with Thought Leaders 4. The panellists address the intersection of consumer protection and competition law. Joining Niamh in the discussion are:

•	David Wingfield: David has a deep understanding of antitrust economics which he combines with a comprehensive understanding of UK, American and Canadian competition laws. He is the former head of the antitrust division of the Canadian Department of Justice and currently serves as a Non-Governmental Adviser to the International Competition Network, an organisation of over 100 competition agencies from around the world that addresses competition law enforcement and policy issues. David is called to the Bar at Middle Temple, is a barrister and solicitor in Ontario and an attorney of New York State.

•	Daniel Carall-Green: A barrister at Fountain Court who has a wide range of expertise across commercial, competition and regulatory cases. Before being called to the Bar, Daniel was a solicitor-advocate in the competition department of Slaughter and May. His competition practice covers the full range of public and private enforcement, including collective proceedings, and his recent experience includes acting for the proposed class representative in collective proceedings against Apple regarding its commission on sales made via the App Store; acting as sole counsel for the claimant in a case about alleged exclusionary and abusive behaviour by Leeds City Council in the advertising market; and advising the Competition and Markets Authority in relation to three separate enforcement cases under the Competition Act 1998.

•	David Gallagher: A partner at boutique competition law firm Geradin Partners. Notable cases he advises on include a multi-billion ad tech class action filed on behalf of UK publishers against Google in the CAT and a class action filed on behalf of UK app developers against Apple. He was previously the Director of Litigation Funding at Harbour Litigation Funding and before that was Assistant Legal Director at the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). He trained and spent the first seven years of his career at Freshfields.

•	Helen Ralston-Smith: Helen has 15 years of professional experience in applying economic principles to issues of strategic importance for businesses, predominantly in the context of litigation and competition investigations. Much of Helen’s work has focused on high-profile cases such as the European Commission’s investigations into foreign exchange trading and government bond trading, as well as national competition and regulatory authority investigations into parity clauses and allegations of excessive pricing.

During the session, our panel addressed trends and developments in the competition and consumer enforcement sphere and the increased integration between the two; the relationship between competition enforcement proceedings, consumer protection and class actions; whether a competition focused consumer protection regime is wide enough; potential alternatives to the status quo as well as legislative changes surrounding collective proceedings.
For more information about Fountain Court’s competition experience, please visit https://www.fountaincourt.co.uk/expertise/competition/.

Season 4: Episode 1 - Addressing the Intersection of Consumer Protection & Competition Law

This episode of the Fountain Court Podcast is the recording of an International Women’s Day webinar co-hosted with Client Talk and the London Solicitors Litigation Association (‘LSLA’) in March 2024. The webinar was facilitated by Claire Rason, Founder and Director of Client Talk and author of the diversity report, “The Class of 2002”. The panel involved representatives from across the litigation ecosystem, discussing what needs to be done to ensure gender parity at all levels of the profession.  

Joining Claire in the discussion are:

•	Anneliese Day KC: Anneliese is a leading silk at Fountain Court Chambers. She practices across a broad range of commercial areas and she is described by the legal directories as a “a standout genius” and “an absolute rockstar at the top of her game” who is a “leading lawyer of her generation”. She was appointed a silk age 38 when 38 weeks pregnant with her second child.

•	Mrs Justice Cockerill: Mrs Justice Cockerill is a High Court judge and was Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court between 2020 and 2022.

•	Nina Best: Nina is the General Counsel of Delinian, a private equity owned company which includes a portfolio of specialist global businesses. She is the former Chief Privacy Officer at the company, where she spearheaded the establishment of a robust global data protection framework. Nina is based in Nottingham where she shares her life with her wife and two children. 

•	Nikki Edwards: Nikki is a partner in the Commercial Dispute Resolution team at Howard Kennedy and is the President of the LSLA (although she was Vice President at the time of recording). Nikki is also a commercial and workplace mediator, and a mother of two. 
 
•	Avneet Baryan: Avneet is a senior Associate at Mills & Reeves and is President of the Junior LSLA (although she was Vice President at the time of recording). 

During the webinar, the panel speak about challenges they have faced throughout their careers and how they have tried to overcome them, the importance of a support network including male allies, and the impact of a 24-7 culture on the professional generally. 
For more information about Fountain Court’s approach to equality and diversity, please visit https://www.fountaincourt.co.uk/about-us/social-responsibility/equality-and-diversity/

IWD 2024 special: Inspire Inclusion - a systemic perspective of female litigators

This is the third episode of the fourth series of The Fountain Court Podcast. The episode is moderated by Darius Chan, a door tenant at Fountain Court and is a recording of a virtual panel discussion hosted in September 2023, marking the annual Christopher Bathurst Prizegiving. 
The episode features an internationally focused discussion on the topic of ‘Arbitrability: Can Jurisdictions Police the Public Policy of Other Jurisdictions?’. This was the topic that this year’s applicants for the Christopher Bathurst Prize were asked to write about. The Panel discussed the Court of Appeal case of Anupam Mittal v Westbridge Ventures II Investment Holdings [2023] SGCA 1 and explored to what extent there was or could be a harmonised approach between different jurisdictions on the issue of arbitrability.  
Adopting a comparative law approach, our panel included: 

Yuet Min Foo: Based in Singapore, Yuet Min is a director at Drew & Napier. She advises clients on civil disputes relating to a wide range of commercial contracts. Many of Yuet Min’s matters involve SIAC and ICC arbitrations as well as arbitration-related Court proceedings.

Gaurav Pachnanda SA: A Senior Advocate in India and a Barrister in England and Wales. Gaurav is an experienced commercial lawyer, whose practice includes a wide range of commercial litigation, arbitration and advisory work, with a significant multi-jurisdictional component. He is based in New Delhi but practices as a Door Tenant at Fountain Court.

Professor Luca G Radicati di Brozolo: A door tenant at Fountain Court and the founding partner of Arblit, an arbitration and litigation boutique in Milan. Luca’s current practice focuses on international arbitration and litigation. He has vast experience in commercial and investor-State arbitrations across many different sectors and seats and under a variety of rules and governing laws.

Nik Yeo: An experienced trial and appellate advocate at Fountain Court. Nik has a diverse practice including fraud, fintech and finance. He is regularly consulted on questions of legal professional privilege, conflict of laws and jurisdiction. Described as a “powerful and persuasive advocate”, Nik was awarded the “Technology, Data & Crypto Junior of the Year” at The Legal 500‘s Bar Awards 2023.

For more information on Fountain Court’s international experience, please see here https://www.fountaincourt.co.uk/international/.

S4: Episode 2 - Arbitrability: can jurisdictions police the public policy of other jurisdictions?

This is the third episode in the fourth series of The Fountain Court Podcast. The episode is hosted by Daniel Carall-Green, a barrister at Fountain Court. In this episode, we look at the importance of an effective relationship between solicitors and counsel. Joining Daniel in the discussion are:

Tamara Oppenheimer KC: A silk at Fountain Court with a broad commercial and civil practice. Described in the directories as “faultless as a barrister” and “a true role model for the commercial Bar”, Tamara was formerly a solicitor at Allen & Overy (as was) so has experience in both roles discussed in the episode.

Chiraag Shah: An international disputes partner in the London office of Morrison Foerster. Chiraag has over two decades of experience representing clients in domestic and cross-border disputes including commercial and investor-state arbitrations around the world. Ranked in various legal directories, Chiraag is ‘commended for his ability to handle disputes involving the engineering and technology sectors…’.

Julius Handler: An associate in Morrison Foerster’s London office and a member of the Litigation Group. Julius advises high-profile companies, financial institutions and individuals on business-critical challenges across a wide spectrum of risks including white collar crime and high-stakes contractual, commodities, insurance, ESG and supply chain disputes.

During the session, our panel discussed various issues including their experience of the division of labour between solicitors and counsel and how this has developed over time, the impact of differing levels of proximity to the client, the range of involvement end clients have in the selection of counsel and ultimate strategy of the case, what the relationship looks like when it is at its best and how to deal with things if they go wrong.
For more episodes of the Fountain Court Podcast, please visit https://www.fountaincourt.co.uk/category/podcasts/.

S4: Episode 3 - The counsel/solicitor relationship: Dispelling the Myths

This is the fourth episode in the fourth series of The Fountain Court Podcast. The episode is hosted by Giles Wheeler KC, a silk at Fountain Court. It is a recording of a live streamed discussion which took place in June 2024, hosted by Fountain Court and Addleshaw Goddard, during London International Disputes Week. Joining Giles in the discussion are:

•	Laura John KC: A silk at Fountain Court who specialises in financial litigation and arbitration, and is instructed by major banks, their customers and other financial institutions. Laura is described in the directories as “"a complete star, she holds her own against very senior silks and is completely unfazed by any theatrics" and “… simply excellent”.

•	Richard Clayton: A Partner and Head of Finance Disputes in Addleshaw Goddard’s London office. Richard has 25 years' experience advising on complex finance, investment, fraud and insurance disputes and contentious regulatory matters acting for a wide range of banks, asset managers, hedge funds, and high net worth individuals in a broad range of domestic and international cases.

•	Sivan Daniels: A Partner in Addleshaw Goddard’s Dispute Resolution division in London and works predominantly within the finance disputes team. He specialises in complex finance, FinTech and financial crime related litigation. In addition to his FinTech/finance related work, Sivan advises on matters relating to litigation financing and funding.

During the webinar, our panel addressed the geopolitical events of the last two years leading to the trends and developments in group litigation including the interconnection with shareholder claims, s90 / 90A FSMA claims and litigation funding in the financial services sphere, as well as an update on crypto disputes including recent cases, regulation and jurisdiction developments and the scope for digitalisation.

For more information on Fountain Court’s Financial Services work, please visit https://www.fountaincourt.co.uk/expertise/financial-services/.

S4: Episode 4 - Financial Services Disputes in Uncertain Times

This is the fifth episode in the fourth series of The Fountain Court Podcast. The episode is hosted by Nick Daly, a barrister at Fountain Court Chambers. In this episode, a diverse panel bring various perspectives to a discussion on the subject of group litigation. Joining Nick in the discussion are:

•	Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC, a leading silk at Fountain Court, who specialises in consumer law and group litigation. Leigh-Ann has been advising and acting in group litigation for nearly 30 years and is currently acting in group actions arising out of the Grenfell Tower Fire, Diesel NOx Emissions and Covid in Care Homes. In 2022, Leigh-Ann was named Group Litigation and Consumer Silk of the Year by Legal 500 and was shortlisted for the same award in 2024.

•	Alex Barden, a senior junior at Fountain Court. Alex’s experience includes acting as lead junior for Legal & General, Standard Life, Prudential and others in a £4 billion claim under s.90 of FSMA against RBS arising from is 2008 rights issue and subsequent collapse, which remains the biggest case in the area and one of the leading cases on the management and costs of group actions by investors. He also acts for British American Tobacco in respect of widely publicised group action claims by Malawian tobacco farmers.

•	Heather Gagen, who heads Travers Smith's Dispute Resolution practice and the firm's ESG & Impact Group. Heather’s commercial litigation practice covers the spectrum of high-value and complex disputes. She is experienced in large scale group claims including environmental damage and human rights litigation. A particular aspect of Heather's practice is acting for clients facing reputationally sensitive litigation and investigations, and advising clients in relation to corporate risk management including ESG-related risk. Heather was recognised in The Lawyer magazine’s 2019 Hot 100 and was named as one of ten Distinguished Advisers by Worldwide Financier in their 'Power Players: Environmental, Social & Governance 2024' report.

•	Adam Erusalimsky, an Investment Manager at LCM, a leading litigation finance firm. Prior to entering the litigation funding world in 2019, Adam specialised in commercial litigation at Herbert Smith (as was) and Stewarts, where his experience included acting in interchange fee litigation against Visa and Mastercard. In a funding context, he has experience of collective redress in the form of non-GLO litigation, CPR 19.8 proceedings, collective opt-out proceedings in the CAT and class action litigation in other jurisdictions such as Australia and Canada.

During the session, our panel discusses various issues in the context of group litigation including the different procedures available and the benefits and drawbacks of each approach, trends and developments in group claims and their drivers, funding and costs issues, and potential future developments in the area.


Season 4: Episode 5 - Group Litigation: current issues and future developments

This is the sixth episode in the fourth series of The Fountain Court Podcast. It is hosted by Daniel Carall-Green, a barrister at Fountain Court with a broad practice and a particular specialism in competition work where he is currently instructed in various class actions. The episode features a recording of a live streamed discussion which took place in November 2024, hosted by Fountain Court and Sport Resolutions. 

Joining Daniel in the discussion is fellow Fountain Court member John Mehrzad KC, a leading silk in the area of sports law. John regularly advises on financial disputes between clubs, managers, players and agents in domestic arbitrations or before international fora, and is frequently instructed in regulatory disputes. His work also extends to conducting reviews and investigations in sport, as well as acting for national governing bodies and international federations.

During the session, John and Daniel reviewed the historical relationship between competition law and sport, including the way the relationship has changed over the decades, with a special focus on the last couple of years, in light of the changing economic and geopolitical context. They also discussed some recent decisions and what may be coming down the line in the near future.

Season 4: Episode 6 - Competition and Sport

This is the seventh episode in the fourth series of The Fountain Court Podcast. The episode marks International Women’s Day focusing on the theme, “Accelerate Action”. Hosted by Wee-An Tan, a barrister at Fountain Court. 

Joining Wee-An in the discussion is fellow Fountain Court member Tamara Oppenheimer KC, a commercial barrister renowned for her expertise in complex litigation, and Neeta Chityal, Partner at Addleshaw Goddard’s Global Investigations team based in London.

Tamara is a strong advocate for diversity and work-life balance at the Bar, she emphasizes that the profession is a true meritocracy, offering flexibility and independence. She manages her successful career alongside raising three children, organizing her schedule to accommodate family commitments.

Neeta was one the founding members of the Addleshaw Goddard's gender balance network.  She was promoted to Partner during her maternity leave and now works a flexible week to accommodate childcare.  Neeta is committed to diversity in the workplace and currently holds the position of Partner lead for ethnicity inclusion for London at AG.  

Tamara and Neeta discuss improvements they have seen for women in law as they have developed their careers; thoughts on how the legal sector can most effectively “Accelerate Action” and promote change; the discrediting of Equality and Diversity Initiatives and how to differentiate those which window dress to those which matter. Finally, they offer advice to young women entering the profession today.


To find out more about Fountain Court’s approach to Gender Equality and E&D as a whole, please click: https://www.fountaincourt.co.uk/about-us/social-responsibility/equality-and-diversity/.



Season 4: Episode 7 - IWD 2025: Accelerate Action

In this episode of The Fountain Court Podcast, we present a live-streamed discussion from June 2025, jointly hosted by Fountain Court and Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA). The conversation explores the evolving legal landscapes in two key arbitration jurisdictions—India and the UK—against the backdrop of significant recent reforms.

Chaired by Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC, a leading silk at Fountain Court, the panel discusses pivotal developments including the UK Arbitration Act 2025, the liberalisation of India’s legal market, amendments to the MCIA Arbitration Rules, and broader efforts in both jurisdictions to enhance the efficiency and global appeal of arbitration.

Joining Leigh-Ann for this insightful session are:

•	Alexander Milner KC: A silk at Fountain Court with a broad practice in litigation and international arbitration, particularly in banking, energy, aviation, and civil fraud. Alex has acted in numerous India-related disputes, including a current arbitration concerning the manufacture and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines for the Indian market. He has also sat as arbitrator in London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Moscow.

•	Zal Andhyarujina SA: A door tenant at Fountain Court and a senior advocate in India. Zal practises before the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court, with a focus on high-value international and domestic arbitrations. His areas of expertise include shareholder and company disputes, banking, financial services, real estate, and intellectual property.

•	Neeti Sachdeva: Registrar and Secretary General of MCIA, India’s leading arbitral institution. Neeti is a regular arbitrator, teaches international arbitration at three National Law Universities in India, and serves as Secretary and Board Member of the CIArb India Branch.

•	Abhijit Mukhopadhyay: President (Legal) and General Counsel (Europe) at the Hinduja Group. Based in London since 2001, Abhijit is widely recognised as a leading Indian General Counsel. He has held senior roles with global arbitration bodies including the ICC and CPR, and has played a key role in promoting arbitration in India.

•	Sudeshna Guha Roy: Partner at Saraf & Partners in Mumbai. Sudeshna specialises in both domestic and international arbitrations, with particular experience in shareholder disputes, investor exits, infrastructure and real estate matters, and enforcement proceedings. She also advises on cross-border insolvency issues.

This episode offers a comparative, practice-oriented look at how legal frameworks in both the UK and India are evolving to meet the demands of modern dispute resolution.

For more information on Fountain Court’s Indian practice, please visit https://www.fountaincourt.co.uk/international/asia-pacific/.

Season 4: Episode 8 - Evolving Legal Frameworks

The Fountain Court Podcast provides legal analysis, horizon scanning and insight into one of the UK’s leading commercial chambers. 

In this series, we’ll be exploring key legal issues and updates, industry developments and possible future trends relating to the sectors and practice areas in which our barristers specialise. Our members will be joined by industry experts to discuss each topic. 

If you have ever wanted to hear directly from experienced silks on specific legal topics, or if you have ever wondered what life is like at a commercial chambers; the Fountain Court Podcast will be of interest to you.

Season 1: Episode 10 – Algorithms: The Legal and Regulatory Landscape

Fountain Court Chambers

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