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Karen Denny

Partner

Portrait ofKaren Denny

Karen Denny

Partner

Contact
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Cannon Place
78 Cannon Street
London
EC4N 6AF
United Kingdom
Languages English

Karen covers all areas of corporate disputes, particularly those with an international law and cross border emphasis. Her experience includes advising on matters of sovereign immunity, freezing injunctions, the enforcement of foreign judgments, and obtaining evidence for use in overseas proceedings, complex fraud and contractual disputes, defamation, confidentiality and privacy disputes.

Karen has represented various sovereign states and their governmental agencies, international organisations and other entities in relation to public international law matters in particular regarding their unique immunities and privileges.  She leads the public international law practice group and has been ranked as a Leading Individual by Legal 500 in Public International Law since 2018.

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"an outstanding lawyer."

Legal 500, 2023

"Karen Denny is outstanding. She has a breadth of knowledge in this area which is impressive. She is also excellent with clients."

Legal 500, 2021

"Karen Denny is a class act. She always puts the client first, and has a deep interest in and knowledge of the public international law field."

Legal 500, 2021

"an outstanding lawyer."

Legal 500, 2023

"Karen Denny is outstanding. She has a breadth of knowledge in this area which is impressive. She is also excellent with clients."

Legal 500, 2021

"Karen Denny is a class act. She always puts the client first, and has a deep interest in and knowledge of the public international law field."

Legal 500, 2021

Relevant experience

  • United States of America – acting on its behalf in its successful assertion of state immunity in the House of Lords, Holland v Lampen-Wolfe [2000] 1 WLR1573.
  • US Secretary of State for Health – acting on his behalf in obtaining one of the first orders of its kind for disclosure by a third party under CPR5.4C(2) for the provision of various medical reports from the UK MMR litigation for use in the US MMR autism group litigation, Sayers & Ors v Smithkline Beecham Plc & Ors [2007] EWHC 1346(QB).
  • Costco Wholesale – acting on its behalf in respect of the construction of certain NHS Ophthalmic Regulations in the matter of Costco Wholesale UK Ltd v Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust [2008] ALL ER (D) 265.
  • SEC – acting on its behalf in its successful application for the continuance of a freezing injunction unanimously upheld by the Court of Appeal, in what is believed to be the first decision of its kind in granting the order to a foreign claimant without the requirement for a cross undertaking, United States Securities and Exchange Commission v Manterfield [2008] ALL ER (D) 218.
  • SEC – acting on its behalf in the successful grant of a freezing injunction in relation to Sir Allen Stanford, and various Stanford companies’ assets in the UK United States Securities and Exchange Commission v Stanford International Bank Limited and Others [2009].
  • Acting on behalf of the Liquidators of KSF (IOM) Limited in Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Ltd [2009] EWHC 740 (Ch).
  • Acting on behalf of the Liquidators of KSF (IOM) Limited in Brazzill & Ors v Willoughby & Ors Court of Appeal [2010] EWCA Civ 561
  • United States of America – acting on its behalf in relation to whether it is bound to consult with its local civilian employees about redundancies before taking the decision to close a military base as a result of strategic policy re-alignment decisions, and how domestic statutes should be interpreted to give effect to customary international law, United States of America v Nolan [2015] Supreme Court.
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Lectures list

  • Presentation / seminar at the UK Supreme Court in December 2015
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Education

  • 1986 – Law LLB (Hons) –First Class – Leicester University
  • 1987 – Law Society Finals – First Class – Chester Law School
  • 1987 – City of London Solicitors Company Alfred Syrett Award
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Expertise

Feed

30/08/2023
The English court has jurisdiction to hear a conspiracy claim against a...
SummaryThe Court of Appeal has unanimously dismissed a jurisdictional challenge in relation to a claim brought by a commercial bank in Uganda, Crane Bank Limited (“CBL”), and its shareholders against...
Law-Now Banking & Finance
20/03/2023
The Supreme Court has held that Ukraine can defend USD$3 billion contractual...
SummaryIn a highly anticipated judgment, the UK Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed the summary judgment application made by the Law Debenture Trust Corporation plc (the “Trustee”), acting on...
Law-Now Dispute Resolution
01/03/2023
The English court has jurisdiction to hear a claim against a foreign state...
SummaryThe High Court has dismissed an immunity application made by the Kingdom of Bahrain (the “defendant”) in response to claims made by two activists (the “claimants”) who allege that they...
Law-Now Dispute Resolution
26/08/2022
High Court rules there is no immunity to personal injury claim arising...
SummaryThe High Court has considered the application of the exception to state immunity, contained in section 5 of the State Immunity Act 1978 (“SIA”), in a personal injury claim commenced by Mr Al-Masarir...
Law-Now Dispute Resolution
13/07/2022
No diplomatic immunity for perpetrators of modern slavery
In a groundbreaking judgment, the UK Supreme Court has ruled, for the first time, that the alleged exploitation of a domestic worker falls within the commercial activity exception to a diplomat’s immunity...
Law-Now Consumer Products
14/06/2022
High Court considers the application of the service procedures in section...
SummaryIn a judgment handed down on 14 March 2022, the High Court has decided that the defendant national flag carrier of Suriname (referred to as “SLM”) was not entitled to be served with a Claim...
Law-Now Dispute Resolution
22/07/2021
CMS International Disputes Digest - 2021 Summer Edition
Welcome to the 2021 summer edition of our International Disputes Digest, a bi-annual publication featuring analysis and commentary on the key trends currently shaping the global dispute resolution market...
Publication
31/03/2016
Nabarro co-sponsors prestigious BIICL Annual Grotius Lecture and Dinner
This article was produced by Nabarro LLP, which joined CMS on 1 May 2017. Last week I together with members of the Nabarro Public International Law Group attended the Annual Grotius Lecture and Dinner...
Law-Now