Martin Davies

Mr. Davies’ experience includes advising:

Financial and Banking Litigation

• A major investment bank in both the High Court and Competition Appeals Tribunal in relation to alleged FX manipulation
• Legal & General, Standard Life, The Prudential, Aviva, and USS in their claims against RBS arising out of a 2008 £12 billion rights issue, resulting in the seminal s.90 FSMA case, one of the largest claims ever to go before the English Courts, setting precedent for dealing with the liability of issuers of securities*
• A majority of the senior secured noteholders of a £465 million notes issuance in relation to a potentially contentious restructuring of a high-profile restaurant
• A global investment bank on litigation aspects of renegotiation of a long-term technology contract covering all of the bank’s technology implementation and support
• A FTSE 100 company in the contentious restructuring of its loan and debt agreements*
• A European national railway company adverse to its bankers over a credit defeasance agreement*
• Various entities over potential recourse under FSMA adverse to the issuers of securities*
• A leading fund management company adverse to certain funds in relation to the disputed terms of the management agreement*

Entertainment, Sports, and Media

• Football clubs against sponsors in confidential arbitrations
• Sponsors in contractual claims against the FA in relation to the FA Cup
• Wimbledon Football Club in its successful ground from Wimbledon in South London to Milton Keynes; the Club’s initial application to the Football League was rejected and Mr. Davies acted in the subsequent FA arbitration to overturn the refusal and then in the FA constituted FA Commission of Inquiry resulting in permission being granted, a decision many say will never be repeated*
• An independent inquiry into phone voting irregularities at the British Comedy Awards (including presenting those findings to OFCOM) at the appointment of ITV*
• ITV and various Group companies for more than 20 years in relation to a number of different contractual and regulatory issues*
• The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the Copyright Tribunal reference that set the royalty rates for music downloads and streaming*
• Public Performance Limited (PPL):
  > Adverse to one of the major TV and radio broadcasters in relation to both past royalties (dispute held before the courts) and future royalty rates (before the Copyright Tribunal)
  > In relation to a reference relating to the appropriate royalty for music video channels*

Public Law

• Acting both for and against Sports and other regulators, including the likes of The Football League, the RFU, and OFGEM, on a variety of disputes
• A leading internet service provider (ISP) in relation to potential challenges to certain tax treatments of that, and other, ISPs
• Affected parties to new legislation introduced in Guernsey and Sark and the potential avenues of challenge, as well as making such successful challenges
• The Post Office in relation to numerous matters arising from the decision to close post offices across the UK*

*Matter handled prior to joining the firm