Jason is a partner in the Dispute Resolution practice of the firm's London office, with over 16 years' experience of commercial litigation and international arbitration. He is also a member of the Firm's eight-person Partnership Committee, a Firm-wide, partner-elected, governance body.

He has represented clients in disputes before all divisions of the English High Court, the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Privy Council, as well as many overseas courts and arbitral tribunals (both ad hoc and institutional).

Jason has a broad range of experience, acting for clients in many complex and substantial disputes including claims relating to joint ventures, breaches of contract, derivatives, fraud, breach of trust/fiduciary duties and contentious insolvency.

He represents clients from sectors including banking and finance, telecommunications, power and oil & gas and has considerable experience of disputes involving parties from Russia and the former CIS states.

Jason is recognised by the top independent legal directories:

Ranked as a leading individual for Dispute Resolution, Jason is "very commercially minded and incredibly hard-working," Chambers UK 2012

" 'commercial, engaging and responsive' Jason Yardley" Legal 500 UK 2010

"Central and Eastern Europe specialist Jason Yardley" Legal 500 UK 2009

Examples of representations for financial institutions include:

• Acting for a major European investment bank in the defence of claims for over €150 million in relation to a performance bond, raising complex jurisdictional and conflicts of law issues in both the French and English courts;
• Representing the claimant, a large financial institution, in parallel proceedings in London and New York to enforce disputed payment obligations totalling more than $500 million under a swap agreement entered into with another financial institution;
• Acting for a European investment bank in High Court proceedings against a Russian-owned company for breach of a share option agreement, including obtaining without-notice freezing injunctions against the defendant in England and Bermuda, freezing its assets worldwide;
• Acting for a European financial institution in a US$90 million fraud claim against it, as well as a related preference claim brought by a British Virgin Islands liquidator, concerning the closing-out of very substantial and complex "Non-Deliverable Forward" derivative contracts between the financial institution and certain investment funds.
• Acting for a leading structured credit asset manager in proceedings concerning the collapse of a "SIV-lite" investment fund, in which the claimant accused our client of breaching fiduciary duties and of conspiring with a major investment bank and a ratings agency. We were successful in having the proceedings dismissed in their entirety;
• Representing a Liechtenstein foundation (stiftung) in Commercial Court proceedings concerning the ownership of approximately US$110 million of assets frozen in an account with Lehman Brothers International (Europe) Limited (in administration);
• Advising a major international financial institution on its obligations and potential liabilities arising out of the sale of another financial institution;
• Advising a syndicate of banks on enforcement options in relation to a sovereign default on a US$900 million loan facility; and

Examples of representations for energy and mining clients include:

• Acting for a state-owned oil and gas company in proceedings in the English Commercial Court and Court of Appeal, opposing the enforcement in the UK of a US$90 million Russian arbitral award on the basis that it was obtained by fraud;
• Acting for a large mining company in an LCIA arbitration and related High Court proceedings concerning multiple issues arising out of the purchase of another mining company by our client;
• Representing a joint-venture vehicle (on behalf of a major international metals conglomerate) in a Commercial Court dispute with other shareholders concerning the repayment of funds following a mining privatisation in Africa;
• Advising a UK-based renewable fuel company on a claim against the sellers of shares in two mining companies in the CIS, following the sellers' failure to transfer the shares as required under the contract;
• Advising a Russian oil company on issues arising out of the sale of its Eastern European gas field;
• Acting for a Central-European state privatisation authority and state electricity distributor in the defence of a $295 million international arbitration claim arising out of the privatisation of the state electricity industry;
• Advising a Russian oil company on possible claims under contracts for the sale of petroleum products; and
• Advising a Russian oil company on a possible claim against a joint venture partner for breach of warranties in connection with an explosion at a Russian gas plant.

Examples of representations for TMT clients include:

• Acting for a Central Asian company in a US$500 million dispute concerning the ownership of a Kyrgyz mobile telecommunications company, including an LCIA Arbitration in London and related court proceedings in London, the BVI and Isle of Man. The case has involved complex and unusual jurisdictional and forum issues, argued before the Isle of Man courts and the Privy Council;
• Representing a client in High Court and arbitration proceedings arising out of the sale of a Russian media company;
• Advising on a dispute arising out of a "landing party agreement" governing the construction and operation of a terminal station for a sub-marine fiber optic communications network; and
• Advising on risk and potential litigation issues in connection with the rescue of Wind Hellas, one of Greece's largest mobile phone operators, in the UK's largest ever pre-pack administration and a subsequent scheme of arrangement, including advice on claims asserted by creditors.

Bars and Courts
England and Wales, 1995

Education
LSF, College of Law, 1992
LLB, University of Essex, 1991
Diplôme, Université Jean Moulin, Lyon, 1990

Languages
English
French

Citizenship
British