Oliver Hyams
Barrister, Hardwicke

Oliver has an established practice with a focus on commercial disputes, insolvency as well as fraud and asset recovery. He is particularly experienced in cases involving allegations of wrongdoing or dishonesty by directors, trustees, and other fiduciaries, and is regularly instructed in shareholders’ disputes.

 Oliver regularly appears in the Insolvency and Companies List of the Business and Property Courts. He acts for office-holders, companies and individuals in litigation, and is often instructed in commercial disputes with an insolvency angle.

 He has experience of injunctions to restrain the presentation or advertisement of a winding up petition; applications for, or to extend, administration orders; claims under the Insolvency Act 1986 against third parties (e.g. preference claims; transactions at an undervalue; transactions defrauding creditors); misfeasance claims; and many other types of insolvency application.

 He is already well versed in issues involving the Corporate Governance and Insolvency Act 2020, including the moratorium procedure, and its application by the courts, and now often advises office-holders in relation to disputes with landlords.

Oliver has extensive experience of bankruptcy proceedings. He regularly acts in applications: to set aside statutory demands; for validation orders; for an order for sale; to unwind preferences, and all manner of other insolvency applications. He also has experience of inquiries into the bankrupt’s dealings and property.

Before coming to the Bar, Oliver worked at the European Commission in Brussels, where he specialised in retail banking and pensions reform.