Nicola Bridge

Nicola is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution department and Head of Mishcon de Reya's Commercial Litigation team. She is an experienced litigator, having advised clients on a variety of high profile, complex commercial disputes, often involving allegations of fraud, deceit and misappropriation.

She has particular experience in breach of contract claims and tortious disputes, shareholder disputes, warranty and indemnity claims and breach of fiduciary duties. Nicola also has experience of obtaining and defending freezing orders. She has also been involved in numerous cases involving claims under the Commercial Agents Regulations, on both the claimant and defendant side.

In addition to general commercial litigation, Nicola has a focus on telecoms, media and technology, betting and gaming and financial services sectors.

Legal 500 states: "Nicola is hard-working and extremely focused on the case at hand. She provided the best client service I have ever seen from a solicitor".

Key Experience

• Acting for Telefonica UK Limited (O2) in defending proceedings issued by Phones4U Limited (in administration) alleging collusion between EE, Vodafone, Telefonica and their parent companies (at the relevant time).
• Acting for a marketing and branding company in English court proceedings involving breach of contract claims against a broker company operating online trading platforms and advising on applications in the Cypriot Courts for freezing injunction relief.
• Acting for one of the defendants to successfully discharge a freezing order against them (ICICI Bank UK PLc v Mehta & Ors [2017] EWHC 1030 (Comm))
• Advising a software and service provider of sports betting platform technology in relation to various breaches of agreements by an online casino operator.
• Advising a care home provider on a breach of franchise agreement.
• Acting for a forex, derivatives, equity and commodity trading house in fraud proceedings against former employees (ODL Securities Limited v Adrian McGrath & Others [2013] EWHC 1865 (Comm)).
• Acting for Mark Holyoake and seven other defendants on a $250m+ fraud claim (Bloomsbury International Limited (in administration) & Others v Mark Holyoake & Others (2010) EWCH 1150 (ch)).
• Acting for a mortgage provider in a case involving allegations of fraud, breach of trust, breach of contract and negligence against a firm of solicitors (Wave Lending Limited -v- (1) Al-Ansari (2) Shah Solicitors LLP).
• Acting for a Canadian animation company to obtain a freezing order in support of Canadian proceedings (Cinar Corp & Others v Panju [2006] All ER (D) 350 (Oct)).
• Acting for Orange in proceedings against it for declarations concerning the rights and obligations under various agreements (HSBC Insurance Brokers Limited v Orange Personal Communications Services Limited).
• Acting for HTC in proceedings relating to the settling of the terms of a FRAND licence (IPCom v HTC & ors).
• Acting for MyLotto24 in proceedings against its insurer. The case involved complex issues relating to insurance underwriting, geolocation and gambling law in Austria and Germany (MyLotto24 Limited v Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) Plc).
• Acting for bet365 in a claim against a Norwegian citizen for negative declarations that it was not liable to the defendant in tort for gambling losses which the defendant sustained as a result of online gambling on bet365 's website (Hillside (New Media) Limited-v- Bjarte Baasland [2010] EWHC 3336 (Comm)) and advising on subsequent satellite litigation in Norway.
• Acting as a S.166 skilled person in relation to the mis-selling of swap agreements by one of the big four banks.
• Advising a property development company in an expert determination regarding the repayment of an outstanding unsecured debt owed pursuant to a novated swap.
• Advising a leading global provider of messaging software solutions in a dispute with a major telephone, TV and broadband internet provider in a dispute relating to the construction and delivery of an email platform.
• Acting for an individual and a company in two sets of proceedings involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and an application for s.994 petition.
• Advising a company in relation to an application for Norwich Pharmacal relief in order to ascertain the recipient of stolen funds.

Career History

Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Trainee, Associate, Partner, SJ Berwin LLP (now King & Wood Mallesons LLP)
College of Law, Guildford, CPE/LPC
The University of Manchester, BA Hons History