Sam Gokarn-Millington

Sam has experience acting for:

CLASS ACTIONS

• Two US industrials clients on a series of high-profile product liability and personal injury claims, and representing the clients in criminal and regulatory investigations, and before a Public Inquiry. Sam has defended and settled several group actions concerning allegations of negligence and breach of various statutory duties and is presently defending a c. £400m commercial claim for first party losses and contribution.
• the same clients in significant group costs litigation, involving the detailed assessment of the generic, common and individual costs of over 900 claimants represented by 14 claimant firms.
• An international steel conglomerate in defending a GBP 20 million nuisance group litigation in the Technology and Construction Court in London brought by local residents of the client's steelworks.
• Technology clients on several threatened class actions arising out of the alleged un-authorised access of employees' personal data following cyber-attacks by third-party threat actors.

TECHNOLOGY/FINTECH

• Fintech clients on their portfolio of international consumer litigation, primarily concerning cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and NFTs.
• A cryptocurrency exchange in relation to a recovery action in multiple jurisdictions arising out of the erroneous transfer of GBP multi-million worth of cryptocurrencies to users in the UK and across Europe.
• A cryptocurrency exchange on a claim concerning the transfer of cryptoassets that were unsupported in a particular jurisdiction for geofencing reasons.
• An international satellite and telecommunications company in a contractual dispute with the British Broadcasting Corporation.
• A high-net worth individual in defending a claim for damages of circa USD10 million arising from cyber-attacks carried out on the systems of a telecommunications company.
• Several international telecommunications companies, in respect of their claims in negligence against the owners, operators and insurers of several cargo and fishing vessels which have caused significant property damage to the clients' fibre-optic sub-sea cable networks.
• A Norwegian IT client by obtaining a commercial settlement in mediation in relation to a dispute over the implementation of, and delays to, an IT software project.

MEDIA, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Sporting bodies on a variety of sports law matters, including advising on sports-related contractual disputes, disciplinary proceedings, and arbitration.
• A sports client in a dispute with licensees operating in the digital assets space; a dispute which concerned novel questions as to whether NFTs and semi-fungible tokens fell within the remit of the UK's new Financial Promotions Regime vis "Qualifying Cryptoassets".
•  An entertainment and media client in threatened arbitral proceedings concerning the purchase of Inventory Media Services.
• The shareholders in an English professional football club in respect of a dispute concerning a Share Purchase Agreement and Option Agreement.

INDUSTRIALS/CONSTRUCTION

• A large industrials company in a contractual dispute following the conditional sale of an advanced metal forming subsidiary.
• The sellers of a chemical plating and manufacturing company in defending GBP 10 million Commercial Court proceedings brought by the buyer under a SPA.
• A UK manufacturer on a complex dispute with three utility companies concerning breaches of contract, negligence and breaches of the relevant regulatory framework.
• A Chinese engineering company – alongside colleagues in Shanghai, China - in its claims for damages against a Spanish healthcare company arising out of the alleged wrongful termination of the parties’ distribution agreement for heart-rate monitors across Asia.
• The developer of an Interconnector project in relation to issues pertaining to subsea cables in French and UK territorial waters. Advising the developer in relation to potential liability and mitigation measures.
• A construction and engineering company in defending AED300 million arbitral proceedings (governed by the DIFC-LCIA Rules) involving claims for liquidated damages, variations, time extensions, and acceleration costs, arising from a university project in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
• A construction client on an adjudication brought by a sub-contractor concerning delays in the installation of gravity base foundations on an offshore wind farm project.
• An international ventilation and air conditioning company in two interlinked International Chamber of Commerce “upstream” and “downstream” arbitrations relating to delays on an airport infrastructure project in Qatar.