Christine Newton

LEGAL DIRECTOR, MANCHESTER

Practice Areas

Before joining FS Legal as a Legal Director in December 2018, Christine spent three years in the role of General Counsel at national logistics and warehousing business, Arrow XL. Prior to that, Christine was a Legal Director in the commercial litigation team at Hill Dickinson.

Christine has over 20 years’ litigation experience running complex commercial disputes from inception through to trial representing both claimants and defendants.

She has acted for clients in various industry sectors including logistics and warehousing, construction, engineering, manufacturing and healthcare/pharmaceuticals.

In addition to conventional court proceedings, she has extensive experience of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) including mediations, international arbitrations and adjudication.

Christine has represented clients in construction and engineering disputes covering a wide range of subject matters including defective industrial plant and machinery, multi-million pound engineering projects for a tidal barrier and an offshore oil rig and various disputes relating to commercial and residential sites including warehouses, leisure sites and apartment blocks.

Christine also specialises in corporate and insolvency disputes including:

• shareholder disputes affecting companies in various sectors from football clubs to financial services
• director disqualification and breach of fiduciary duty proceedings
• proceedings arising from corporate insolvency e.g. claims against office holders, preference claims, retention of title etc
• breach of warranty proceedings on the sale / purchase of businesses

She is also a certified practitioner in data protection and advises on all aspects of GDPR compliance.

Client testimonials:

• “Christine Newton is highly impressive, as one would expect from her resume. She navigates complexity and detail with ease, and seems unflappable in fast-moving litigation scenarios. She is also realistic, commercial and pragmatic”
• “Christine Newton’s knowledge of the law regarding the claim was first class, always supplying me with information on where the case stood all the way through the case”
• “Christine Newton’s case management skills, tenacity and attention to detail keeps the case on track and minds focused.”
• “Christine Newton is an excellent lawyer who always goes the extra mile to advance the client’s case”

Notable Cases:

• Financial Conduct Authority v Steel & Foster  – Acting for the Defendants in a ground breaking claim in which the FCA is seeking to redefine the liability of directors and officers in independent financial advice businesses; the allegation being that Mr Steel and Ms Foster are responsible for negligently advising approximately 500 clients, the value of the claim being in excess of £7M.
• Acting for a major, publicly quoted IFA business in relation to a dispute which arose following the client’s acquisition of another IFA business, in particular in relation to breach of covenant/injunctive proceedings, the matter proceeding in the High Court in London.
• Acting for the defendant in a £40M breach of contract claim concerning the refurbishment of an offshore oilrig in the Caribbean. Proceedings were subject to international arbitration.
• Taking the lead in acting for a Ukrainian farming business in relation to the purchase of defective farming equipment worth approximately £5M. Referral of case to ICC for international arbitration.
• Taking the lead in acting for a local authority in England in arbitration proceedings worth in excess of £1M concerning defective design of tidal barrier system. Included co-ordinating necessary expert evidence.
• Lead lawyer acting for two defendants in issued High Court proceedings in a £3M claim for alleged breach of warranty concerning the sale of their engineering business.

Career History

• FS Legal: December 2018 – date
• Arrow XL (General Counsel): 2015 – 2018
• Hill Dickinson: 2007 – 2015
• Jeffrey Green Russell: 2001 – 2007

What Christine Newton’s clients say:

When you choose FS Legal you are hiring an entire team of professionals, not just a select group of lead lawyers – this is the FS Legal difference, and the difference is everything. I have no hesitation in recommending the entire FS Legal team.

– Client Testimonial