Rupert Butler | Barrister – Head of Legal Practice
Rupert Butler has been in private practice as a Barrister since 1988, working at the self-employed bar out of 3 Hare Court, London, and as founder and principal of Leverets.
Rupert was one of the first Public Access Barristers to be licensed to conduct litigation, and to accept instructions directly from the public. This has led to him appearing in many high profile civil claims, criminal cases and public inquiries.
In order to meet demand for the direct access services, Rupert founded Leverets in 2018 and set up its offices in Sevenoaks, Kent, where he is primarily based. The practice fuses barristers and solicitors in order to create a better client service taking advantage of advanced technology, lower overheads and greater space, but still to remain only a stone’s throw from Central London.
In 2022 Leverets expanded into the Precincts of Canterbury Cathedral with a second office.
Qualifications
Trained and accredited mediator
Member of the Irish Bar
LLB Manchester University
Range of Experience
Rupert’s substantial experience in litigation and advisory work covers a broad range of chancery and commercial litigation, including:
+ insolvency and company-related disputes,
+ claims for breach of directors’ duties and minority shareholders’ actions,
+ breaches of warranty, enforcement of guarantees and security, liquidators’ claims,
+ civil fraud,
+ asset recovery
+ constructive trusts.
Recent Work
Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse, Privinvest, VTB Capital and Others
In November 2023, Rupert led the Leverets team to secure settlements in London’s Commercial Court for two former Credit Suisse Bankers in Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse, Privinvest, VTB Capital and Others – also known as the ‘Tuna Bonds scandal’. Listed as one of the top 20 cases of 2023 by The Lawyer.
Considered one of the most notable cases of the year, the trial comprised 11 Commercial Court proceedings concerning the impact of alleged bribery and corruption on three sovereign guarantees purportedly executed by the Republic of Mozambique (the “Republic), with a combined value of US$2 billion. The Republic (and other parties) also brought claims for additional consequential losses, bringing the total value to above US$5 billion.
Rupert has recently finished acting for Camila Batmanghelidjh in proceedings brought by the Official Receiver against the CEO and Trustee Board of Kids Company (in liquidation) (CR-2017-0006113) under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
From 2017 to 2021 Rupert acted for the estate of the late Lord Janner of Braunstone QC, most importantly in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, in which one investigation was dedicated to examining institutional responses to allegations of child sexual abuse levelled against Lord Janner in his lifetime and which took evidence in Autumn 2020, with the publication of its findings in September 2021.
In other recent commercial work Rupert has represented the owners of Hello! Magazine successfully defending a claim for breach of intellectual property rights (Motivate Publishing FZ LLC v. Hello! Limited [2015] EWHC 1554) and the owners of 4 patents in vanadium redox energy storage in the Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court, successfully defending a claim for alleged fraudulent assignment of patents (Dichand v. Hydraredox Technologies Holdings Limited [2018] EWHC 1142).
Rupert Butler has acted for liquidators appointed on behalf of HMRC to recover Crown debts incurred by VAT and Excise frauds. In which respect he has sued successfully directors for fraud in the leading cases of: QEB Metallics v. Peerzada and others [2009] EWHC 3348 (Ch); and, Payless Cash & Carry v. Patel and others [2011] EWHC 2112 (Ch).
Rupert also obtained injunctions for and represented green energy suppliers Ecotricity in their well-publicised claim against Tesla Motors Inc., involving breach of confidence and competition law (Ecotricity Group Ltd & The Electric Highway Company Ltd v. Tesla Motors Inc & Tesla Motors Netherlands BV Claim No. HC14C02139).
In 2015 Rupert was instructed on behalf of the directors of Drive Assist (UK) Limited (in liquidation) defending them successfully in claims brought against them under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 and in a claim for misfeasance in office brought by the liquidator.
He represents David Bryant, for whom he also acted pro bono in the Court of Appeal in July 2016, whose conviction for historic sexual abuse of a boy in 1970s was quashed. Subsequently, Rupert has acted for other appellants, and in June 2018 he secured the quashing of the conviction for historic sex abuse of Graham Jones, a retired school-master from Eastbourne College.
Rupert is a regular commentator in the media on the topic of historic sex abuse claims and is a founder member of FAIR – a pressure group headed by Sir Cliff Richard and Paul Gambaccini to force a change in the law on the naming of suspects before charge. In 2016 Rupert’s analysis of policing complaints of historic sex abuse was mentioned in the report of Sir Richard Henriques and commended in the House of Commons’ debate on Operation Midland, where general praise for the work of 3 Hare Court was given, including by the SNP.
Rupert also specialises in sports and entertainment work, particularly acting for national governing bodies of sport, sports stars and agents, in all aspects of the business of sport and entertainment, regulation and disciplinary matters. He is recommended in Chambers UK Directory for sports law.
He has acted for the ECB on a wide range of issues and, in particular, he advised over its relationship with Allen Stanford and his sponsorship of the Stanford Twenty20 for 20 and the collapse of the Stanford Bank.
He represented Sven-Goran Eriksson, in pursuit of claims against his former financial adviser; and Carole White’s Premier Model Agency, to stop a former employee setting up in unlawful competition.
In 2008 he represented the entire Trinidad and Tobago 2006 FIFA World Cup squad in its action against its home Federation, headed by Jack Warner, for fees due to players, securing a substantial award in an international arbitration. Recently he has been advising the acting president of CONCACAF in relation to his dispute with his Federation and FIFA following the resignation of Jack Warner.
In sports he has also represented and advised the following National Governing Bodies: the Welsh RFU, British Triathlon Association, the British Cycling Federation, International Federation of Strong Men, Kent County Cricket Club and the British Bob Skeleton Association.
In 2011 he represented the former information spy Benji the Binman in a successful trial for breach of bailment.
He has also represented and advised the following public authorities: London Borough of Haringey, London Borough of Hackney and London Borough of Redbridge, Wiltshire County Council, National Police Improvement Agency. He has extensive experience of appearing in Employment Tribunals covering all areas of employment law, and regularly represents City Executives in the negotiation of their service contracts, remuneration benefits, and severance agreements.
Rupert is a Kent Ambassador, supporting the County Council in its promotion of the County and, in particular, the challenges it faces post-Brexit.
