Joanna has a broad commercial practice, with particular experience in commercial litigation, civil fraud, and international arbitration.

Her recent experience includes:

Civil fraud and asset recovery: 

• Voltaire Capital Holdings Ltd & Ors v Watson & Ors: Acting for the IronFX Defendants in an ongoing ten-week Commercial Court trial of claims valued at over US$100 million. The claimants allege that they were fraudulently induced to invest in the Voltaire group, and that its FX business was caused to trade on uneconomic terms with ostensibly independent counterparties, including IronFX. The claims include fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy and accessory liability (led by Tim Lord KC, instructed by Stokoe Partnership Solicitors).
• X v Y: Confidential High Court proceedings concerning an alleged multi-decade civil fraud and disputed inheritance of a significant Kazakh business. Joanna acts for the Claimant in a dispute spanning ten jurisdictions, involving the succession to and transfer of shares and assets, and related offshore proceedings (on a team led by Nathan Pillow KC and Alexander Cook KC, instructed by Peters & Peters LLP).
• Swan Bitcoin v Tether Investments & Ors: Acting for Swan Bitcoin in proceedings arising out of 2040 Energy Ltd, a Bitcoin mining joint venture with Tether. The claims, valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, include breach of fiduciary duty, dishonest assistance, knowing receipt, breach of confidence, breach of contract and unlawful means conspiracy (led by Stephen Midwinter KC, instructed by Quinn Emanuel LLP).
• Acting for investors in fraud and warranty claims arising from a private company investment, including disputes over a conditional unwind agreement (led by Tony Singla KC, instructed by Morrison Foerster LLP).
• Acting for an applicant seeking disclosure from respondents in England and Wales pursuant to a Norwich Pharmacal order granted by the Canadian courts, in support of foreign fraud proceedings (led by Jasbir Dhillon KC, instructed by Pinsent Masons LLP).
• Acting for a defendant in proceedings arising out of the alleged ‘OneCoin’ cryptocurrency fraud, including applications for worldwide freezing and ancillary relief; the claims against the defendant were withdrawn in full pursuant to a confidential settlement, with a contribution to legal costs (on secondment with Enyo Law LLP).
• Acting for a claimant in relation to an alleged multi-decade fraud, including claims of bribery, breach of fiduciary duty, dishonest assistance/knowing receipt, and conspiracy (as a pupil, assisting Richard Blakeley KC).

Commercial:

• NMCN Plc v BDO LLP: Acting for the liquidators of NMCN Plc in ongoing High Court audit negligence proceedings arising out of the company’s collapse (led by Tony Singla KC, instructed by Gateley Plc).
• The Government of the Bahamas v Grand Bahama Port Authority: Acted for the Government of the Bahamas in a two-week UNCITRAL arbitration hearing in its dispute with the concession holder of the Freeport zone (led by Harry Matovu KC and Richard Eschwege KC).
• Acting for an investment entity with a substantial portfolio of motor finance claims in a proposed judicial review of the FCA’s Motor Finance Consumer Redress Scheme; the claims in issue are valued in the billions of pounds (led by Tim Lord KC, instructed by Charles Russell Speechlys LLP).
• Acting for the claimant in LCIA arbitration proceedings arising from the termination of a partnership agreement connected to a London-based private equity fund (led by Fionn Pilbrow KC).
• Acting for a leading tax and advisory firm defending a multi-million-pound professional negligence claim arising out of an allegedly deficient audit (led by Tony Singla KC).
• Acting for the petitioner in an unfair prejudice petition concerning a contested share transfer; obtained an interim injunction restraining registration of the transfer (led by Chantelle Staynings).

Unled:

• Shakespeare Monofilament v Eurosaf SRL: breach of contract claim; two-day trial (Circuit Commercial Court) (instructed by Eversheds Sutherland).
• Section 69 Arbitration Act appeal arising out of a GAFTA arbitration; High Court (KBD) (instructed by gunnercooke llp).
• Acting for a defendant in a claim alleging fraudulent and/or negligent misrepresentation arising out of a proposed share sale and company acquisition (instructed by Mishcon de Reya LLP).
• Acting unled in a range of County Court proceedings, including trials and contested applications (strike out, summary judgment and case management).

Before coming to the Bar, Joanna taught Public Law at the London School of Economics and conducted litigation concerning online speech and digital privacy. She acted in cases before international courts and tribunals and was appointed to assist the UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights in respect of surveillance technologies.  

Her recent experience includes:

• Acting in an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council concerning the scope of the doctrine of absolute judicial immunity at common law and its application to inferior officers (led by Emma Mockford).
• Advising a leading NGO in respect of the UK Government’s revised definition of “extremism”, including consideration of relevant human rights and domestic data protection law (led by Paul Bowen KC and Zahra Al-Rikabi).

Joanna has specific experience in respect of sanctions matters, including compliance, delisting challenges and licensing:

• Advising an individual in respect of compliance with sanctions regarding trust services and advice provided to brokerage clients (led by Richard Blakeley KC).
• Acting for various sanctioned persons and companies challenging their designation under UK and European sanctions laws and regulations (as a pupil, assisting Malcolm Birdling on teams led by Maya Lester KC), including SAMLA challenges brought pursuant to the Russia, Syria and Belarus sanctions regulations.
• Acting in a dispute arising out of a counterparty’s failure to make payments under back-to-back sale and purchase contracts of thermal coal on the basis of the alleged applicability of sanctions (LCIA Arbitration, London seat) (as a pupil, assisting Richard Blakeley KC).

Education

Master of Laws (LLM) (First Class), University of Cambridge | 2023

Bachelor of Laws (First Class) and Bachelor of Arts (History) (First Class), University of Sydney | 2016

Professional Experience

Tutor (Public Law), London School of Economics | 2023

Research assistant in commercial and common law, Law Commission of England and Wales (Digital assets) | 2023

Visiting Scholar (University of Minnesota) assisting the UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights | 2022

Legal Officer, Media Defence | 2019-2021

Legal Adviser, Samos Refugee Law Clinic; and the UN Refugee Agency | 2018

Judicial Assistant to the Hon Justice A Meagher, Court of Appeal (New South Wales, Australia) | 2017

Professional Qualifications

2023: Called to the Bar of England & Wales

2017: Qualified as a solicitor in New South Wales, Australia

Scholarships and Prizes

John and Sophie Laws Scholarship (Bar European Group)

WM Tapp Studentship in Law (Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge)

University Medal in History (ranking first overall) (University of Sydney)

Outstanding Academic Achievement Scholarship (University of Sydney)

University Blue in Debating (University of Sydney)

Joanna Connolly, ‘The right to erasure: comparative perspectives on an emerging privacy right’, (2020) 46 ALJ 1.