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Joanna Page

Partner

Joanna is a seasoned litigator in corporate and commercial disputes, both domestic and international and is also highly rated for her experience in international arbitration. She handles claims through a range of different dispute mechanisms. She has experience of ICC, LCIA and ad hoc arbitrations and has also litigated extensively in the English Commercial Court and in the Chancery Division.

Joanna is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Bye-Fellow at Downing College, Cambridge and a CEDR Accredited Mediator. She has been a trustee of CEDR since 2018 and has been Chair at CEDR since 2019. Joanna has higher rights of audience (Civil). She supervises in Contract Law and also Company Law at Cambridge University.

Joanna was Head of Corporate & Commercial Litigation in London from 2010-2016 and Head of Insurance Litigation in London from 2006 to 2023.  Alongside her client work, Joanna is one of the firm's four Values Partners and a Partner in Risk Management within the firm.

Chambers UK 2022 comments on Joanna include "She is very good at seeing things from the client's point of view and is conscious of the need for teamwork and coordination. She runs a very tight ship and is a commercial and realistic lawyer." "Joanna has fantastic case handling skills and judgement."

Legal 500 UK 2023 describes Joanna as "a highly experienced, calm and effective team leader." and "extremely sensible and strategically aware." Chambers UK 2023 states that Joanna is "very experienced and hard-working." and Legal 500 UK 2023 says "Joanna Page is exceptional".

In 2013 she was appointed by the Law Society of England & Wales as their lead expert on an EU Expert Group examining whether differences in insurance law across the EU present obstacles to trade.

Expertise

Industries

Experience

Representative matters

  • A global fund manager on claims of mismanagement of fixed income funds, acting in arbitration and handling related regulatory aspects; also securing cover under relevant insurance policies.
  • A multinational seeking recovery of business losses in a LCIA arbitration under a complex alternative risk structure so as to recover losses relating to a large portfolio of aircraft.
  • A global bank on its recoveries under professional indemnity insurance relating to claims in the U.S. following insolvency of one its major customers; this involved coordination of U.S. litigation, assisting in response to an SEC investigation and liaison and recovery from insurers.
  • Enforcing interest rate swaps: Advising a global bank in upholding and enforcing interest rate swaps with a number of Italian local authorities, including the important decision of Deutsche Bank v Comune di Savona.
  • GBP130m: Acting for a multinational energy company on a claims against its insurers following damage to its processing plant in the Gulf Region.
  • Acting for a multinational energy company in relation to an investigation of whether trades undertaken by one of its Asian subsidiaries could have breached EU and US sanctions; handling related English Commercial Court litigation between the counterparties.
  • Acting for a US manufacturer in an investigation as to whether there had been anticompetitive behaviour in certain parts of its global network.
  • Acting for an AIM listed company in relation to English Commercial Court litigation following a fraud perpetrated by a major shareholder and their nominee directors which had siphoned off funds to other parts of the group.
  • USD 2 billion: Acting for a global mining company in a dispute with a joint venture partner including ICC arbitration and expert determination procedures.
  • USD150m: Acting for a mining company in recovering under delayed start up insurance following technical difficulties in getting a new processing plant up and running; this involved ad hoc arbitration in London.
  • USD100m: Acting for a methanol plant in challenging issue of legal proceedings in Texas and securing anti-suit injunction; securing English jurisdiction for the dispute.
  • EUR50m: Acting for a global telecoms manufacturer in securing insurance cover in LCIA arbitration under bespoke performance bond cover following losses in emerging markets.

Pro bono

  • 2009-2018 Trustee for Governors for Schools (a charity which seeks to assist schools find individuals with business skills to become school governors).
  • 2018 to date Trustee appointed to CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) which has pioneered mediation as a mechanism for resolving disputes in the UK and across the world. Chair of CEDR since 2019.
  • Has led the firm’s multi jurisdiction response in a number of important pro bono research projects (eg as to the use of evidence obtaining by torture (prepared for Fair Trials International and Redress).

Published Work

  • Leads A&O’s Annual Director Liability Survey which is conducted in conjunction with Willis Towers Watson.
  • Editor, The Insurance Disputes Law Review

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

  • Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Committee Member, Litigation Sub-Committee, City of London Law Society (1995 to 2012)
  • Committee Member, Insurance Sub-Committee, City of London Law Society (2014 to date)
  • Member, British Insurance Law Association
  • Member, Chartered Institute of Insurance
  • Member, Editorial Board of the Dispute Resolution Section of Practical Law Company

Recognition

calm, measured and thoughtful figure
formidable opponent

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 1988

Academic

MA, Law, St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge, 1984

Languages

English
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.