Jessica Powers

Barrister, New Square Chambers

Jessica specialises in insolvency, commercial and company law. She appears as sole counsel regularly in the High Court, and was successful in the Court of Appeal in the important case of Bell v Ide. She is well accustomed to conducting cases from pre-action advice through to trial, whilst throughout maintaining a pragmatic and commercial approach.

Jessica is currently ranked in Legal 500 UK Bar in Insolvency, Commercial Litiation and Company, and is noted as being an “excellent technical lawyer and advocate” and “very bright and hard-working”. She is also ranked in Chambers and Partners UK Bar in Insolvency, and has been described as “strong on her feet” and “a pleasure to work with”.

During her appointment to the Attorney-General’s C Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown (2017-2022), Jessica was frequently instructed by HMRC and the Official Receiver in insolvency matters, and by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in director’s disqualification proceedings.

In addition to domestic work, Jessica is developing a thriving offshore practice, with instructions from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, the UAE and Gibraltar.

Alongside her busy practice, Jessica is passionately committed to improving social mobility at the Bar. In addition to being integral to Chambers’ various initiatives in this area, Jessica is a former holder of the Chambers D&I: Future Leader award, and the Inspirational Women in Law “Barrister of the Year” award.

Contributed to

4

Obligation to settle liabilities before the receipt of any dividend—contributories and calls

Practice Notes

This Practice Note, produced in partnership with Jessica Powers of New Square Chambers , discusses the obligation of contributories to settle the debts and liabilities of a registered or unregistered company (to include a partnership) in liquidation as well as the expenses of the liquidation where the assets of the company are insufficient. It examines the general position, calls following a liquidation, the basic principles of contributories’ liability, calls and set-off, and the bankruptcy of a contributory.

Restructuring & Insolvency

The difference between the anti-deprivation principle and the pari passu principle

Practice Notes

This Practice Note, produced in partnership with South Square Chambers and updated by Jessica Powers of New Square Chambers, discusses the difference between the anti-deprivation principle (which prevents parties from contracting out of the statutory regime for the collection, realisation and distribution of an insolvent estate) and the pari passu principle (which seeks to ensure the pro rata distribution of an insolvent estate among creditors).

Restructuring & Insolvency

Timing and size of distributions

Practice Notes

This Practice Note, produced in partnership with Jessica Powers of New Square Chambers, considers the timing and size of distributions in insolvency. It discusses when an office-holder will declare and distribute dividends and the procedure to be followed by an office-holder who intends to do so.

Restructuring & Insolvency

Waterfall of payments in administrative receivership

Practice Notes

This Practice Note, produced in partnership with Jessica Powers of New Square Chambers, considers the order of payments in administrative receivership. It discusses the order of distribution from the realisation of free assets (those not subject to a floating charge) and floating charge realisations.

Restructuring & Insolvency