Sophie Marquand
- Called: 2022
- sophiemarquand@fivepaper.com
Profile
Sophie joined Chambers in October 2025 upon successful completion of her pupillage. She practises across Chambers’ practice areas including Landlord & Tenant, Social Housing, Commercial, Company, Bankruptcy, Insolvency, Employment and International Arbitration. She frequently appears in the County Court and High Court, as well as maintaining an advisory practice.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Sophie worked for two years as a Graduate Lawyer (Awaiting English Bar Qualification) in the International Arbitration team of a leading US law firm. She worked on high value, complex commercial disputes including energy sector, shareholder, shipping and product liability matters.
During her legal studies, Sophie volunteered with the University of Law’s Legal Advice Clinics where she worked on housing, probate, employment and company law issues. She also volunteered as an advocate for the School Exclusion Project, representing permanently excluded school students and their parents at governors’ and local authority hearings.
Before converting to law Sophie worked as a Researcher and Speech Writer in the Houses of Parliament. In this role, Sophie’s work included advising on constituency cases relating to housing allocation schemes and housing prioritisation. She also worked as a freelance Academic Researcher in a broad range of areas including child poverty, religious discrimination, higher education policy and international terrorism.
Expertise
Property
Sophie has a busy property practice which encompasses all of Chambers’ areas of Property and Social Housing law. Her recent work has included:
- Possession proceedings on all grounds for both private and social landlords, including enforcement in the High Court and opposing stay applications;
- Anti-social behaviour injunctions, including ex parte, interim and final injunctions;
- Access injunctions;
- Disrepair proceedings;
- Homelessness proceedings;
- Succession claims;
- Defending claims under the Environmental Protection Act 1990;
- Adverse Possession;
- Capacity and Equality Act issues;
- Directions and application matters, including summary judgment and strike out applications.
Commercial, Insolvency & Bankruptcy
Before coming to the Bar, Sophie held an associate-equivalent role at a leading US law firm for two years. She worked on high value, complex commercial disputes including energy sector, shareholder, shipping and product liability matters.
Since joining Chambers, Sophie has built on her commercial background and developed further expertise in insolvency and bankruptcy matters. Sophie is a member of R3 (Association of Business Recovery Professionals). Her recent work has included:
- Bankruptcy and Insolvency proceedings, including appearing in the High Court in relation to winding up petitions and bankruptcy petitions, and advising on matters where there are issues of transactions at an undervalue and transactions defrauding creditors. Sophie has also volunteered with Advocate’s Bankruptcy Representation Scheme, as part of which she defended bankruptcy petitions in the High Court on a pro bono basis;
- Contractual disputes, including both small claims and higher value disputes;
- Company law matters, including shareholder disputes and claims against company directors;
- Leading on a long-term, multi-jurisdictional pro bono project concerning product liability in the cosmetics industry.
International Arbitration
As a Graduate Lawyer (Awaiting English Bar Qualification) in the International Arbitration team of a leading US law firm Sophie worked on multiple high value, complex commercial arbitrations including energy sector, shareholder and shipping disputes. She continues to build on her experience as a member of Chambers. Her international arbitration work includes:
- Representing the claimant in multiple arbitrations (LCIA) arising out of shareholder agreements related to family businesses;
- Representing the claimant in a consolidated series of arbitrations (LMAA) relating to the sale of ten commercial shipping vessels;
- Representing the respondent in an arbitration (ICC) arising out of contracts for the supply and sale of iron ore pellets;
- Representing the respondent in an arbitration (ICC) arising out of a long-term Joint Venture Agreement;
- Representing a regional government of a Middle Eastern state in a commercial arbitration (LCIA) in relation to gas extraction projects;
- Advising an arbitrator in relation to s.72 Arbitration Act 1996 in an arbitration (LCIA) regarding the breach of an interface agreement between a railway holding company and two national governments;
- Advising a regional government of a Middle Eastern state regarding a crude oil purchase and sale contract;
- Advising a regional government of a Middle Eastern state regarding oil and gas shipping contracts;
- Advising a client regarding a licence agreement dispute for medical technology.
Employment
Sophie has a particular interest in religious discrimination in an employment context, which she researched and wrote on as part of her Master’s degree and legal studies. Her employment law experience includes:
- Claims for direct and indirect discrimination, victimisation and harassment;
- Claims involving detriments relating to protected disclosure;
- Matters relating to the enforcement restrictive covenants in employment contracts.
Further Info
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) Theology & Religion, Durham University
- MSc Social Anthropology (Contemporary Religion), London School of Economics & Political Science (Distinction)
- Graduate Diploma in Law, University of Law, London (Distinction)
- BPC, University of Law, London (Very Competent)
Scholarships/Prizes
- Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP: Recognition for 100+ hours of pro bono work (2024)
- Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution Negotiation Competition: National Finalist (2022)
- University of Law Negotiation Competition: Winner (2022)
- Human Rights Lawyers Association Judicial Review Moot: Semi-finalist (top 8/195) (2021)
- University of Law: London Senior Advocacy Scholarship (2021)
- University of Law: Career Changer Scholarship (BPC) (2021)
- University of Law: Full Career Changer Scholarship (GDL) (2020)
- London School of Economics: Anniversary Scholarship (2018)
- Gray’s Inn: Treasurer’s Award (2018)
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