Taran Molloy
Barrister
Call 2025
Taran is developing a practice across Chambers’ core areas, with a particular focus on commercial litigation, group actions, and disputes (include arbitral matters) with an international element. His led work includes factually complex and large-scale commercial matters, and he regularly appears unled in the County Court.
Before coming to the English Bar, Taran practised law at Stout Street Chambers in Aotearoa New Zealand, where he worked on a broad range of commercial, public law, environmental, and conflicts of laws matters. He has also worked as a legal assistant to an international law professor and investment treaty arbitrator and has experience with investment arbitrations occurring under the ICSID and UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Examples of Taran’s recent cases include:
- Fuschillo & Ors v Johnson & Johnson: Acting (with David Cavender KC and Dominic Li, alongside counsel outside chambers) on a major group action claiming damages arising from mesothelioma and ovarian cancer contracted from exposure to talc-based baby powder.
- BP Oil International Ltd v Panoro Equatorial Guinea Inc: application for an interim injunction to restrain the breach of an agreement for the marketing of crude oil (led by Michael Fealy KC and Sam O’Leary).
- Municipio de Mariana v BHP Group plc: The largest group action in England, arising out of the 2015 collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana, Brazil (assisting Max Schlote during pupillage, including legal research and drafting pleadings).
-
Examples of Recent Cases
-
Arbitration
- An expert determination on the interpretation of a joint venture agreement relating to a London property development (assisting Lord Wolfson KC, Laurence Emmett KC and Henry Hoskins during pupillage)
- An LCIA arbitration relating to the acquisition of a participating interest in a Brazilian offshore oil field (assisting Kenneth MacLean KC and Tamara Kagan during pupillage)
- Before starting pupillage, Taran worked as an assistant to Professor Campbell McLachlan KC and acted as the tribunal or president’s legal assistant in investment treaty and commercial arbitrations heard through the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and Singapore International Arbitration Centre.
-
Commercial Litigation
- BP Oil International Ltd v Panoro Equatorial Guinea Inc: application for an interim injunction to restrain the breach of an agreement for the marketing of crude oil (led by Michael Fealy KC and Sam O’Leary).
- Crane Bank Ltd v dfcu Bank Ltd: high-value conspiracy claim concerning the take-over and sale of one of Uganda’s largest financial institutions (provided legal research during pupillage to Ben Zelenka Martin).
- GQA Qualifications Ltd v Clayton: claim against a company’s former director and CEO alleging breach of contract, statutory and fiduciary duties, and the equitable duty of confidence (assisting Tamara Kagan during pupillage).
- Several unled appearances in the County Court, including possession hearings, applications for service out of the jurisdiction, security for costs, and specific disclosure.
-
Competition
- Advice to a litigation funder in respect of a proposed opt-out collective proceeding (assisting Derek Spitz KC during pupillage).
-
Group Litigation
- Municipio de Mariana v BHP Group plc: The largest group action in England, arising out of the 2015 collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana, Brazil (assisting Max Schlote during pupillage, including legal research and drafting pleadings).
- Various Claimants v Glencore plc: Large-scale shareholder class action against Glencore plc under ss 90 and 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, concerning allegations of misstatements and omissions in Glencore’s prospectuses and published information (assisting Henry Hoskins during pupillage).
- White v Uber London Ltd: unlawful means conspiracy claim brought by a cohort of black cab drivers and private hire companies against Uber (assisted Michael Watkins with legal research relating to issues of legal professional privilege during pupillage).
-
International Law
- Co-author of a legal opinion for the Pew Charitable Trusts, ‘In the Matter of Systemic Integration of International Law by the International Seabed Authority’.
- Before starting pupillage, Taran worked as an assistant to Professor Campbell McLachlan KC and acted as the tribunal or president’s legal assistant in investment treaty arbitrations heard through the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, and at the Permanent Court of Arbitration under UNCITRAL Rules.
-
-
Previous Employment
Research Assistant to Professor Campbell McLachlan KC (2021-2022; 2024-2025)
Rendered legal and research assistance to Professor McLachlan’s practice as an arbitrator in investment treaty claims heard at ICSID, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and other arbitral institutions.
Undertook academic research in the fields of public and private international law, including in support of three book manuscripts.
Junior Barrister, Stout Street Chambers (New Zealand) (2022-2023)
Practised as a junior barrister assisting with both litigation and advisory work in commercial disputes, public law, arbitration, consumer law, and environmental law matters.
Appeared led on a successful judicial review appeal touching upon domestic implementation of international obligations contained in Security Council Resolutions: A v Minister of Internal Affairs [2024] NZSC 63.
Assistance, including drafting Tribunal working papers, in SIAC, ICSID, and PCA arbitrations.
Initially employed as a law clerk (roughly equivalent to aspects of pupillage) prior to admission as a practising New Zealand lawyer.
-
Education
LLM, University of Cambridge (2023–2024)
First Class Honours
General editor, Cambridge International Law Journal
Researcher, Cambridge Pro Bono Project
LLB(Hons), Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington (2016–2021)
First Class Honours
Student editor-in-chief, New Zealand Journal of Public and International Law (2019–2021)
BA (Political Science and International Relations), Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington (2016–2021)
-
Scholarships and Awards
Clive Parry Prize (top student in international law designation on the Cambridge LLM), 2024
Faculty of Law Prize in International Law of Global Governance, University of Cambridge, 2024
Becker Law Award, Lucy Cavendish College, 2023
Sir John McGrath Prize in Public Law, Victoria University of Wellington, 2021
Quentin Baxter Prize in Public and International Law LLM, Victoria University of Wellington, 2021
Robert Orr McGechan Memorial Prize (best student work published in the Victoria University of Wellington Law Review), Victoria University of Wellington, 2021
Winner and best oralist, 19th Annual Hong Kong Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition for the Asia-Pacific Region, 2021
Winner and best oralist, New Zealand Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition, 2020
Quentin Baxter Prize in International Law, Victoria University of Wellington, 2019
Thomson Reuters Prize in Jurisprudence, Victoria University of Wellington, 2019
John F Kennedy Prize in American Government and Politics, Victoria University of Wellington, 2019
Thomas Prize in Mooting, Victoria University of Wellington, 2018 and 2019
New Zealand Institute of International Affairs Prize in International Relations, Victoria University of Wellington, 2018
-
Publications
‘De-pluralising International Legal Personality: International Organisations and the 20th Century Shift to Statehood’, panel presentation at the 14th annual Cambridge International Law Journal Conference, 28 April 2025
(With Campbell McLachlan KC and Toby Fisher) ‘In the Matter of Systemic Integration of International Law by the International Seabed Authority’, independent legal opinion for the Pew Charitable Trusts, 19 December 2024
‘“Equal in Status, in No Way Subordinate”: Interwar New Zealand, Imperial Internationalism, and the Acquisition of International Legal Personality’ (2022) 20 New Zealand Yearbook of International Law 40
‘Qassem Soleimani, Targeted Killing of State Actors, and Executive Order 12,333’ (2021) 52 Victoria University of Wellington Law Review 163