Guy joined Carter-Ruck in 1983 and has been a partner since 1990. He completed his training at Herbert Smith, where he qualified in 1985, focusing on intellectual property law and general commercial litigation.
As head of the International Department Guy has a wide-ranging practice in the field of public international law, European law and human rights involving administrative and regulatory processes with an international or diplomatic context.
Guy has specific expertise in the law relating to economic sanctions, and his work is at the forefront of the field of challenges to asset freezing measures, or ‘targeted sanctions’. He is highly rated in these areas by the legal directories.
Guy has represented and advised many clients who have challenged such sanctions measures before a range of tribunals including the High Court in London, the General Court and the ECJ in Luxembourg as well as before the United Nations Office of the Ombudsperson in New York.
Guy has coordinated international efforts by Saudi Arabian businessman and philanthropist Sheikh Yassin Abdullah Kadi since 2001, to overturn asset freezing orders made in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Guy represented Mr Kadi in his two successful appeals to the ECJ in 2008 and 2013. In its 2008 judgment the ECJ delivered a landmark decision in favour of Mr Kadi and struck down EU asset freezing regulations on the ground they breached Mr Kadi’s fundamental human rights. It was as a result of this judgment that the Office of the Ombudsperson was created by the UN Security Council in December 2009. The ECJ’s judgment in this case, which has become known as Kadi I, has been described by leading academic commentators as ‘the most important judgment ever delivered by the ECJ on the relationship between EC and international law and one of its most important judgments on fundamental rights’.
Guy has represented clients from Syria, Tunisia, Burma (Myanmar) and Zimbabwe in the targeted sanctions field. Guy acted for Burmese national Pye Phyo Tay Za both in his action before the General Court, and subsequent successful appeal to the Grand Chamber of the ECJ, which in March 2012 annulled European asset freezing orders applicable to Mr Tay Za.
Guy is also a media litigation and reputation management specialist and his practice has a particular emphasis on copyright, trademarks, breach of confidence and other intellectual property issues arising in a media context. In the media context he has acted for Sovereign States, high-ranking dignitaries, leading business people, universities, celebrities, religious leaders, and multi-national corporations.
Guy Martin is Highly Commended in the 2018 WorldECR Awards, the leading journal for sanctions and export controls practitioners, in the category ‘Practitioner of the Year’. The magazine, published, reports that Guy’s work ‘is at the forefront of the field of challenges to asset freezing measures, or ‘targeted sanctions’.
Chambers & Partners 2014 cites Guy as a ‘notable practitioner’ in the field of public international law. Guy is recommended by Legal 500 within its media and entertainment section and refers to Guy within defamation and privacy as a ‘star in [his] field’. Within public international law Legal 500 states that Guy Martin is ‘wonderful with clients’.
Memberships
Member of the British Literary and Copyright Association (BLACA).
Highlights
- Chambers 2020 sources report he is 'extremely intelligent, diligent, responsive and a delight to work with' and that 'his practice encompasses a wide range of issues pertaining to PIL, International Sanctions and Human Rights advice'.
- Legal 500 2020 highlight Guy as an Elite Leading Lawyer for Public International Law and 'peerless in international sanctions work, with a combination of huge experience and excellent client care'. Market sources also report 'Guy Martin leaves no stone unturned; his combination of legal knowledge, political savviness and client care is second to none.'
- Spearheading Carter-Ruck's international law practice, with successes in sanctions cases for clients from all over the world. Guy is cited as a notable practitioner in public international law by the Chambers and Partners Directory and described as ‘wonderful with clients’ by the Legal 500 Directory.
- International law highlights include obtaining a landmark appeal judgment in the ECJ in favour of Yassin Abdullah Kadi; then securing the delisting of Mr Kadi by the UN Sanctions Committee in 2012 and by OFAC in 2014 after which Mr Kadi was freed from all the restrictive measures imposed upon him worldwide.
- In the media context, Guy is described by Legal 500 as a ‘star’ in his field. Guy has over 20 years' experience in media law, specifically in copyright, trademarks, breach of confidence/ privacy and other issues arising in a media context as well as general libel and reputation management work.
- Guy is a regular noted speaker at legal conferences he has presented seminars at New York University, University College London, and the International Bar Association. He has written for the Centre for International Legal Studies on Jurisdiction and Dispute Resolution.
Guy joined Carter-Ruck in 1983 and has been a partner since 1990. He completed his training at Herbert Smith, where he qualified in 1985, focusing on intellectual property law and general commercial litigation.
As head of the International Department Guy has a wide-ranging practice in the field of public international law, European law and human rights involving administrative and regulatory processes with an international or diplomatic context.
Guy has specific expertise in the law relating to economic sanctions, and his work is at the forefront of the field of challenges to asset freezing measures, or ‘targeted sanctions’. He is highly rated in these areas by the legal directories.
Guy has represented and advised many clients who have challenged such sanctions measures before a range of tribunals including the High Court in London, the General Court and the ECJ in Luxembourg as well as before the United Nations Office of the Ombudsperson in New York.
Guy has coordinated international efforts by Saudi Arabian businessman and philanthropist Sheikh Yassin Abdullah Kadi since 2001, to overturn asset freezing orders made in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Guy represented Mr Kadi in his two successful appeals to the ECJ in 2008 and 2013. In its 2008 judgment the ECJ delivered a landmark decision in favour of Mr Kadi and struck down EU asset freezing regulations on the ground they breached Mr Kadi’s fundamental human rights. It was as a result of this judgment that the Office of the Ombudsperson was created by the UN Security Council in December 2009. The ECJ’s judgment in this case, which has become known as Kadi I, has been described by leading academic commentators as ‘the most important judgment ever delivered by the ECJ on the relationship between EC and international law and one of its most important judgments on fundamental rights’.
Guy has represented clients from Syria, Tunisia, Burma (Myanmar) and Zimbabwe in the targeted sanctions field. Guy acted for Burmese national Pye Phyo Tay Za both in his action before the General Court, and subsequent successful appeal to the Grand Chamber of the ECJ, which in March 2012 annulled European asset freezing orders applicable to Mr Tay Za.
Guy is also a media litigation and reputation management specialist and his practice has a particular emphasis on copyright, trademarks, breach of confidence and other intellectual property issues arising in a media context. In the media context he has acted for Sovereign States, high-ranking dignitaries, leading business people, universities, celebrities, religious leaders, and multi-national corporations.
Guy Martin is Highly Commended in the 2018 WorldECR Awards, the leading journal for sanctions and export controls practitioners, in the category ‘Practitioner of the Year’. The magazine, published, reports that Guy’s work ‘is at the forefront of the field of challenges to asset freezing measures, or ‘targeted sanctions’.
Chambers & Partners 2014 cites Guy as a ‘notable practitioner’ in the field of public international law. Guy is recommended by Legal 500 within its media and entertainment section and refers to Guy within defamation and privacy as a ‘star in [his] field’. Within public international law Legal 500 states that Guy Martin is ‘wonderful with clients’.
Memberships
Member of the British Literary and Copyright Association (BLACA).
