The Legal 500

Clifford Chance’s position as one of the go-to firms for bet-the-bank litigation was reaffirmed in 2008, when a team, led by highly rated partner Ian Moulding, achieved a High Court victory for JPMorgan Chase against a billion-dollar mis-selling claim brought by Greece-based investor Springwell. Simon Davis heads the first-class department, which covers the full range of sectors and was recently boosted in areas such as white-collar crime, through the recruitment of senior associate Judith Seddon from Russell Jones & Walker. Partners such as Katrina Allison, Alex Panayides and Denis Brock all come highly recommended. The firm also benefits from a dedicated forensic accounting team.

Praised for its ‘excellent service’, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP’s litigation department is, in the words of one client, ‘in all respects, exemplary. You get what you pay for and we paid for the best and we got it’. The lawyers are all ‘very responsive and good at managing the relationships with their colleagues in different offices’. Chris Pugh heads the team, which recently advised Brookfield Constructions on its £353m dispute with Mott MacDonald, relating to the design and construction of Wembley Stadium, and the firm has also been advising F Hoffmann-La Roche in its defence of vitamins cartel-related damages claims. Among the partners, the ‘outstanding’ Paul Lomas is singled out for praise, as are Paul Bowden and James Kennedy.

Despite increasingly stiff competition, Herbert Smith LLP’s ‘always responsive’ practice remains the one to beat in litigation. Sonya Leydecker’s team, which includes an in-house advocacy unit headed by Murray Rosen QC and Ian Gatt QC, has been involved in most of the largest cases currently working their way through the courts. Among them, the firm’s representation of Chevron in the civil and criminal proceedings arising from the Buncefield explosion has been a huge instruction. Another highlight was advising TadAZ (Tajik Aluminium Plant) in its major international fraud case against its former directors and trading partners. The firm boasts a string of first-class names including Christa Band, Ted Greeno, Damien Byrne Hill, Kevin Lloyd and Hardeep Nahal, and is commended as ‘very proactive in managing costs’.

Allen & Overy LLP gets excellent feedback from clients, who point to a ‘first-class’ and ‘top-notch’ team that has a ‘very strong and solid bench strength’. The firm is undoubtedly one of the very best for banking and finance-related litigation, and offers equally good expertise in straight corporate, construction, antitrust, regulatory, fraud, IP and insurance-related disputes. The firm has been busy advising major lessors in the aviation industry, such as GECAS, Pembroke and Boeing, in relation to insolvencies, defaults and aircraft repossessions, and is also advising HBOS in the bank charges litigation. Among the partners, the ‘tough and cerebral’ Jonathan Hitchin, the ‘very astute and knowledgeable’ Robert Hunter, the ‘highly able’ Mona Vaswani, and the ‘very responsive, experienced and sound’ Arnondo Chakrabarti are all highly recommended.

Headed by the highly rated Patrick Sherrington, Lovells LLP offers clients one of the largest litigation teams in the City, with its size more than matched by its quality across a range of areas including corporate, insurance, energy and banking. This can be seen in the variety of critical instructions it receives from clients, including its representation of Alfa-Access-Renova on the high-profile TNK-BP dispute with BP. The firm is also advising the Government of Iceland on disputes relating to the banking crisis; Lloyds TSB in the overdraft charges test case; and Alfa Group on a multibillion-pound series of disputes in the UK and BVI. Lawson Caisley, Christopher Grierson, Chris Hardman and Andrea Monks are very well regarded.

Ashurst LLP’s 11-partner team is split into several groupings, including product liability, energy and infrastructure, real estate, and general commercial litigation. While the size of the practice may not match those in the top two tiers, the quality of the team is indicated by its client base and the cases it is involved in. Most notably it acted for Total in disputes arising from the Buncefield explosion, and for Virgin Media in its high-profile litigation against BSkyB, as well as for Abbey in the OFT’s bank charges test case. The practice, which is considered ‘very good in all respects,’ boasts some illustrious names including Michael Madden, Ed Sparrow, James Levy, energy guru Ronnie King, and Ben Tidswell, who is ‘easy to work with and combines a good academic brain with sound commercial acumen and excellent management skills’.

Linklaters LLP’s ‘superb and professional’ practice has attracted a steady stream of major instructions, including arguably the largest credit crunch related matter to date, advising PwC as joint administrators of Lehman Brothers. Other major matters include advising BP on the high-profile TNK-BP dispute, as well as on issues relating to the Buncefield explosion. Another highlight has been acting for RBS on the bank charges test case. Michael Bennett heads the top-notch UK team, which boasts a number of extremely well-regarded partners, including global head John Turnbull, the ‘thoughtful, hardworking’ Euan Clarke, Nick Porter and Kathryn Ludlow.

In advising HM Treasury, Slaughter and May took the lead role on the other major credit crunch related case, which includes judicial review proceedings brought by former Northern Rock shareholders. Other highlights include successfully representing Gallaher Group in a US$700m multi-jurisdictional dispute with a former distributor, which culminated in a four-month trial in the Commercial Court. The firm is also representing Nationwide Building Society on the bank charges case. Richard Clark heads the team, which is ‘practical in approach and will look to resolve issues in a commercial context’. Clients praise the ‘solutions-oriented’ Nick Archer, who ‘understands the needs of running a business alongside the pressure of managing litigation’. Elizabeth Barrett is also highly recommended.

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP’s ‘excellent’ team attracts high praise from clients for its ‘first-rate level of service’. When it comes to insurance related disputes it has few rivals, but its market-leading expertise is also there for more general commercial disputes. Recent highlights include advising the auditors Moore Stephens in the defence of a US$94m negligence claim brought by Stone & Rolls. Julian Randall’s team includes the highly rated Neil Jamieson, who is considered ‘upbeat with the right degree of aggressiveness’; and ‘tough, savvy litigator’ Andrew Horrocks, whose ‘advice is always spot on’: he ‘politely rattles the other side’.

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s ‘tactically aware’ team is praised for its ‘quick turnaround’ and ‘pro-active approach’. Liam O’Connell heads the team, which is advising the global shipbroker Clarksons in the US$650m Fiona Trust dispute. The firm is especially strong in insurance, reinsurance and construction related disputes. Guy Pendell comes highly recommended, as does Rob Hickmott for insolvency and finance related litigation.

Clyde & Co LLP has a first-class track record for commercial litigation that extends beyond its market-leading position for shipping, insurance and commodities related disputes, and represented Ansol and others in their US$500m dispute with TadAZ, which was successfully settled in 2008. The firm is also a top choice for acting against banks, as it did in UBS and Société Générale v Deutsche Raststatten Gruppe III GmbH, where it advised the defendant borrower in a dispute relating to a €2.2bn acquisition finance loan. Paul Newdick and Jonathan Wood head the highly rated team, which includes Chris Burdett, Julian Connerty, Paul Friedman and Ben Knowles.

The ‘service is excellent’ at Mayer Brown International LLP, which is praised for its ‘very prompt response times and good business acumen’. The team acts for a spread of major corporates, financial institutions and Big Four accountants on a range of contentious issues. It is currently representing Ernst & Young on matters arising from its audits of investment funds that had dealings with Bernard Madoff Securities. David Allen heads the ‘good-value’ team, which is ‘excellent at liaising with the other side in a diplomatic manner in order not to up the antagonism’. Andrew Legg, Clare Canning and the ‘excellent’ Stuart Pickford are recommended.

Norton Rose LLP is praised for understanding ‘the commercial realities within dispute resolution’ and ‘the in-house lawyer’s role and its dilemmas’, and its lawyers are ‘very approachable and friendly’. Successfully representing Ranbaxy, the Indian drug manufacturer, in the Court of Appeal against price-fixing allegations was a particular highlight. The firm has also been representing the liquidators of Stone & Rolls in its claim against former auditors Moore Stephens, which is the largest case to receive third-party funding. Team head Antony Dutton, Sam Eastwood and Charles Evans enjoy good reputations.

As well as being strong in general commercial litigation, Reed Smith also has an excellent track record in energy, trading and commodities disputes. Recent highlights include advising AXA Insurance in a recovery claim against 80 firms of solicitors following losses sustained through the underwriting of an after-the-event insurance scheme. Belinda Paisley heads the team, which was recently boosted by the arrival of partner Peter Hardy from Morgan Lewis. Charles Hewetson, Richard Spafford and David Warne are also recommended.

SJ Berwin LLP is noted for its ‘outstanding level of service, quick response times and quality of advice’. The firm had a role advising AAR in its dispute with BP over their TNK-BP joint venture, and also successfully defended Victor Kozeny against worldwide freezing orders totalling US$177m, in a case that lasted nine years. Craig Pollack, considered ‘one of the top litigation solicitors in London’, heads the ‘excellent’ team, which includes the ‘first-rate’ Nick Brocklesby; competition expert Stephen Kon (‘a master of big litigation management’); the ‘very experienced’ Alex Leitch; the ‘excellent’ Shaistah Akhtar; and the ‘highly effective’ Hilton Mervis.

Simmons & Simmons is especially well regarded for financial services and fraud-related disputes, a position that was bolstered by the recruitment of Marc Thorley from Clifford Chance and Richard Sims from the FSA. It has been representing Barclays Bank in the OFT’s bank charges case, and also advised Masri in its wide-reaching US$100m dispute over an interest in a Yemeni oilfield, which has involved the House of Lords and the ECHR. Ian Hammond heads the team, which includes highly rated partners Colin Passmore, Nick Benwell, Jonathan Kelly and Louise Delahunty.

Stephenson Harwood’s group head John Fordham has a fantastic reputation, and his ‘uniformly excellent’ team is regularly involved in the larger cases the market has to offer. Recent examples include successfully defending Petroleos de Venezuela against a US$12bn freezing order brought before the English courts, which was used as the basis for dismissing similar orders in other jurisdictions. The firm is also defending Tagiz Izmailov and Dmitry Skarga against multimillion-dollar fraud allegations in the massive Fiona Trust case. The team is praised for its ‘extremely high level of service and commitment, as well as considerable litigation experience and knowledge,’ and boasts a selection of top names including chief executive Sunil Gadhia, regulatory expert Tony Woodcock, and Richard Gwynne.

Addleshaw Goddard LLP ‘always manages to find someone who knows about the type of dispute we need help with and gives useful, pragmatic advice’, says one regular client. The team, led by Simon Twigden, made up two partners this year, and has been particularly active in finance and fraud litigation, where it offers ‘excellent advice’. A highlight was successfully helping BA in proceedings to stop a strike action by the British Airline Pilots’ Association. Clients rate the ‘very responsive, client-focused’ Monica Burch; the ‘very pragmatic and sensible’ Pietro Marino; and the ‘user-friendly’ John Kelleher.

Singled out for its ‘good industry knowledge and appropriate advice’, Baker & McKenzie LLP is recommended for general commercial and banking disputes, as well as public law and competition matters, judicial reviews, and product liability and fraud cases. Recently it represented an overseas central bank and national prosecuting authority in a major multi-jurisdictional asset tracing exercise that eventually went to the House of Lords. Andrew Keltie heads the highly rated team.

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is considered ‘very attentive to its clients. They have the ability to turn work around very quickly and their people are well trained and knowledgeable’. David Parkin’s ten-partner team handles a good mix of corporate, regulatory and financial services disputes, with the latter side given a significant boost by the arrival of partner Sidney Myers from Allen & Overy LLP, where he headed the regulatory investigations group. A recent highlight was advising Tesco on the legal issues arising from the collapse of the railway tunnel at Gerrards Cross in 2005. ‘In terms of the service overall I doubt any firm is better’, says one client.

DLA Piper UK LLP’s active team is very well regarded in the market, and includes a selection of first-class partners, including Neil Gerard, David Gray, Janet Legrand and Ioannis Alexopoulos. Highlights include representing EDS in defending £700m-worth of claims for breach of contract, negligence and deceit. Other major clients include Barclays Bank, Cable & Wireless, the Republic of Zambia, and UBS. Julian Stait has moved to Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP.

Denton Wilde Sapte LLP offers clients a well-balanced practice, with top-notch expertise in banking, contentious insolvency, general commercial and energy disputes, as well as more niche areas such as sports, where it successfully advised Sheffield United FC on its claims against West Ham United FC following its signing of Carlos Tevez. Another highlight was representing the Financial Services Compensation Scheme in its claim of alleged mis-selling against Abbey National Treasury Services. Paul Morris and energy expert Liz Tout jointly head the highly regarded team.

The highly rated Mark Davenport has succeeded media expert Nick Valner as head of Eversheds LLP’s well-regarded disputes practice. The firm boasts its own in-house advocacy unit, headed by barrister Tom Keith, which acted on close to 90 cases in 2008. One of the firm’s largest cases was for Lion Apparel Systems, a supplier of personal protective equipment, in challenging the public procurement process adopted by Firebuy, which is part of the Department for Communities and Local Government. Other clients include Dairy Crest, JPMorgan, Legal & General, and Transport for London.

Ince & Co is best known for its first-class insurance and shipping practice, but also competes with the best on general commercial disputes, as well as in other niche areas such as aviation and energy. One of the firm’s recent highlights has been advising the claimant in the hugely complex and high-value Fiona Trust case. The top-notch team includes leading individuals such as Peter Rogan, Ben Ogden and Denys Hickey.

Outside of the Magic Circle, Nabarro LLP was one of the first recipients of a major credit crunch related dispute, attracting the instruction from hedge fund RAB Capital to represent it on the Northern Rock judicial review. The firm is also representing Lehman Brothers Japan on its rights and obligations relating to investments it has in Lehman Brothers in Europe. Group head Jonathan Warne enjoys a superb reputation, and is backed up by a top-notch team of partners, including Peter Fitzpatrick and George Maling. Other clients include Ryanair, Landsbanki Securities (renamed Teathers), Cardiff City FC, and the Coal Authority.

Taylor Wessing LLP has expanded significantly in the past year with the hire of four new partners, adding depth to an already strong practice: insurance specialist Anthony Menzies joined from Clyde & Co LLP; financial services specialist Jonathan Rogers arrived from Lovells LLP; and Laurence Lieberman and Len Murray joined from DLA Piper UK LLP and Baker & McKenzie LLP respectively. Headed by Richard Marsh, the group has a very strong TMT focus in addition to its mainstream commercial litigation practice.

White & Case LLP has made a strong impression on the market in recent years. Its work for Cukurova Holdings, both in the High Court of the BVI and before the Privy Council, in a dispute concerning a US$1.4bn loan from Russia’s Alfa Group, is indicative of the firm’s offshore capabilities, and it has also been representing Unipetrol in its defence of an antitrust damages claim commenced in London’s Commercial Court, as well as related proceedings in Italy. Alistair Graham heads the team, which includes the highly regarded John Reynolds and John Higham QC.

Bird & Bird LLP’s ‘excellent, proactive’ team rises a tier following its merger in October 2008 with boutique firm Lane & Partners, which brought with it among others the ‘first-rate’ Colin Hall, Peter Knight and ‘savvy litigator’ Ludovic de Walden, who now co-heads the team with Jane Player. This enhances the firm’s capabilities in areas such as fraud, construction and engineering, adding to its already strong TMT, IP and commercial disputes practice. Clients recommend the ‘very affable, charming’ Allan Sanderson and the ‘extremely professional’ Sarah Walker. Active clients include PayPal, easyJet, Thames Water, Macquarie Bank and Lenovo.

Praised for its ‘value-for-money, excellent service, sound advice and down-to-earth style’, Davies Arnold Cooper LLP is a popular choice among clients. A major highlight has been representing Total on all civil claims arising from the Buncefield explosion. Group head John Bramhall and Steven Friel 'have the sort of knowledge that one only gets with years of accumulated experience in heavy or complex litigation’, while Jonathan Brogden is ‘excellent’, and Richard Highley is ‘commercial, thorough and easy to deal with’.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP continues to invest heavily in its disputes practice with several appointments at international counsel level, including barrister William Godwin from Four New Square and former Bird & Bird LLP partner Sophie Lamb. They add to an already weighty team, which is noted for its ability to do its own advocacy and is headed by former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith QC and David Rivkin, and includes the ‘extraordinarily good’ Peter Rees QC.

Commended for its ‘quick, high-quality and practical advice’, Dewey & LeBoeuf is recommended for its engineering, construction, energy and aviation expertise, as well as its strong track record in emerging markets such as Russia and Africa. The firm has recently been advising Aircastle, a major airline lessor, on issues relating to collapses in the airline industry, such as its lease to Futura, a Spanish airline that went into administration. Peter Sharp and the ‘committed and driven’ David Waldron are praised as ‘client friendly and easily approachable’.

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge UK LLP boasts a very strong track record in major commercial disputes, and through its former guise as Kendall Freeman also has a niche in insurance related cases. Kevin Perry heads the highly rated practice, which also includes high-profile individuals such as Laurence Harris. Recent highlights include representing Hertfordshire Oil Storage Limited, the joint venture between Total and Chevron, on the Buncefield Oil litigation.

Peter Stewart’s team at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP rises in the ranking on the back of several impressive hires and instructions. The recent partner arrivals include Kit Jarvis from Howrey LLP; Tony Lewis from Peters & Peters; Duncan Black from Dechert LLP; and Derek Hill from Herbert Smith LLP, who significantly add to the firm’s strengths in areas such as fraud, financial services, insolvency and tax disputes. A recent highlight was representing American Reliable Insurance and Bankers Insurance in a US$250m case against Willis.

Best known for its market-leading trade, insurance and shipping practices, Holman Fenwick Willan LLP also has a good track record in corporate, insolvency and major fraud disputes. Most recently it successfully represented Abu Dhabi Investment Company in a multimillion-dollar claim against brokers and others for misrepresentation of business value in relation to an investment. Noel Campbell heads the group, which in 2008 was strengthened by the arrival of shipping partner Mark Morrison and a team of lawyers from Clifford Chance.

Jones Day is very much in the ascendant. The firm won Legal Business’ 2009 dispute resolution team of the year award for its successful defence of Goldshield Group against the Serious Fraud Office’s largest ever-prosecution, which was eventually defeated in the House of Lords. The team also achieved a £30m settlement of claims for Langbar International and its 2,000 shareholders following a major fraud. Highly rated partner Craig Shuttleworth heads the team, which was boosted by the arrival of partners Stephen Brown and Michael Brown from Mayer Brown International LLP in 2008.

Headed by the experienced John Magnin, K&L Gates’ eight-partner team is highly recommended. The firm has been representing three of the five directors of Farepak, following the company’s high-profile collapse. It also successfully represented Sedgwick Financial Services (a subsidiary of Mercer) in a recent case in the Court of Appeal. Other major clients include World Wrestling Entertainment, Laing O’Rourke, Murphy Oil and Del Monte.

LG’s ‘excellent’ team has expanded significantly, with partners Richard Everett and Eoin O’Shea arriving from the FSA and Simmons & Simmons respectively. Recent highlights include successfully representing Inbev before the VAT and Duties Tribunal, as well as GSK in complex injunction proceedings. Clients praise the ‘very impressive’ Thomas Ross, while Pam Bryan is singled out for her strong ‘skill set and excellent manner’.

Philip Clifford heads a strong team at Latham & Watkins which includes John Hull, who has a good track record in major financial services disputes. The firm is particularly active in international disputes, and has been advising a global financial institution on issues arising from the Madoff fraud. Larry Cohen is recommended for major IP cases.

Macfarlanes LLP’ highly rated team is commended for its ‘unique combination of Magic Circle firm acumen and boutique firm service ethic’. ‘Outstanding’ team head Iain Mackie comes highly recommended, as does ‘first-rate litigator’ Geoff Steward, who is ‘extremely efficient and has great tactical awareness’. A recent highlight was advising Trafigura in the UK’s largest group litigation action, relating to personal injury and damages claims in the Ivory Coast.

James Libson’s team at Mishcon de Reya forms a critical part of the firm’s offering. As well as being top notch for commercial disputes, the team is especially well regarded for commercial fraud, financial services and trust litigation. Recent highlights include successfully representing American Express Bank in the Court of Appeal in a demand guarantee dispute, which formed part of a US$130m contract for the supply of electricity in Bangladesh. Other active clients include Peugeot and the recruiter, Hays.

Olswang’s ‘first-rate’ practice is very well regarded in the market and praised for its ‘very commercial and solutions-focused’ approach. Steven Baker heads the team, which includes ‘superb, client-focused litigator’ Martin Davies. In addition to its strength in TMT-related disputes, it is also recommended on the commercial side. Recent highlights include defending Winterthur Holdings against a £50.5m Commercial Court claim brought by RBS for alleged breach of warranty and fraudulent misrepresentation.

Pinsent Masons LLP may be best known for construction litigation, but its commercial disputes practice also enjoys a very good name. Headed by Nigel Kissack and with highly rated partners such as Stefan Paciorek, it has been involved in a string of major cases in recent years. Most notably it advised WLPS and UKOP, the joint venture companies owned by Shell, BP, Chevron and Total, on the dispute arising from the Buncefield explosion.

While rightly well known for its excellent insurance litigation practice, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP more than holds its own for broader commercial disputes. Recent highlights include successfully defending Mohammed Meer (previously Nelson Mandela’s lawyer) in the Court of Appeal against accusations of fraud and dishonesty brought by the Zambian Government. Tim Brown and Fiona Walkinshaw jointly head the team, which was boosted by the arrival of partner Steven Francis from the FSA’s Enforcement Division.

Jonathan Leslie heads the team at Travers Smith LLP, which has been particularly successful on financial services related disputes, most recently for NatWest in the Court of Appeal against Rabobank’s subsequently withdrawn allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation and dishonesty. The firm is also defending Abbey National against a £22m claim brought by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Partners Stephen Paget-Brown, Andrew King and Rob Fell are well regarded.

Watson, Farley & Williams LLP’s solid five-partner team is headed by Andrew Savage. A recent highlight for the practice came in its successful representation of Greenoak Renewable Energy and Greenoak Power in a joint venture dispute in the High Court. Other active clients include the Government of Pakistan, Excelerate Energy, DVB Bank, and Neuftec Limited.

Byrne and Partners is an extremely well-regarded boutique whose involvement in several major cases belies its relatively small size. Highlights include the TadAZ dispute, where it defended the former managing director of the aluminium plant against a US$500m+ fraud claim. Founding partners Bernard O’Sullivan and Nicola Boulton are recommended.

John Sykes heads the active team at Charles Russell LLP, which has an impressive track record in TMT-related disputes. An example is its representation of Ardentia, a subcontractor to BT in the controversial NHS IT project, in a case with BT that included a claim for £18m in licence fees. Active clients include Cable & Wireless, Virgin Media, and the Football Association.

Headed by Bernard Caulfield, the team at Dechert LLP has attracted some very high-profile instructions. Most notably it is representing Michael Cherney in his multibillion-dollar claim against Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, over equity interests in Rusal.

Dorsey & Whitney is highly recommended for tax and fraud litigation. Nick Burkill’s team was boosted by the arrival of Eversheds LLP’ former litigation head Tim Maloney and the promotion of tax litigation expert Michael Anderson to partner.

Paul Oxnard heads the team at Hammonds LLP, which includes Simon Price, who is recommended for pensions and financial services disputes. Clients include T-Mobile, Aldi, Homeserve and Royal Mail.

Lewis Silkin LLP’s popular team is headed by the highly experienced Tom Coates. Philip Foster and Clive Greenwood are singled out as ‘great strategists willing to go the extra mile for the client’, while the ‘very capable’ Tamar Halevy ‘has a creative mind and contributes effectively to practical problem-solving based on the commercial priorities’.

‘The advice is always excellent’ at Manches LLP, with clients noting the team’s strength in depth; ‘even their most junior lawyers produce high-quality work’. The ‘genuinely charming’ Keith Thomas is highly recommended, and a recent highlight was representing the hedge fund Merebis in a €20m dispute with ABN Amro. The firm has however seen the departure of ‘excellent’ practice head Clive Zietman for Stewarts Law LLP.

McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP is recommended for major international disputes as well as FSA and regulatory investigations, where partner Kate Learoyd is recommended.

In group head Robert Goldspink Morgan Lewis has one of the best-known commercial litigators in the market, especially for civil fraud. Robert Falkner and Neville Byford are also recommended.

While Peters & Peters is rightly regarded as one of the leading firms for civil fraud and white-collar crime, its wider commercial disputes practice is also highly recommended. A recent highlight was advising the Department of Health in over £100m-worth of price and supply fixing claims against several pharmaceutical companies. Senior partner Keith Oliver heads the first-class team.

Shearman & Sterling LLP’s ‘value for money’ team is headed by Jo Rickard and is particularly strong for financial services disputes. A recent highlight was defending Areva against a £250m damages action brought by National Grid, which was the largest such action in the UK for breach of anti-trust rules.

The ‘very practical and business-oriented’ Stephen Dobson heads Speechly Bircham LLP’s ‘excellent’ team. Ian Timlin is ‘a first-class lawyer and excellent communicator and negotiator who never loses sight of the objective’. The firm’s recent merger with Campbell Hooper adds further depth to its disputes offering.

The ‘highly professional, skilled service’ at Steptoe & Johnson is ‘always provided in a timely and efficient manner’. Ray Werbicki’s team has experience in major multimillion-pound disputes, and Adam Greaves is considered ‘a first-class litigator with an excellent track record’.

Matthew Shankland’s team at Weil, Gotshal & Manges has been very active on the financial services front, especially in insolvency-related disputes. Kaupthing Bank, Lehman Brothers and GE are all active clients.

At Wragge & Co LLP, Nicola Mumford in London is backed up by a very strong group of partners who are based largely out of Birmingham but also spend a considerable amount of time in the City.