Allen & Overy LLP ‘provides the premier banking litigation service’, with the team recommended for their exceptional industry knowledge. The considerable bench strength of the team provides it with a wealth of experience advising many international leading banks and financial institutions on high-profile disputes and regulatory investigations. Arnondo Chakrabarti ‘runs an impressive team’ alongside Calum Burnett, that has ‘outstanding talent from the most junior associates to the most senior partners’. Noted practitioners within the team include Andrew Denny, who has a ‘first-class legal mind’, Mahmood Lone, described as a ‘great litigator’ by one client, and Michael Godden, who has a wealth of experience in cross-border litigation, ranging from derivatives and debt capital markets to Islamic finance disputes and syndicated lending. The team continues to expand, with Michael Godden and Andy McGregor both having joined the team in 2022 from Norton Rose Fulbright and RPC, respectively.
Banking litigation: investment and retail in London
Allen & Overy LLP
Practice head(s):
Arnondo Chakrabarti; Calum Burnett
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Denny; Mahmood Lone; Michael Godden; Andy McGregor
Testimonials
‘Experience, strength in depth, all round ability.’
‘Mahmood Lone: excellent. thoughtful, very hands on, fully committed. Arno Chakrabarti: good superviser, runs an impressive team.’
‘Exceptional industry knowledge; outstanding talent from the most junior associates to the most senior partners; and ability to handle the most complex, multi-jurisdiction cases at the forefront of developments in banking litigation.’
Key clients
Citibank
Cassini SAS
Work highlights
Clifford Chance LLP
The practice at Clifford Chance LLP is ‘intellectual, outstanding, organisationally superb, and utterly client focused’, with expertise in complex financial products and cross-border matters. The practice consists of a specialist contentious regulatory team, as well as a dedicated in-house forensic accounting team. Many leading banks rely on the expertise of the team, including HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Morgan Stanley. Head of the team Ian Moulding
is ‘hugely experienced’ and commended for commanding ‘the trust of senior decision makers in major institutions’. ‘Phenomenal hard worker’ Helen Carty
leads the wider litigation practice at the firm, with experience in defending mis-selling claims and advising on derivatives transactions. Noted practitioners include ‘exceptionally capable’ Chris Yates, with experience litigating in both the London and Hong Kong market, along with ‘stand-out partners’ Kelwin Nicholls and Lindsay Bickerton. Matthew Newick acts as the global head of litigation, with vast experience in high-value disputes for the firm’s financial sector clients. At associate level, Ben Jasper, Philip Cox, Michael Gorrie, and Melissa Oppenheim are noted.
Practice head(s):
Ian Moulding
Other key lawyers:
Matthew Newick; Helen Carty; Chris Yates; Ben Jasper; Philip Cox; Kate Scott; Kelwin Nicholls; Lindsay Bickerton; Melissa Oppenheim
Testimonials
‘What a team: intellectually outstanding; organisationally superb; utterly client focused; top class service from beginning to end.’
‘Chris Yates is exceptionally capable and delightful to work with, Chris embodies all that is best about a modern, top class Banking litigation service. Anne Collins isbrilliant, efficient, committed, very easy to get on with. Just superb.’
‘Senior Associate Ben Jasper provides clear advice and guidance.’
‘Philip Cox is a great team player and star of the future.’
‘Helen Carty is outstanding: she is rightly worshipped by her clients for her command of the field, and her sensitivity to their needs. A phenomenal hard worker, she is vastly experienced, strategically astute and successfully steers her clients to resolution of the most complex disputes.’
‘Michael Gorrie and Melissa Oppenheim are agile thinkers and accomplished draftsmen.’
‘Ian Moulding is senior, wise and hugely experienced. Commands the trust of senior decision-makers in major institutions in their most important cases.’
‘Kate Scott: rising star junior partner with impressive fintech and IT expertise.’
Key clients
BNP Paribas
Citi
HSBC
ICBC Standard Bank
Standard Chartered
Morgan Stanley
RBS
Work highlights
- Defending two financial institution clients in an action brought by the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as receiver for 19 closed US banks against a number of USD LIBOR panel banks.
- Advising Link Fund Solutions Limited (LFSL) in relation to group litigation brought by retail investors under s.138D FSMA following the fund’s suspension and subsequent winding-up.
- Advised on complex cross-border restructuring litigation, including advising a group of noteholders in respect of potential avenues to challenge a bank’s decision to transfer certain notes from one bank to another.
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP is the ‘leader of the pack in commercial litigation’ with wide ranging experience defending securities class actions and related group claims, advising leading domestic and international banks. Rupert Lewis is ‘strategically aware and client-friendly‘, and sits at the helm of the team, with a practice regularly acting for banks and financial institutions in high-profile, complex disputes. Damien Byrne Hill, global co-head of dispute resolution at the firm, also regularly acts for major financial institutions, alongside ‘excellent litigator’ Chris Bushell and Simon Clarke who has a ‘encyclopedic knowledge of banking law‘. Nic Patmore is another name to note.
Practice head(s):
Rupert Lewis
Other key lawyers:
Damien Byrne Hill; Simon Clarke; Chris Bushell; John Corrie; Emma Deas; Ajay Malhotra; Nic Patmore; Julian Copeman; Jon Ford; Scott Warin; Mark Tanner, Sarah Penfold; Catherine Bagge; Tom Wyer
Testimonials
‘Rupert Lewis: the perfect litigator. Hands on, a good team manager, strategically aware and client friendly. Julian Copeman: very experienced, calm and skilled at managing large cases.’
‘Chris Bushell and Jon Ford – deep experience in FS contentious work, and both very nice guys to work with.’
‘Simon Clarke has an encyclopedic knowledge of banking law and is ready to engage with and resolve knotty academic law questions which may arise in a case. He has great attention to detail and cares passionately about achieving the best outcome for his clients.’
Key clients
UBS
Bank of England
National Australia Bank
RSA Insurance Group
BNP Paribas
Société Générale
Standard Chartered plc
Work highlights
- Advising National Australia Bank Limited (“NAB”) in relation to a group claim brought by over 800 Claimants in 8 separate claims, alleging, amongst other things, fraudulent misrepresentation and deceit.
- Acting for the Bank of England as a defendant in proceedings issued by the Maduro Board of the Central Bank of Venezuela which has requested the release of gold deposits exceeding $1bn in value held by the BoE on behalf of the BCV.
- Acting for Standard Chartered plc in relation to four securities class actions arising out of certain published findings by US and UK regulators.
Hogan Lovells International LLP
Hogan Lovells International LLP has almost ‘unparalleled experience in working for banks’, acting for global UK banks and financial institutions across the entire spectrum of the financial services sector. The practice works across sectors, with extensive experience in mass claims and group litigation. ‘Fantastic leader’ Louise Lamb is ‘truly exceptional in the field in which she operates’, handling a wide range of contentious matters linked to all types of financial products and services, with extensive retail banking and consumer litigation practice. ‘Stand-out partners’ Whiston Bristow, Philip Parish
, and Jennifer Dickey are all described as a ‘pleasure to work with’. At senior associate level, the ‘extremely reliable, hard-working and always up on the detail’ Andrew Holland is singled out. Also recommended is associate Alex Riposi, commended for his ‘amazing eye for detail and great legal creativity’.
Practice head(s):
Louise Lamb
Other key lawyers:
Whiston Bristow; Philip Parish; Jennifer Dickey; Andrew Holland; Alex Riposi; Alex Hohl
Testimonials
‘Julie Patient is very knowledgable.’
‘I have worked with HL’s banking litigation team on long-running group mis-selling claims. They are expert at handling a tricky opponent, calm under pressure, and have excellent judgment. Client management is also outstanding.’
‘Louise Lamb is a fantastic leader and an excellent lawyer with an eye for strategy who is always one step ahead.’
Andrew Holland is extremely reliable, hard-working and always up on the detail.’
‘Hogan Lovells have almost unparalleled experience in working for banks. Great strength in depth in banking litigation. Very experienced in handling large banking cases.’
‘Whiston Bristow, Philip Parish, Jennifer Dickey and Louise Lamb are all stand out partners who are a pleasure to work with. Hogan Lovells also provide great training for their associates and the department’s associates are also very strong.’
‘Alex Hohl is a brilliant lawyer and tactician. He is a joy to work with. Alex Riposi is a solicitor with an amazing eye for detail and great legal creativity.’
‘This is a very talented team. The person I would most recommend is Louise Lamb who I think is truly exceptional in the field in which she operates.’
Key clients
Lehman Brothers Holdings Plc (In Administration)
YES BANK Limited
Work highlights
- Representing the joint administrators of Lehman Brothers Holdings Plc in two multi-party High Court applications, concerning the manner in which substantial sums fall to be distributed by two insolvent Lehman UK estates.
- Representing YES BANK against a claim by financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald for a financing fee allegedly owed by the bank.
Linklaters LLP
Linklaters LLP fields a ‘first-class’ practice that acts for leading banks on high-profile domestic and cross-border disputes, including issues that engage regulatory scrutiny. The ‘detail-oriented’ practice is able to draw on expertise within the financial regulatory, banking, capital markets, and structured finance practices at the firm, and assists clients on cutting-edge litigation. Forming the leadership of the team are Alison Wilson, a specialist in FCA enforcement investigations, s166 reviews, and internal investigations, and Christa Band, with a practice focusing on crisis management, regulatory investigations, and enforcement proceedings. Integral to the team, is Susana Cao Miranda, ‘one of the profession’s unrivalled stars’. Patrick Robinson has a broad practice with expertise in structure products, capital markets, and derivative disputes. At associate level, ‘first-rate’ Marc Lenzo and ‘partner in the making’ Rachel Metcalf are recommended.
Practice head(s):
Alison Wilson; Christa Band
Other key lawyers:
Susana Cao Miranda; Patrick Robinson; Marc Lenzo; Rachel Metcalf
Testimonials
‘Linklaters has a strength in depth in its team which is envied throughout the market. They have deep expertise in every aspect of banking litigation and can provide insight and strategic creativity in every type of dispute and issue that the sector can throw up.’
‘Susana Cao Miranda is one of the profession’s unrivalled stars – a tireless warrior for her client’s interests and supremely dedicated to their interests. Marc Lenzo and Rachel Metcalf are leaders of the field in waiting at the senior associate level.’
‘The Linklaters Banking litigation practice is first-class in terms of knowledge, work product and providing innovative solutions to key issues. The team is extremely detail oriented and are able to provide in-house counsel with an unparalleled level of service and support.’
‘Susana Cao Miranda is incredibly knowledgeable, engaged and detail oriented, and has all the qualities that one looks for when engaging a firm.’
Rachel Metcalf is a partner in the making and is able to assess a client’s needs and provide innovative solutions that are practical and reflect the level of quality that she possesses.’
Marc Lenzo is first-rate. He is always available, engaged and extremely dependable.’
Key clients
Société Générale
Equiti Capital UK Limited.
The joint administrators of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (in administration)
Work highlights
- Defending against High Court proceedings concerning knowing receipt of fees and commissions from a client of the brokerage which is alleged to have defrauded investors.
- Acted on an action brought by a number of claimants alleging that Société Générale and a number of other financial institutions engaged in anti-competitive conduct.
- Acted for the joint administrators of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (in administration) in connection with a contested application before the High Court concerning the ability of LBIE to cure any continuing events of default under the ISDA Master Agreement.
Slaughter and May
Slaughter and May’s practice is, for one client, ‘responsive, creative, and collaborates well with other counsel to deliver extraordinary results’, and acts on many of the complex high-value inquiries, and major regulatory investigations. The team notably represents Credit Suisse in multi-billion-dollar claims and JP Morgan Chase Bank in high court litigation linked to global forex investigations. Richard Swallow is ‘preeminent with good reason’, and leads the team. ‘Very experienced, calm, measured, and strategic advisor’ Ewan Brown
has a broad-based banking litigation and investigations practice, and is key to the team alongside ‘exceptional advisor’ Gayathri Kamalanathan. Also at partner level, Camilla Sanger and Richard Jeens both have expansive banking and financial services litigation practices, along with Jonathan Clark and Peter Wickham. At associate level, Edward Coles is singled out for his ‘ mastery of complex matters and attention to strategy‘.
Practice head(s):
Richard Swallow
Other key lawyers:
Jonathan Clark; Peter Wickham; Ewan Brown; Gayathri Kamalanthan; Camilla Sanger; Richard Jeens; Edward Coles; Deborah Finkler
Testimonials
‘Very strong, alongside financial services capability. In the top group of the magic circle.’
‘Ewan Brown is very experienced, very good, calm, measured and strategic advisor. Ewan is approachable, smart, patient and commercial.’
‘ Gayathri Kamalanathan is an exceptional adviser: her temperament, judgement, experience and knowledge make her absolutely the sort of person you need guiding an organisation in difficult times.’
‘From top to bottom the Slaughters team is excellent. They are responsive, creative, collaborate well with other counsel and deliver extraordinary results.’
‘Richard Swallow is pre-eminent with good reason – he is simply the best.’
‘Edward Coles is an associate who can clearly be classified as a rising star. His mastery of complex matters and attention to strategy whilst managing tactics are best in class.’
Key clients
Credit Suisse AG/Mozambique Dispute
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A./FX Investigation
Deutsche Bank AG. London/FDIC Litigation
J.P. Morgan Securities Plc/Bilta (UK) Limited and Others Claim (Mercuria)
SIPAC and Predica
Work highlights
- Acting for Credit Suisse in multiple claims arising from the $2bn “tuna bond scandal”.
- Acting for JPMorgan in connection with various regulatory and governmental investigations into allegations of manipulation of foreign exchange
- Ating for Deutsche Bank in first multi-bank Libor litigation in England
Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard acts for fintechs, digital asset businesses, hedge funds, and securitisation services on a wide range of banking-related disputes, with the litigation practice closely aligned with the firm’s regulatory, financial crime, and fintech practices. Richard Clayton leads the financial disputes practice, often instructed by clients on high-value complex investment, asset management, and fraud-related disputes, usually on matters with an international element. Clayton is recognised for ‘leading the team with wisdom and achieving excellent results’. James Herring is a ‘clever, practical lawyer, and genuinely lovely man’, who has expertise in mis-selling and fraud claims, as well as derivatives and structured products. Noted also at partner level is Sivan Daniels, who is ‘great at helping clients navigate difficult issues’ and brings expertise in complex finance, fintech, and financial crime-related litigation. Legal director Alex Unger, a ‘star in the making’, is also recommended.
Practice head(s):
Richard Clayton
Other key lawyers:
James Herring; Sivan Daniels; Alex Unger; David Wigg
Testimonials
‘An excellent team, with real cohesion, extremely well led. Great commitment to the client’s cause and a real willingness to think outside the box and leave no stone unturned.’
‘James Herring is a really clever, practical lawyer, but also a genuinely lovely man. Sivan Daniels is great at helping clients navigate difficult issues. David Wigg is hard-working anda great lateral thinker.’
‘Richard Clayton provides a wealth of experience. He leads the team with wisdom and achieves excellent results. Sivan Daniels is an outstanding intellect. He is an accomplished and very successful litigator.’
‘Alex Unger is a star in the making who has energy and an eye for detail.’
‘Mark Chesher is a real ‘details person’ who rolls his sleeves up and gets into all the documents.’
‘James Herring is an experienced banking litigation partner who knows how to handle banking clients and understands their internal dynamics; careful and good at identifying and managing risks before they arise. Alex Ungar is an up-and-coming associate, no doubt a future partner.’
‘The AG banking litigation team probably has the strongest team ethos I work with: they operate in large teams very effectively, being able to cover one another, work closely together, and handle discrete tasks.’
‘David Wigg is responsible for much of the day-to-day management of a very substantial claim. Excellent at drafting, hard working and with good ideas.’
Key clients
Mr Nejc Kodrič and White Whale Capital SPF, SA.
Unitel S.A.
British International Investment plc (formerly CDC Group Plc) and Michael Turner
Work highlights
- Acting for the co-founder of the cryptocurrency exchange, Bitstamp and his company, White Whale Capital SPF SA in a shareholder dispute against a South Korean private equity holding company (Bitstamp Holdings owned by NXMH).
- Acting for Unitel S.A. in its £400m+ claims for repayment of funds and enforcement of security and/or damages followings a series of events of default against a Dutch company owned by Isabel dos Santos.
- Acting for British International Investment and Michael Turner defending a $200m Commercial Court claim brought by Crane Bank Limited and a number of its former shareholders for unlawful means conspiracy, dishonest assistance and knowing receipt.
Ashurst
Financial services work is at the heart of Ashurst, with clients benefitting from the team’s ‘exceptional experience in the banking disputes sector’. The international capabilities of the firm allow the team to adopt an integrated approach, working seamlessly with counterparts in other jurisdictions. ‘Stand out partner’ Lynn Dunne leads a unit that ‘has a wealth of talent’, acting as head of the EMEA contentious financial services group and co-managing partner of the London office. Practitioners to note include James Levy, Ruby Hamid, and Tom Connor. At associate level, the ‘extremely capable’ Anna Varga is singled out as a ‘great associate who has a bright future ahead of her’. Also at associate level, Sophie Law is a name to note, with broad experience in banking, finance, and regulatory disputes. The group continues to grow with the addition of Adam Jamieson from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in June 2022.
Practice head(s):
Lynn Dunne
Other key lawyers:
Anna Varga; Sophie Law; Adam Jamieson
Testimonials
‘Exceptional experience in the banking disputes sector. The team has a wealth of talent to draw upon.’
‘Lynn Dunne is a stand out partner in this field. She is a good leader and tactician and knows how to get results for clients.’
‘Exceptional understanding of the private equity / hedge fund industry coupled with being excellent litigators.’
Key clients
Close Brothers Asset Management
Daiwa Capital Markets Europe Limited
Punter Southall Group Limited
Specialist Lending Ltd t/a Duologi
Work highlights
Latham & Watkins
At Latham & Watkins, the banking litigation practice frequently defends leading financial institutions in shareholder class actions and collective claims under s90 and s90 FSMA, as well as claims related to fraud and misrepresentation. The group, led by Andrea Monks, represents clients in complex, cross-jurisdictional disputes, as well as a range of domestic matters in the Supreme Court. Global vice chair of the practice Martin Davies is a key partner in the team, acting for claimants and defendants in collective actions work in the country. Nell Perks has a practice advising clients across the spectrum of financial services litigation, including complex and structured products disputes. Oliver Middleton is also recommended at partner level. At associate level, Alex Cox frequently represents banks in large-scale investigations.
Practice head(s):
Andrea Monks
Other key lawyers:
Martin Davies; Nell Perks; Oliver Middleton; Alex Cox; Robin Spedding
Testimonials
‘A lean team which punches above it weight – very capable litigators.’
‘Andrea Monks offers real strategic insight into litigation. Robin Spedding is one to watch.’
‘Nell Perks has already made her mark in leading teams on big ticket cases coming to trial in 2024 and 2025. Already on the way to being one of the star litigators on the banking litigation scene.’
Key clients
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)
Saudi National Bank (Samba Financial Group)
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
Work highlights
- Representing Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) in Commercial Court proceedings by TP ICAP alleging breaches of warranties following the sale of ICAP’s voice broking business to Tullett Prebon in 2018.
- Representing Saudi National Bank in a long-running case arising from the multi-billion dollar dispute between the Al-Gosaibi family, Maan Al Sanea and the Saad Group of companies.
- Representing a major investment bank in both the High Court and Competition Appeals Tribunal in relation to alleged FX manipulation.
Mayer Brown International LLP
The practice at Mayer Brown International LLP has a ‘really bespoke and personal approach’ to banking litigation, paired with the ‘resources and excellence of big international firm’. The team is instructed by major banks, corporates, investors, and corporate trustees on disputes related to complex financial products, sanctions, fraud, and ESG. Head of the team Ian McDonald
has a ‘commercially oriented approach’ and acts on high-value disputes linked to loan structures, structured finance, and derivatives. Chris Chapman advises on litigation and contentious regulatory issues, and ‘combines good judgement with a real understanding of the business’. The ‘very smart and commercial’ Stephen Moi is also noted, along with the ‘impressive’ Airlie Goodman, and Alistair Graham
who has experience in fraud investigations, white-collar work, and asset tracing.
Practice head(s):
Ian McDonald
Other key lawyers:
Alistair Graham; Chris Chapman; Stephen Moi; Airlie Goodman; Lauren Theodoulou
Testimonials
‘Very high overall standard of the lawyers but Ian McDonald stands out particularly. He offers a perfectly-pitched blend of hands on engagement and effective team management. Newly recruited partner, Airlie Goodman, is also impressive.’
‘Mayer Brown bring all the resources and excellence of a big international firm, but with a really bespoke and personal approach to litigation.’
‘Stephen Moi, partner in the London team, is absolutely first class. His outwardly polite and polished manner belie a steely and tenacious litigator.’
‘The team is very well structured and thanks to the different areas of practice of the firm provides a comprehensive assistance, in terms of both litigation and capital markets/finance work. Members of the team have different seniority, adequate to their tasks.’
‘Ian McDonald provides outstanding assistance. He is always well balanced, easily approachable and proposes effective solutions. He has a commercially-oriented approach that is very much appreciated. Airlie Goodman is also a very good lawyer, with strong analysis skills and dedication.’
‘Chris Chapman is a very experienced and able litigator, especially dealing with investment banks in disputes involving derivatives. He combines good judgement with a real understanding of the business and a strong sense of what really matters.’
‘Lauren Theodoulou has a very bright future ahead.’
‘Ian McDonald in particular provides effective and balanced legal advice in a commercial context. He considers the strength of legal arguments and the likely practical outcome of commercial situations in light of the legal arguments.’
Key clients
Société Générale
UBS
HSBC
Wells Fargo
BNY Mellon
Principal Global Investors LLC
Temporis Capital
eOne
Royal Bank of Canada
Banca Generali S.p.A.
Moorfields Advisory
Work highlights
- Acted for Société Générale on an appeal against a judgment which found that it had wrongly maintained freezing orders against a Turkish counterparty between 2008 and 2016.
- Acted for eOne with regard to an internal investigation into allegations of fraud arising out of currency trading. Later, we were instructed to act on the subsequent multi-million pound fraud claim in the High Court.
- Acted for the joint administrators in court proceedings concerning the meaning and effect of retention of security provisions over the assets of Industrial North West LLP (in administration).
Pallas Partners LLP
Litigation boutique Pallas Partners LLP acts on a portfolio of market-leading cases in the banking litigation sphere, acting for leading institutions internationally. The ‘informed, knowledgeable, and collaborative’ department focuses on restructuring and bankruptcy disputes, with the cross-border capabilities bolstered by the opening of a New York office of the firm in November 2022. ‘Absolute star’ Natasha Harrison leads the team, acting on behalf of financial institutions on high-end disputes. ‘Fantastic banking partner’ Fiona Huntriss has an extensive practice, often acting for creditors in complex insolvency litigation, with experience in distressed debt investments, securitisations, complex financial arrangements, and sovereign debt. Tracey Dovaston, Neil Pigott and Matt Getz are described as ‘top notch litigators offering the best quality advice’.
Practice head(s):
Natasha Harrison
Other key lawyers:
Fiona Huntriss; Tracey Dovaston; Neil Pigott; Matt Getz
Testimonials
‘Fiona Huntriss is a fantastic banking partner. She is the full works. A brilliant lawyer, nimble leader and a charming advocate for the clients. She has superb judgment and experience well beyond her years.’
‘Informed, knowledgeable and collaborative team, flexible billing.’
‘Real commercial awareness throughout the team, from junior level to senior level. Professional and always aware of the issues going on in our litigation & the broader commercial considerations.’
‘We are currently working on matters with Natasha Harrison, Matt Getz, and Fiona Huntriss. All are top-notch litigators offering the best quality advice.’
‘Natasha Harrison is an absolute star offering well considered and accurate assessment of any litigation situation in the shortest of timeframes.’
‘I find Fiona Huntriss extremely easy to work with, she is commercial, straightforward and fun.’
Key clients
Parsdome Holdings
Madison Pacific
VR Capital
Farallon Capital
CS Asia Opportunities Master Fund
Work highlights
- Acting as lead counsel for a large group of institutional investors in a circa £2 billion-plus claim against Glencore, a major natural resources company, and others under Section 90 of the Financial Services & Markets Act 2000 (FSMA).
- Representing Madison Pacific against PrivatBank in court proceedings linked to arbitrations (and the arbitrations themselves) in relation to loans funded by two notes issue in 2010 and 2013.
- Representing VR Capital, Farallon Capital Management and Moza Banco in relation to claims brought against the Republic of Mozambique and Credit Suisse, relating to the non-payment of the $622m ProIndicus loan.
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP has an ‘outstanding litigation practice that fights hard for its clients and succeeds’, with experience across lender-liability actions, fraud, mis-selling, and complex financial products. Clients relying on the team include banks, insurers, hedge funds, and other major financial institutions. The ‘unbelievably commercially astute’ Richard East leads the team, and is described as ‘brilliant at both generating and winning big cases’. Solicitor advocate Matthew Bunting has a varied practice, regularly representing clients involved in investigations and regulatory disputes. Yasseen Gailani is commended for his ‘outstanding intellect’ and achieving ‘excellent results for his clients’. Also at partner level, Marina Boterashvili specialises in complex financial litigation, with experience managing bondholder and creditor disputes. At associate level, Cordelia Rayner is recognised for having a ‘work ethic second to none’.
Practice head(s):
Richard East
Other key lawyers:
Matthew Bunting; Yasseen Gailani; Marina Boterashvili; Cordelia Rayner
Testimonials
‘Richard East reads the other party well and clearly a seasoned solicitor and negotiator. Marina Boterashvili who just made partner is very talented and always calm and in control. The latter also applies to Matthew Bunting.’
‘Richard East is probably the biggest beast in the English commercial litigation market. He’s fearsomely clever; he’s unbelievably commercially astute. The toppest of top quality!’
‘Cordelia Rayner is a terrific commercial litigation solicitor, with a work ethic second to none; and she’s tremendously brainy. A superstar in the making.’
Key clients
Ukraine (represented by the Minister of Finance of Ukraine acting upon the instructions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”)
Galapagos Bidco SARL
Otkritie Bank v Mints
JSC Commercial Bank “PrivatBank”
“State Savings Bank of Ukraine”, aka JSC “Oschadbank”
Fiesta Resorts and Hotels SL
CELF Advisors LLP (CELF)
Ad-Hoc Group of Bondholders (re: Banco Popular)
SoftBank Vision Funds
The Joint Administrators of NMC Healthcare LTD (in administration) (subject to deed of company arrangement) and other NMC Group Companies
AXA France IARD S.A., AXA France VIE S.A. (together “AXA”)
John Deuss
Fitzwalter Capital / VietJet
Liquidators of Saad Investments Company Limited
Allianz & Ors v Barclays & Ors
AerCap
Ad-Hoc Group of Bondholders (re: Credit Suisse AT1 Bonds)
RPC
RPC’s banking litigation practice has ‘strengths across all levels of seniority’, with expertise in contentious insolvency and restructuring situations. The firm is able to act for sovereign states, European regional banks, pension funds, hedge funds, and high-net-worth individuals, on disputes linked to loan facilities, cryptocurrencies, and fraud. ‘Top-class banking litigator’ Simon Hart is head of the team, with vast experience in multi-jurisdictional litigation linked to complex fraud and asset tracing. Tom Hibbert
, global head of commercial disputes, has ’real insight and strategic flair‘, and specialises in investment banking litigation. At associate level, ‘great talent’ Emma West is noted, alongside Christopher Wheatley and Alexandra Shearer.
Practice head(s):
Simon Hart
Other key lawyers:
Tom Hibbert; Emma West; Christopher Wheatley; Alexandra Shearer
Testimonials
‘Simon Hart is a top class banking litigator. He is managing some of the biggest claims in England against banks. An absolute cool head no matter the temperature of the case. Massive levels of stamina which are needed for big trials. A very effective team leader.
‘Tom Hibbert: he heads the department and is an extraordinarily impressive lawyer, with real insight and strategic flair. He is exactly who you would want in a negotiation. He has huge experience of banking litigation from both sides, stretching back over 30 years.’
‘Emma West is a great talent: capable of moving from the detail to the big picture with ease; intelligent and a delight to work with.’
‘Christopher Wheatley is another great talent; tough and dogged; excellent draftsman; very impressive lawyer.’
‘Alexandra Shearer is very hard-working, very clever and has a bright future in banking litigation.’
‘Strength across all levels of seniority. An approachable and communicative set of lawyers with good market insight and legal knowledge.’
‘Davina Given is experienced, knowledgeable and insightful lawyer with an ability to understand her clients and relate to them with sensitivity.’
Key clients
Federal Government of Nigeria
Loreley Financing (Jersey) No 30 Limited
Bank St Petersburg (BSP)
Siam Commercial Bank Public Company Limited
Work highlights
- Representing Loreley in a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation and unlawful means conspiracy against various Credit Suisse entities in relation to a £100m tranche of a synthetic Collateralised Debt Obligation purchased in 2007.
- Representing Siam Commercial Bank Company in its defence of Commercial Court proceedings brought by a Thai businessman (and his associated companies), currently living in political exile in France.
- Represented the Federal Government of Nigeria in its claim against JP Morgan, arising out of the bank’s role in transferring $875m to Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, which was the vehicle for a disgraced former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Chief Etete.
Simmons & Simmons
The banking litigation practice at Simmons & Simmons is ‘exceptionally strong’, according to one client, who commends the team’s ‘deep sector knowledge combined with impeccable knowledge of the law’. The practice has expertise in litigation, investigations, contentious regulatory and financial crime, acting for investment and retail banks, as well as hedge funds and institutional funds. Patrick Boylan and Caroline Hunter-Yeats jointly lead the team that includes Adam Brown, who brings ‘impeccable commercial judgement’. Richard Bunce has a practice that encompasses banking, international debt capital market, and financial services disputes. Robert Turner has extensive experience in asset management and the investment funds sector. At associate level, James Voos is ‘a real pleasure to deal with’, and Craig Gilchrist is ‘superb, hugely diligent and highly intelligent’.
Practice head(s):
Patrick Boylan; Caroline Hunter-Yeats
Other key lawyers:
Richard Bunce; Adam Brown; James Voos; Craig Gilchrist; Robert Turner
Testimonials
‘The banking litigation department at Simmons & Simmons is exceptionally strong. Deep sector knowledge combined with impeccable knowledge of the law.’
‘Adam Brown is a phenomenal partner; he is one step ahead of his counsel team and his clients; he has impeccable commercial judgement, but also exceptional legal and banking sector knowledge.’
‘James Voos is brilliant; a real pleasure to deal with and on top of all his cases.’
Key clients
EFG Bank AG
Kaupthing ehf
Business Mortgage Finance, Sanne Group PLC
Target Servicing Limited
The O1 Group
Standard Chartered Bank
Jefferies International Limited
Bank of New York Mellon
Monzo
Macquarie
Work highlights
- Acting for EFG Bank AG (EFG) as one of approximately 40 Defendants in $800m claim brought by The Public Institution for Social Security of Kuwait (PIFSS) in the Commercial Court.
- Acting on behalf of Business Mortgage Finance (BMF) – over a four-year period – to defend against and injunct a campaign to illegally assume control of securitisation structures with original balances of notes over £1.3bn.
- Representing a Claimant bank which sought to recover a $22.5m debt under a foreign exchange (FX) swap governed by the ISDA Master Agreement.
Stewarts Law LLP
Stewarts Law LLP fields ‘one of the top litigation teams in London’ and one that acts frequently for some of the largest international financial institutions, multi-national corporations, and high-net-worth individuals. The team has carved out a niche specialism in securities litigation, having represented shareholders in high-profile proceedings brought against Tesco, and similarly acting for institutional investors in relation to Glencore. Clive Zietman is a ‘superstar who has driven the team to success’ and leads the department, bringing 30 years of experience in large-scale litigation. ‘Tenacious, driven, and analytical’ Marc Jones, ‘smart, indefatigable and creative’ Fiona Gillett, and ‘impressive litigator’ Keith Thomas are key names to note at partner level, alongside Sean Upson and Lucy Ward.
Practice head(s):
Clive Zietman
Other key lawyers:
Marc Jones; Sean Upson; Fiona Gillett; Keith Thomas; Laura Jenkins; Elaina Bailes; Harry Spendlove; Sean Upson; Lucy Ward
Testimonials
‘Clive Zietman is a superstar who has driven the team to success. Strategic, commercial, calm under pressure, completely unafraid of taking on magic circle firms.’
‘Marc Jones is a tenacious, driven, analytical lawyer who always want to get the best result for his clients.’
‘Harry Spendlove is a standout amongst the senior associates. Extremely hard working and great on the detail but without losing sight of the commercial goals of the client.’
‘Elaina Bailes and Laura Jenkins are both great partners to work with. They are excellent at handling a team and now when to step back and when to get stuck in.’
‘Stewarts have a market-leading securities litigation practice. This remains a developing field in litigation in the UK, but Stewarts established a front-running position early on.’
‘Keith Thomas is a very impressive litigator, someone who quickly develops a close understanding of the complex transactions and dealings involved in security litigation, while maintaining realism and humour throughout. They are all highly recommended.’
‘Fiona Gillett is an excellent team leader, smart, indefatigable and creative in solving problems.’
‘On of the top litigation teams in London.’
Key clients
Mark McDonald and Hugh Dickson of Grant Thornton acting as the joint liquidators of Stanford International Bank Ltd
Kijani Resources Limited (in liquidation) and Ratio Limited (in liquidation) both acting by their joint liquidators Simon Conway and Edgar Lavarello of PwC
Kestrel Coal Midco Pty Ltd
Timeshare (210 individual claimants v Clydesdale Financial Services Limited)
Alter domus
Work highlights
- Representing the liquidators of Stanford International Bank Ltd (in liquidation). The bank went under in 2009 with around $6bn owing to creditors.
- Instructed by the joint liquidators of Kijani Resources Limited (“KRL”) and Ratio Limited (“Ratio”) to pursue Quincecare claims against Natwest in Gibraltar.
- Representing Alter Domus in a financial dispute involving off-shore corporate and trust structures.
White & Case LLP
White & Case LLP has a broad banking litigation practice that acts on high-profile mandates that are often hugely complex. Charles Balmain leads the department, with extensive experience across banking disputes and contentious sovereign and corporate debt restructuring and insolvency. Balmain notably leads on the Republic of Mozambique’s response to the ‘tuna bond’ scandal: a high-profile matter that continues to attract media attention. Lawson Caisley
, head of the commercial litigation practice at the firm, has been involved in a large number of high-profile disputes, acting for financial institutions, insurers, and blue-chip corporates. Swati Tripathi is a ‘star at junior partner level’, and routinely advises international banks on complex contractual disputes.
Practice head(s):
Charles Balmain; Lawson Caisley
Other key lawyers:
Swati Tripathi; Stephanie Stocker
Testimonials
‘Amazing team.’
‘Charles Balmain and Ben Davies stand out.’
‘Swati Tripathi is a star at junior partner level. She is going places!’
‘Excellent technical and interpersonal skills. Invaluable commercial advice.’
‘Swati Tripathi will be one of my go-to partners in the future: great stakeholder management within the business line.’
Key clients
UK Finance
UK Export Finance (export credit agency (ECA) for the UK Government)
Euler Hermes (ECA acting on behalf of Germany)
Bpi France (ECA acting on behalf of the State of the French Republic)
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited
China Development Bank
Export Import Bank of China
Greensill Bank AG
The Republic of Mozambique
Work highlights
- Representing UK Finance, which has been granted permission to intervene in the appeal to the UK Supreme Court in the Philipp v Barclays case.
- Acted for UKEF as well as the ECAs of Germany and France in their claim for substantial amounts owed by Thailand’s flag carrier, Thai Airways, following its restructuring in Thailand.
- Acting for a syndicate of Chinese banks in respect of litigation proceedings and the restructuring of a $925m facility advanced to Reliance Communications Limited.
Baker McKenzie
Baker McKenzie has a strong track record representing prestigious financial institutions on a wide range of banking related disputes, including on intricate regulatory investigations. The team are ‘particularly excellent in cross-border cases’ drawing on the wide international network of the firm. The ‘thoughtful, energetic, and incisive’ Hugh Lyons and Jonathan Peddie form the leadership of a team that includes Marc Thorley, commended for his ‘exceptionally good tactical sense’, and Marc Florent, who has a ‘natural authority’. At associate level, Joanne Redmond is ‘very impressive’ and is noted for having a ‘wonderful grasp of detail’.
Practice head(s):
Hugh Lyons; Jonathan Peddie
Other key lawyers:
Marc Thorley; Marc Florent; Jo Redmond
Testimonials
‘Marc Thorley is a very sound litigator indeed.’
‘Baker McKenzie are a pleasure to work with. They are clever, have excellent strategic sense, handle clients extremely well and really add value on cases.’
‘Marc Thorley is extremely impressive. He has exceptionally good tactical sense and can see the best points immediately. He is also charming and wonderful with clients. A real star.
Key clients
Citi
Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC
Metro Bank
BNP Paribas Trust Corporation (“BNPP”) v Uro Property Holdings SOCIMI S.A. (“Uro”)
Official Receiver of the Bangkok Bank of Commerce Public Company Limited
Work highlights
- Acting for Citibank in its capacity of Note Security Trustee (on instruction from Credit Suisse as majority noteholder) for several billion dollars of finance provided to the now collapsed Greensill group.
- Acts for BNPP in connection with a complex bond claim against Uro, a Spanish property holding company which owns essentially all of Santander’s bank branches in Spain.
- Acts for senior executives subject to FCA and PRA investigations into the circumstances and events that led to a widely publicised risk-weighted assets adjustment (or material accounting adjustment) for the bank in January 2019.
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
The banking litigation practice at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner works closely with the financial regulatory, antitrust, and white-collar practices, advising high-profile clients on complex mandates as well as related regulatory or criminal consequences. Graham Shear and Oran Gelb lead the team, with Andrew Tuson and associate Rhys Corbett both prominent figures within the team. The team continues to grow, with the arrival of Ravi Nayer from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP in August 2022.
Practice head(s):
Graham Shear; Oran Gelb
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Tuson; Rhys Corbett; Ravi Nayer
Key clients
Morgan Stanley International Limited
Morgan Stanley & Co International plc
BNPP
BGC Partners
Playtech plc
Work highlights
- Advising Morgan Stanley in defending a stand-alone high value damages action brought in the English High Court by 175 institutional investors.
- Acting for BNPP in an alleged transaction whereby the claimant claims it is owed €1.4bn.
- Successfully advised a high-net-worth individual on his battle with two Lebanese banks who have been ordered by the court to transfer the individuals personal funds out of Lebanon.
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton ’s banking litigation practice warrants ‘deserved recognition in the highest profile and most complex investment banking litigation’, with expertise ranging from commodity and financial product issues to freezing injunctions and insolvency disputes. The team’s representation of HSBC in intricate litigation related to FX trading demonstrates both the strength of the team and the partners leading on the matter – ‘master tactician’ Sunil Gadhia, and the ‘brilliantly intelligent’ James Brady-Banzet. At the helm of the department is the esteemed Jonathan Kelly, leveraging expertise in fraud, misrepresentation, market price issues, and derivative banking products among many other issues.
Practice head(s):
Jonathan Kelly
Other key lawyers:
Sunil Gadhia; James Brady-Banzet; James Norris-Jones; Naomi Tarawali; Rohan Mandumula; Hannah Veitch; Kieran Rogan
Testimonials
‘Cleary has a real depth of talent in banking litigation. At both partner and associate level the team is cohesive, hard-working and bright.’
‘A very agile practice, with deserved recognition in the highest profile and most complex investment banking litigation. Undaunted by these cases, they are managed in a way that is simple but productive, with highly skilled individuals working seamlessly. A very impressive firm.’
‘Jonathan Kelly has peerless depth and breadth of knowledge of banking disputes. James Norris-Jones is so highly skilled it is easy to forget he is a junior partner. Naomi Tarawali is an industrious, brilliant associate who is destined for great achievements.’
Key clients
DEXIA Crediop S.p.A.
Firth Rixson
GHF Fund (formerly Abraaj Growth Markets Health Fund)
Goldman Sachs International
HSBC
Intertrader
IZIT Management Ltd.
Natixis
Public Institution for Social Security
Work highlights
- Representing Natixis in international proceedings relating to repurchase financing agreements for the sale of strategic oil stocks by a South African state-owned oil company.
- Representing GHF Fund and its Limited Partners Advisory Committee on three parallel litigation claims in the Cayman Islands arising from the collapse of Dubai-based private equity fund The Abraaj Group.
- Representing IZIT in a British Virgin Island (BVI) Court claim brought by the debtor under a BVI law governed promissory note against IZIT seeking declaratory relief and a prohibitory injunction.
CMS
Banking litigators at CMS work with clients spanning the full financial sector, attracting instructions from UK and international banks, insolvency practitioners, crypto companies, and fintechs. The practice regularly handle complex and high-value disputes, and draws on its international network to provide multi-jurisdictional support. For one client, the ‘vast amounts of experience and great focus on commerciality and strategy’ differentiates the team from other teams. The 'thoughtful and commercial litigator’ Tom Dane leads the team in London, acting for international clients on high-value finance disputes and contentious insolvency matters. ‘Absolutely first-class’ Vanessa Whitman is a key name in the team, with expertise in fintech and crypto-related disputes.
Practice head(s):
Tom Dane
Other key lawyers:
Vanessa Whitman; Elizabeth Lombardo
Testimonials
‘An excellent and well resources dispute resolution team with vast amounts of experience and great focus on commerciality and strategy.’
‘Tom Dane is a thoughtful and commercial litigator with an excellent understanding of the market and its commercial imperatives Kushal Gandhi has a fantastic understanding of the fintech market and the disputes to which it gives rise.’
‘Tom Dane and Vanessa Whitman are stand-out partners. Their advice is prompt, very clear and concise, pragmatic and commercial. The have provided training and know-how materials, which is great value-added and much appreciated.’
Key clients
Allied Irish Banks Plc
Wayflyer (e-commerce)
National Australia Bank
Commerzbank AG
Willis Towers Watson
Access Bank UK
Coinbase
Morgan Stanley
Tradewind Finance
C Hoare & Co
Work highlights
- Advising on English law issues arising in the context of the long running cross-border insolvency of Swissair Group, including providing an expert report to the Belgium Court of Appeal.
- Advising a major US-based cryptocurrency lending platform on asserting its claims against a leading crypto exchange, relating to a wrongful liquidation by that exchange of our client’s Bitcoin futures position
- Advising on English law issues arising in the context of the long running cross-border insolvency of Swissair Group, including providing an expert report to the Belgium Court of Appeal.
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP
Boutique Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP has an established financial dispute resolution team, acting against a wide range of major banks and financial institutions. Crypto-related disputes are a mainstay of the practice, with the team recently representing Bitfinex in a major crypto case. Mis-selling, fraud, and breach of contract claims all serve as further strengths of the practice. Sinead O’Callaghan has particular expertise in financial sector linked litigation, frequently advising retail and investment banks as well as leading domestic and international institutions. Stephen Elam has broad experience in global derivatives, allowing him to act on vastly complex financial disputes. Jon Felce, Lydia Danon, and Natalie Todd are highly active in this space.
Other key lawyers:
Sinead O’Callaghan; Stephen Elam; Jon Felce; Lydia Danon; Natalie Todd
Key clients
ThinkMarkets
iFinex Inc (trading as Bitfinex)
TF Global Markets (UK) Ltd t/a ThinkMarkets
S&B Consultancy Services Limited (“S&B”)
Kai Midgley
Kemnal Investments Ltd
Giovanni Rollino
Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited
Work highlights
- Acting for ThinkMarkets group companies in Commercial Court proceedings brought by IS Prime Limited.
- Represented Fantasia Holdings Group Co., Limited (“Fantasia”) after it missed a $206m bond repayment in October 2023 and filed a notice with the Stock Exchange indicating it was unable to do so.
- Advising Russian bank National Bank Trust in relation to various significant matters arising from the consolidation of bad debts from other Russian banks.
Dentons
At Dentons, the banking litigation practice is viewed as ‘adept at handling large and sensitive banking and finance claims’, working with non-contentious banking colleagues at the team to provide clients support on regulatory investigations, derivatives disputes, ISA interpretation disputes, and securitisation litigation. The team often acts on multi-jurisdictional mandates, evidenced through recent advice given to a leading cloud-based software provider on potential regulatory risks. Felicity Ewing leads the team and has expertise in both group litigation defence and ESG-related financial services claims. Thomas Leyland is a key figure in the practice, notably acting for NatWest in its LIBOR swaps claims defence. Tom Hanson, ‘clever and responsive’, acts for financial institutions in litigation and contentious regulatory matters.
Practice head(s):
Felicity Ewing
Other key lawyers:
Thomas Leyland; Tom Hanson; Natalia Fludra; Tom Hanson
Testimonials
‘Adept at handling large and sensitive banking and finance claims. Very strong banking litigation associates, who are unusually thoughtful about the underlying issues and grapple with the expert issues.’
‘Tom Hanson is a rising star associate, who is clever and responsive, and challenges counsel’s advice in a constructive way.’
‘The team has extensive experience in banking litigation, and brings this to bear in assisting clients in resolving disputes. I am a barrister that works with this firm as opposed to a client.’
‘Both Felicity Ewing and Tom Hanson I rate very highly. They get on very well with the clients, and are very commercially minded.’
Key clients
Barclays
Citibank
NatWest
Deutsche Bank
Société Générale
JSC TBC Bank
DEPFA Bank
Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”)
Financial Services Compensation Scheme (“FSCS”)
Bluestone Consolidated Holdings Limited
Work highlights
- Acting for a major retail bank in its defence of a claim by 150 + mortgage customers who are challenging the fairness of a mortgage product.
- Representing the Financial Conduct Authority on a judicial review brought by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking concerning the voluntary redress scheme established by the FCA in 2013.
- Advised TSX- listed Dye & Durham on its proposed c. US$2.5bn acquisition of the Link Group and its foreign subsidiaries located in various jurisdictions.
DLA Piper
DLA Piper’s banking litigation practice has ‘huge experience, expertise, and strength in depth’. In addition to mainstream banking litigation work, the team has seen significant growth in the fintech space, notably acting for a number of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange platforms. Covid-19-related lending disputes, class actions, and hedge fund and private equity-related litigation have all been prominent in the practice in the last year. ‘Standout star’ Jamie Curle leads the team, and ‘combines brilliant client-handling with incisive strategy’. Jean-Pierre Douglas-Henry acts as the co-head of sustainability and ESG at the firm, and has extensive experience in banking litigation, with over 25 years of relevant experience. Other key figures in the team include ‘rolls royce performer’ Jeremy Andrews and the ’very thorough’ Dan Jewell.
Practice head(s):
Paul Hopman; Jamie Curle; Adam Ibrahim
Other key lawyers:
Sohail Ali; Claire Clayton-Stead; Dan Jewell; Mona Ebert; Jeremy Andrews; Jean-Pierre Douglas-Henry; Chloe Mears; Jeremy Sher; Hugh Evans
Testimonials
‘Sohail Ali is very effective, commercial and results-focused. Claire Clayton-Stead is the complete package: her elevation to the partnership this year was long overdue.’
‘Huge experience, expertise and strength in depth. There are particularly able lawyers at all levels throughout the team.’
‘Jamie Curle is a standout star; he combines brilliant client handling skills with incisive strategy.’
‘Dan Jewell is very thorough, excellent at running teams. A very good lawyer.’
Mona Ebert is great to work with: very thorough and knowledgeable.’
‘Jeremy Andrews is a Rolls Royce performer and superb draughtsman. Jamie Curle is a clever strategist and client-friendly. JP Douglas-Henry is a well-respected and strong team leader. Chloe Mears is a clever and hard-working senior associate.’
‘Jamie Curle, Jeremy Andrews and Jeremy Sher In London are extremely knowledgeable and experienced operators, reassuringly calm under fire, and very responsive. Claire Clayton-Stead in the Leeds office is a rising star.’
‘Hugh Evans is an exceptionally experienced and committed lead partner who provides excellent strategic direction in major retail banking disputes to his many trusted clients.’
Key clients
Deutsche Bank
NatWest Markets PLC/NatWest Markets N.V.
Atlas Mara Limited and African Banking Corporation Zambia Limited
Clydesdale Bank plc t/a Virgin Money
NewDay Limited
Work highlights
- Acting on strategic litigation successfully in respect of the the PPI mis-selling saga.
- Successfully striking out multiple claims of fraud, conspiracy and misrepresentation against a major bank, including success in the Court of Appeal.
Enyo Law LLP
The ‘highly focused and effective litigation outfit’ Enyo Law LLP has a wealth of experience acting both for and against major banks, with a client roster spanning sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, private equity funds, and high net-worth individuals. The group has recently acted for Gennadiy Bogolyubov in the extremely high-profile Privat Bank dispute, as well as against Credit Suisse in the widely publicised ‘tuna bonds’ case. Nick Jones and Edward Allen lead the team, with the latter commended for demonstrating ‘masterly analysis’ in his cases. ‘Very good technical lawyer’ Jamie Leader has expertise in contentious insolvency and financial services restructuring, with Jonathan Pagan also demonstrating broad expertise and described as ‘all over the detail on tuna bonds’. At associate level, the ‘very bright and incisive’ Deborah Tillett is singled out.
Practice head(s):
Edward Allen; Nick Jones
Other key lawyers:
Jamie Leader; Jonathan Pagan; Matthew Marshall; Timothy Elliss; Richard Levett; Deborah Tillett; Amy Spencer
Testimonials
‘Jonathan Pagan and Amy Spencer were both extremely accommodating. I valued the clarity and explanation they offered (avoiding ‘legalese’) as well as their friendly professionalism. Both were genuinely committed to being helpful.’
‘Highly focused and effective litigation outfit. They cut to the chase. The leanest and smartest solicitors I’ve worked with recently as a barrister.’
‘Edward Allen’s command of strategy and case oversight is outstanding. He has had masterly analysis in steering the Dechert / Gerrard litigation.’
‘Tim Elliss knows what the critical path is. Focused on the key issues.’
‘Jonathan Pagan is great to be instructed by, makes your life very easy – all over the detail on tuna bonds.’
‘Jamie Leader is a very good technical lawyer with brilliant communication skills.’
‘Deborah Tillett is one of the best associates I’ve come across – she’s very bright and incisive and her written work is extremely accurate.’
‘I’ve mainly worked with Matthew Marshall. We had close, very informative and professional contact. I liked the way Matthew Marshall worked. He was very focused, asked the right questions and drew the right conclusions.’
Key clients
(1) United Bank for Africa PLC (UBA) and (2) Banco Internacional de Moçambique (BIM)
Administrator of Greensill Bank AG (GBAG)
The Joint Liquidators of Allied Wallet Limited (the Liquidators) (BDO LLP)
The joint liquidators of Alexander David Securities Limited (in creditors’ voluntary liquidation) – BDO
Work highlights
- Representing Banco Internacional de Moçambique and United Bank for Africa in their claims against Credit Suisse, concerning the “tuna bonds” scandal.
- Advising the liquidators of Allied Wallet Limited on the conduct of a litigation that concerns the obligation of FCA-authorised payment processing companies to segregate customers’ funds.
- Acting for the administrators of Greensill Bank AG, a German bank and sister company to Greensill Capital (UK) Limited, in litigation related to the collapses of both companies.
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
The London banking litigation team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, which is led by David Flack, acts for an impressive roster of clients including Barclays, Julius Baer, Santander and Citigroup, as well as challenger banks such as Tesco Bank, the Co-operative Bank and Metro. Flack is able to draw on his previous experience as in-house litigation counsel at UBS, while fellow partner Gregory Brandman is a former manager in the FCA's enforcement and financial crime division.
Practice head(s):
David Flack
Other key lawyers:
Gregory Brandman; Jennifer Miles; Mark Cooper
Testimonials
‘Unlike some relatively senior partners who have become more rainmakers for their firm rather than hands-on litigators, David Flack always thinks hard about the case himself and so managing the case becomes an ongoing dialogue where two minds are definitely better than one. He has a collaborative approach, is the opposite of egotistic, and is one of the nicest, most positive people you could hope to meet. He is living proof that you do not need to be Mr Nasty as a litigator to get brilliant results.’
‘Greg Brandman is wonderful with clients.’
‘Jennifer Miles – a very efficient and organised partner who is a pleasure to work with. She looks down the road of a case and makes sure that there are no speed bumps.’
‘Mark Cooper thinks of every angle and leaves no stone unturned in taking a case forward.’
‘Greg Brandman – few in the market have as much experience. A great lawyer and leader.’
‘Jennifer Miles has a great eye for detail.’
‘Greg Brandman – an excellent ex-FCA lawyer who knows his stuff and inspires and leads his team. ‘
‘Jennifer Miles is excellent.’
Hausfeld & Co LLP
Hausfeld & Co LLP ‘attracts really interesting cases and turns out magic circle quality work‘, acting on high-profile commercial and financial service disputes, with extensive experience particularly in the competition sphere. John McElroy acts as the head of commercial disputes, with significant experience in fraud and energy linked banking disputes. Noted practitioners within the team include Anthony Maton, the ‘brilliant‘ Lianne Craig, and the ‘seriously impressive’ Lucy Pert.
Practice head(s):
John McElroy
Other key lawyers:
Anthony Maton; Lianne Craig; Lucy Pert; Ned Beale; Simon Bishop; Tom Bolster
Testimonials
‘Attracts really interesting cases and turns out magic circle quality work. The quality of the individual lawyers is very high and as a firm they are fearless in taking on institutional, well-resourced defendants.’
‘Simon Bishop is the complete package. He is very knowledgeable, an excellent technical lawyer and a great strategist. He is also a really nice person to work with.’
‘Lucy Pert is seriously impressive – she exudes intelligence and competence.’
‘Ned Beale is great to work with – extremely clever, thoughtful and commercial in his approach.’
‘Efficient work as a team, with clear objectives, the structure in the development of the work is adequate and agile. Strategic vision to offer creative solutions based on high levels of legal knowledge.’
‘Lianne Craig is is a brilliant lawyer, with an innate facility in negotiation which I have never seen in other competitors in the UK legal sector.’
‘Anthony Maton, Lucy Pert, Lianne Craig are the lawyers I deal most with. They are all first-class, and wonderful leaders.’
Key clients
Philip Evans, former Inquiry Chair at the Competition and Markets Authority
Ardeshir Naghshineh
All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking (APPG)
Work highlights
- Representing the proposed class representative in a significant collective action against 6 global banks seeking damages in respect of foreign exchange (FX) spot trading cartels.
- Providing a client with legal and strategic advice in relation to a high-profile LIBOR manipulation claim against a well-known commercial bank.
- Representing the All Parliamentary Party Group on Fair Business Banking in their application to judicially review the Financial Conduct Authority’s decision not to act following the outcome of the Swift Review.
Macfarlanes LLP
The financial services and markets dispute resolution team at Macfarlanes LLP advises on complex regulatory disputes, enforcement actions, and investigations, acting in cross-border litigation. Barry Donnelly is one of the heads of the team, with vast experience in banking litigation, and involvement in Libor matters. Also at leadership level, is the ‘extremely reliable and commercial‘ Matt McCahearty and Dan Lavender who is talented in multi-jurisdictional litigation. Other key figures include Laura Bridgewater, and the ‘precise and scrupulous’ Lauren Roberts.
Practice head(s):
Barry Donnelly; Matt McCahearty; Dan Lavender
Other key lawyers:
Lauren Roberts; Laura Bridgewater
Testimonials
‘The team is sharp, hands on, fast and with commercial sensitivity which is rare to find.’
‘Matt McCahearty is extremely reliable and commercial. Clients appreciate his ability to spot their needs and provide clear and simple answer also in context of sophisticated strategies.’
‘Lauren Roberts is precise and scrupulous.’
Key clients
The State of Qatar
The British Bankers’ Association
JB Firth Rixson Inc, and FR Acquisitions
Financial Market Standards Board (FMSB)
NatWest
Work highlights
- Representing 160 banks as members of The British Bankers’ Association in parallel US/UK proceedings relating to an alleged conspiracy to manipulate the US Dollar LIBOR interest rate benchmark.
- Represented companies in the Firth Rixson group in a $100m + claim relating to two interest rate swaps with Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (the Lehman entity in UK administration).
- Acting for NatWest in its defence of three separate claims in the Competition Appeal Tribunal relating to loss alleged to have arisen from anti-competitive manipulation of foreign exchange markets.
Milbank
Milbank boasts a team that 'leverages its unique abilities and insights' to lead on high-profile and complex competition law disputes and investigations, with particular expertise in loan and bond-related transactional disputes. Julian Stait
leads the team, notably representing Visa and Rabobank in relation to interchange litigation and Libor manipulation matters. ‘Superb banking specialist’ Mona Vaswani
is integral to the team, and is a ‘formidable and determined opponent’. Also highly active in the practice are Tom Canning, who provides ‘excellent, practical advice’ for clients, and Peter Edworthy.
Practice head(s):
Julian Stait
Other key lawyers:
Mona Vaswani; Tom Canning; Peter Edworthy
Testimonials
‘Milbank get some strong disputes mandates in relation to distressed financial instruments.’
‘Mona Vaswani: Mona is one of the outstanding litigators of her generation – a formidable and determined opponent. Outstanding and adept at managing clients and co-counsel.’
‘A small but deadly team who leverage their unique abilities and insights to bring a huge amount of power to banking litigation.’
‘Tom Canning is a simnply outstanding lawyer who gets the best from his team and produces exceptional results even in difficult cases.’
‘Mona Vaswani is a very seasoned litigator.’
‘‘Mona Vaswani is a superb banking specialist.’
‘I would highlight Mona Vasawani, who is a creative and accessible senior partner.’
‘We have used the Milbank litigation team most recently for pre-litigation advice. The team has come up with clever ways of enforcing our contractual rights.’
Key clients
Visa Inc., Visa International Service Association, Visa Europe Limited, Visa Europe Services LLC and Visa UK Limited
Apollo Global Management
Frigoglass Group
Norton Rose Fulbright
Norton Rose Fulbright has a ‘highly experienced financial services regulatory team combined with astute commercial litigators’, acting for major banks on contentious regulatory matters, corporate crime investigations, and a range of high-profile banking mandates. Patrick Bourke is the head of the team that consists of Harriet Jones-Fenleigh, who is ‘highly recommended for her legal skills and commercial approach’, ‘model litigator’ Radford Goodman, and the ‘understated and very effective’ James Lockwood. At associate level the ‘particularly impressive’ Aditya Badami is recognised, along with the ‘insightful’ Samson Spanier.
Practice head(s):
Patrick Bourke
Other key lawyers:
Harriet Jones-Fenleigh; Radford Goodman; Aditya Badami; James Lockwood; Samson Spanier
Testimonials
‘Radford Goodman is calm, thoughtful, rigorous, and focused – the model litigator. James Lockwood is a brilliant up-and-coming partner – understated and very effective.’
‘Aditya Badami is particularly impressive. He works incredibly hard, while displaying constant good humour. In the midst of a heavy dispute, he shows consistently excellent judgment and perfect understanding of procedural tactics.’
‘Highly experienced financial services regulatory team combined with astute commercial litigators.’
‘Harriet Jones-Fenleigh and James Lockwood are both very smart and also pleasant to work with. Radford Goodman is reliable, experienced, personable and a very safe pair of hands.’
‘What stands out about NRF is the accessibility, the immediate feedback regardless of the time and their friendliness and pragmatic thinking.’
‘The team we work with are excellent and work exceptionally well with their colleagues in capital markets to provide well thought through advice.’
‘Samson Spanier operates at the level of a partner in my view, is insightful and provides thoughtful and clear advice. He is also able to articulate very difficult concepts and issues in a straight forward and clear way, which is incredibly helpful.’
‘ is an outstanding partner – highly recommended for her legal skills and commercial approach.’
Key clients
HSBC
Republic of Angola
Citibank, N.A. and Citigroup Global Markets Limited
Citicorp Trustee Company Ltd
Bank of Scotland plc, which is part of Lloyds Banking Group
Société Générale
Goldman Sachs
Barclays
BNP Paribas
Emirates NBD Bank
Work highlights
Signature Litigation LLP
Signature Litigation LLP boasts a high-quality banking litigation practice, with one client describing members of the team as ‘litigation heavyweights in small firm clothing’. Mandates exceeding $1bn are frequently undertaken, with complex and business critical cases a mainstay of the department’s work. Graham Huntley leads a team that has a ‘great balance of assertiveness and tact’ and includes the ‘highly regarded’ Abdulali Jiwaji, the ‘extremely experienced litigator’ Josh Wong, and Becca Hogan, who is a ‘calm, composed and confidence-inspiring presence in a team.’
Practice head(s):
Graham Huntley
Other key lawyers:
Abdulali Jiwaji; Josh Wong; Becca Hogan; Rory Spillman; Alasdair Glass
Testimonials
‘Becca Hogan is a standout junior partner. Detail-oriented and very switched on. A calm, composed and confidence-inspiring presence in a team.’
‘High quality litigation team. Were able to get up to speed quickly on the case and then guide us rationally. We were mainly impressed with Signature’s commercial skills – they understand people and looking at it from the other side to pre-empt or avoid aggravating issues unnecessarily.’
‘Abdul Jiwaji is a senior lawyer who is highly regarded in the City and we understood why immediately.’
‘They are litigation heavyweights in small firm clothing.’
‘Abdulali Jiwaji is an extremely experienced litigator who is utterly unflappable. Definitely someone you want in your corner in tough spot.’
‘Josh Wong is an extremely experienced litigator with sound litigation instincts.’
‘Alasdair Glass is a standout associate with a bright future.’
‘Josh Wong is an impressive operator who can attack a difficult situation with great energy, judgment and effectiveness.’
Key clients
Georgian Co Investment Fund
Privinvest companies
Bugsby Property LLC
Finfloor S.p.A
RBS Rights Issue litigation
QIB (UK) plc
Work highlights
- Representing Georgian Co Investment Fund in relation to an allegation of wholesale and serious fraud and dishonesty by individuals within the elite fund management business within Credit Suisse.
- Representing Bugsby Property in claims against Legal & General for breaches of a confidentiality and exclusivity agreement.
- Representing Finfloor S.p.A. in its challenge to the jurisdiction of the English court in relation to a claim brought by its Swiss financial adviser XY S.A.
Stephenson Harwood
The practice at Stephenson Harwood is ‘excellent in assisting with complex and contentious situations‘ for clients that include global banks, investment companies, sovereign wealth funds, and hedge funds. The team is able to draw on the knowledge of the financial services and regulation practice of the firm, providing clients with comprehensive advice. Edward Davis leads the team alongside the ‘force of nature’ Sue Millar, both acting on highly complex mandates undertaken by the team. Key to the practice is the ‘absolute star’ Genevieve Quierin and the ‘extremely clever and astute’ Stephen Ashley, along with Richard Garcia, who has a ‘tremendous grasp of complex financial arrangements’.
Practice head(s):
Sue Millar; Edward Davis
Other key lawyers:
Genevieve Quierin; Stephen Ashley; Richard Garcia; Donna Newman; Jon Proctor; Jayesh Patel; Guy Harper; Adam Polonsky
Testimonials
‘Unparalleled experience in the team, excellent in assisting with complex and contentious situations.’
‘Jon Proctor and Jayesh Patel provide a wealth of knowledge that in my opinion is second-to-none in the market. Years of experience means that their advice is considered, sound and wholly reliable.’
‘Guy Harper: Impressive and engaged partner with a sound commercial mind. Richard Garcia has a tremendous grasp of complex financial agreements and disputes relating to them.’
‘An excellent team with a relentless focus on getting clients results. Excellent on legal strategy and maintaining a clear perspective on the key issues in litigation.’
‘Genevieve Quierin is an absolute star with a remarkable appetite for detail while maintaining a clear sense of overall strategy.’
‘Donna Newman and Adam Polonsky are excellent leaders of a litigation team and relentless hunting down results.’
‘Very talented team, diverse, forward looking with specialist expertise in areas such as sanctions with exceptional knowledge of unusual jurisdictions.’
‘Sue Millar is a force of nature: inspiring leader and brilliant litigator Stephen Ashley is an extremely clever and astute lawyer.’
Key clients
RCI Financial Services Limited
Mauritius Commercial Bank
Alpha Bank Cyprus Ltd, Bank of Cyprus Public Company Limited, Cyprus Popular Bank Public Co Ltd
Natixis S.A.
Over 1600 claimants including WorldRemit, BMW Financial Services, Benaulim BV, Henderson & Jones and Bet365
Shanghai Commercial and Savings Bank Limited (Taiwan)
Gordian Holdings Limited
Work highlights
- Representing over 1,600 corporate claimants within the financial services, hospitality, leisure, retail, arts, ticketing, online betting, financial services in Europe-wide group claims brought against Mastercard and Visa.
- Advising a number of major Cypriot banks in relation to a large number of claims based on alleged ‘mis-selling’ brought in the UK and Cyprus, in group actions involving hundreds of parties.
- Acting for Shanghai Commercial and Savings Bank Limited (Taiwan) in its defence of a claim brought by Vegesentials and Fibre Water Limited for vicarious liability arising out of a fraudulent misrepresentation.
Travers Smith LLP
Travers Smith LLP possesses a ‘top quality team for banking work‘ acting on high-profile disputes involving banks, brokers, and fund managers. The practice has impressive cross-border capabilities, frequently acting on litigation with an international element. ‘Market leader’ Rob Fell sits at the helm of the team, leading many highly complex investigations for clients, with particular expertise in financial services-related disputes. Integral to the team are Caroline Edwards and Toby Robinson, both with experience across a wide range of contentious work across fraud and shareholder disputes, along with Jan-Jaap Baer and Stephanie Lee.
Practice head(s):
Rob Fell
Other key lawyers:
Andrew King; Caroline Edwards; Alice Childs; Lucy Jay; John Lee; Jan-Jaap Baer; Natalie Puddicombe
Testimonials
‘Top quality team for banking work – wonderful lawyers and lovely people to work with.’
‘Natalie Puddicombe is one to watch – a star in the making.’
‘Brilliant knowledge of the sector, very well-resourced, involved in some major big-ticket litigation.’
‘Rob Fell has fantastic knowledge and experience, very good with clients, reassuring. Lucy Jay is so clever, brilliant drafting, leaves no stone unturned, a pleasure to work with.’
‘The team is a stand-out in the market. They resource effectively, prepare a case diligently, and given clear and strategic advice to the client.’
‘The partnership is very strong. Rob Fell is a market leader and a pleasure to deal with. Alice Childs manages litigation carefully and effectively, achieving great results for her clients.’
‘Natalie Puddicombe is in a class of her own. She understand the law, the facts, and the client’s strategic interests. She will go very far indeed.’
Key clients
Sadeq Sayeed
Nomura International Plc
Macquarie
Work highlights
- Advising the former CEO of Nomura in relation to criminal and regulatory proceedings that have been brought in Italy against him in respect of complex derivative trades.
- Advising Nomura on its application to the EU General Court for annulment of the European Commission’s decision finding anti-competitive behaviour and its defence to a consolidated class action complaint.
Brown Rudnick LLP
‘First rate litigator’ Neill Shrimpton leads a team at Brown Rudnick LLP that acts on complex, high-value disputes against financial institutions and sovereigns. S90 and S90A FSMA claims are a key strength of the practice that is ‘utterly committed to its clients’. Jane Colston is ‘one of the very best litigators in the market‘, with specific experience in company, shareholders, and partnership disputes. Other noted practitioners include Jessica Lee and at associate level, Razzaq Ahmed.
Practice head(s):
Neill Shrimpton
Other key lawyers:
Jane Colston; Jessica Lee; Razzaq Ahmed
Testimonials
‘Utterly committed to clients – a laser-focus on their needs. Where I would go if I were in trouble.’
‘Jane Colston is one of the very best litigators in the market. Hugely effective, efficient, great use of tech and a warmth and an unequalled compassion for clients.’
‘Jess Lee is particularly strong in the tech and cyber sectors.’
‘A well-resourced team with great strength in depth. Fantastic partner engagement. Efficient and effective.’
‘Neill Shrimpton is a calm head that inspires confidence. Experienced and highly capable he is a first rate litigator. Razz Ahmed is an energetic and effective team member who takes the initiative. A rising star and one to watch.’
‘Brown Rudnick’s London litigation team is very good. They regularly act on high value cases with magic circle opponents.’
‘Neill Shrimpton is a highly experienced and clever litigator, with good client relationship skills.’
Key clients
Investors in Barclays Shares v Barclays PLC
Various Investors v RSA Insurance Group Limited
Group of Shareholders v Standard Chartered Plc
Work highlights
- Acting for a group of around 200 institutional investors against “Barclays in claims under sections 90 and 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
- Acting for a group of 72 institutional investors against RSA Insurance Group Limited in claims under section 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
- Acting for a group of around 230 institutional investors against Standard Chartered in claims under sections 90 and 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Dechert LLP
Dechert LLP boasts an ‘excellent litigation practice’, acting on market-leading multi-jurisdictional banking disputes. Dorothy Cory-Wright
leads a team that ‘retains a number of absolutely first-rate disputes lawyers‘, including Adam Silver and ‘stand-out litigator‘ Stephen Surgeoner
. At associate level, Ricci Potts and Lisa Borthwick are both ‘responsive and hard-working‘.
Practice head(s):
Dorothy Cory-Wright
Other key lawyers:
Adam Silver; Stephen Surgeoner; Ricci Potts; Lisa Borthwick
Testimonials
‘Highly experienced, flexible and hard-working.’
‘Adam Silver has deep experience and is a clever and valued team leader. Well supported by Ricci Potts and Lisa Borthwick – both are responsive and hard-working senior associates.’
‘Excellent litigation practice.’
‘Stephen Surgeoner is a stand out litigator: experienced, sensible, always courteous.’
‘John Bedford is very commercial and switched on.’
‘Dechert retain a number of absolutely first-rate disputes lawyers and have serious strength at senior associate level.’
‘Stephen Surgeoner has market-leading experience, particularly in the cross-over between banking and insurance. He is extremely bright and swiftly gets to the heart of the matter.’
Key clients
Bank Audi S.A.L
Société Générale de Banque au Liban
Banque Libano-Francaise S.AL
Blom Bank S.A.L
Fransbank S.A.L.
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited
Credit Suisse Asset Management (Switzerland) (Credit Suisse)
Fieldfisher
Fieldfisher has a ‘very knowledgeable and dedicated team‘ specialising in banking litigation, acting on complex insolvency and contentious regulatory issues. Structured finance transactions are a key strength of the team. Andrew Lafferty is the head of the team, notably acting in the high-profile PrivatBank case. Noted practitioners in the team include Duncan Black, Kit Jarvis, and the ‘knowledgeable but pragmatic‘ Donna Goldsworthy. Priyanka Kapoor - a dual qualified (England & Wales; India) commercial litigator who acts for a number of major banks - joined the team in July 2022.
Practice head(s):
Andrew Lafferty
Other key lawyers:
Duncan Black; Kit Jarvis; Donna Goldsworthy; Priyanka Kapoor
Testimonials
‘Donna Goldsworthy provides a first class, client-focused approach. Knowledgeable and pragmatic.’
‘Very knowledgeable and dedicated team always aiming at bringing the best result to their client. Extremely responsive and punctual, always looking to find the most effective yet cost efficient strategy. Very diverse team having an experience of suing debtors from a wide range of jurisdictions.’
‘I would mention Tracey Wright and Mila Kovalenko, both equally pleasant to work with, both extremely hard-working and committed.’
Key clients
The Joint Liquidators of Argyle UAE Limited
Mansard Mortgages 2007-2 PLC
Punjab National Bank (International) Limited (PNBIL)
India Infrastructure Finance Company (UK) Limited (IIFC)
Work highlights
- Acting for a UHNWI and prominent political and business figure in Ukraine, on the defence of a $2.6bn claim brought by PrivatBank.
- Acting for India Infrastructure Finance Company (UK) Limited (IIFC) in a breach of contract claim against infrastructure companies and guarantor individuals to recover debts totaling more than £52m.
- Acting for a director appointed by the minority shareholder of a JV company in a dispute concerning the development of an iconic London landmark into a hotel and private club.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
‘Top tier firm’ Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher boasts a banking litigation practice acting for leading financial institutions across the UK and internationally, with expertise in foreign exchange and Libor-related issues. Clients commend the ‘profound know-how’ of the practice, as well as the ‘way the partners of the law firm are globally connected in a way that provides a significant value-add for clients’. Philip Rocher leads the team. He has extensive experience in the financial services sectors, and regulatory and internal investigations. Lord Charles Falconer KC ‘remains one of the absolute leading litigators and barristers in London’ and is highly active in the practice.
Practice head(s):
Philip Rocher
Other key lawyers:
Lord Charles Falconer KC
Testimonials
‘This is a top tier firm, providing a premium product that is worth every penny. The fact that there are genuinely top-tier barristers within the firm is unique, and standards are high at every level.’
‘Lord Falconer remains one of the absolute leading litigators and barristers in London, with an exceptional feel for the Court and immaculate judgment as to how to prepare and present the case.’
‘It is the profound know-how and the way the partners of the law firm are globally connected that provides a significant value-add for clients.’
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
The banking practice at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is a ‘force to be reckoned with’, with vast experience acting both for and against banks. The team has expertise in high-profile swaps litigation, and is recognised for its digital asset litigation capabilities. ‘Dynamic partner‘ Alex Fox acts as head of business and finance disputes, and leads the ‘dedicated and hard-working team‘ alongside Clare Arthurs and David Niven. The team continues to expand, with the arrival of John Adams from Browne Jacobson LLP in August 2022. Charlotte Hill is another key contact at the firm.
Practice head(s):
Clare Arthurs; Alex Fox; David Niven
Other key lawyers:
John Adams; Kamran Rehman; Charlotte Hill; Bronagh Adams
Testimonials
‘Dedicated and hard-working team. They bring energy and dedication to a case as well as being excellent lawyers.’
‘Solid team with good experience of acting for claimants in this sector.’
‘Kamran Rehman works hard to keep clients happy (very happy to push barristers to deal with papers!)’
‘The Penningtons banking team is a force to be reckoned with, and there isn’t a weak spot in the team: partners are engaged and hard-working, and the associates work incredibly hard.’
‘Charlotte Hill has deservedly just been elevated to the partnership, and is a real force of nature.’
‘At associate level, Bronagh Adams is deserving of special mention: hard-working and delightful to deal with.’
Key clients
City and Country Group
Cutlers Holdings Limited (formerly Sheffield United Limited)
Scarborough Group International Limited
Social Money
Genesis Town Planning Limited
The Consumers’ Association (t/a Which?)
Ghana International Bank Plc
Work highlights
- Acts on various high-profile matters for one of the UK’s largest family-owned property companies with regard to the sale of Sheffield United Football Club.
- Acted for the Consumers’ Association (Which?) on both their Court of Appeal and Supreme Court interventions in the APP fraud case of Philipp v Barclays Bank UK Plc which involves an important point of banking law relating to the scope of a banker’s duty.
- Acting in a professional negligence valuation claim for a short-term bridging lender, Hope Capital.
Reed Smith LLP
The practice at Reed Smith LLP is ‘very strong on banking and financial services and nice to work with’. It has expertise across regulatory issues, retail banking disputes, and complex structured products. The team has impressive international reach, acting for leading banks and financial institutions on cross-border matters. Tom Webley is the head of a team that includes ‘outstanding litigator‘ Oliver Rawkins, who is ‘excellent at marshalling clear and definitive advice‘. Nick Brocklesby departed from the practice to join Alston & Bird LLP in February 2023.
Practice head(s):
Tom Webley
Other key lawyers:
Oliver Rawkins
Testimonials
‘My only relevant experience is of working with Oliver Rawkins.’
‘Oliver Rawkins has what is in my experience an exceptional knowledge of the law, he is an outstanding litigator.’
‘Very strong on banking and financial services and nice to work with.’
Sidley Austin LLP
The banking litigation practice at Sidley Austin LLP is ‘hugely experienced and technically brilliant‘, with the international capabilities of the team allowing it to undertake high-profile, multi-jurisdictional matters. Matthew Shankland leads the unit, notably representing major insurance firm Genworth in a high-value PPI mis-selling claim. Andrew Fox is a further key contact, with extensive experience in complex financial derivative products. Also of note are Alastair Hopwood and the ‘very hard-working and reliable senior associate‘ Sarah Lainchbury.
Practice head(s):
Matthew Shankland
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Fox; Alastair Hopwood; Sarah Lainchbury
Testimonials
‘Excellent teams with right level of seniority allocated to matters.’
‘Matt Shankland is a senior partner and hugely experienced Sarah Lainchbury is a very hard-working and reliable senior associate.’
‘The team is hugely experienced and technically brilliant their experience within the industry and connections internationally allow them to provide a comprehensive all-round service to an incredibly high standard.’
‘Sarah Lainchbury’s responsiveness and knowledge of the specific field (contentious disputes and litigation) make you feel completely at ease.’
Key clients
Genworth Financial, Inc.
Work highlights
- Representing leading U.S. insurance firm Genworth in a major PPI mis-selling-related litigation worth over £600m.
TLT
TLT has a ‘really smart, savvy, commercially astute team‘ with a focus on retail, commercial, and wholesale banking litigation. Mis-selling claims, professional negligence disputes, and investigations are also core strengths. The practice’s client roster includes clearing banks and an increasing amount of international and challenger banks. Clare Stothard oversees matters. She has extensive experience in investment and retail banking litigation. The ‘fantastic strategist’ Paul Gair is a further key contact along with Steven Mills.
Practice head(s):
Clare Stothard
Other key lawyers:
Paul Gair; Rupal Nathwani; Claire Kershaw; Steven Mills
Testimonials
‘Really smart, savvy, commercially astute team. Great understanding of the complexities of cross-border litigation involving other jurisdictions like India, UAE etc.’
‘Paul Gair stands out.’
‘Great breadth of experience across the team with a close attention to what the client needs. They are very good on consumer credit issues and have a good handle on what is going on across different but relevant sectors .’
‘Clare Stothard and Rupal Nathwani, in particular, have provided me with excellent service, knowledge and support. They are personable, hard working, always available and turn things around quickly and with thought and care.’
‘Paul Gair leads the team extremely well; fantastic strategist Claire Kershaw is a wonderful associate who is across all the detail of complex cases.’
‘Clare Stothard is a strong performer: very good market knowledge and insight.’
‘The TLT Banking litigation team are highly experienced in all aspects of retail banking law. They have excellent knowledge and, in Steven Mills and Clare Stothard, are led by partners who have seen everything before. They are a safe pair of hands.’
‘Clare Stothard is highly-experienced, knowledgeable and completely unflappable. Clare has built up a loyal and well-deserved following with the big banks. From a barrister’s perspective, she is a pleasure to work with.’
Work highlights
- Acting for a leading retail bank in the Supreme Court in respect of the application of the Quincecare duty to a paying bank acting on a client instruction where there is underlying APP fraud.
- Acting for a large cryptocurrency exchange in its application for FCA regulation including undertaking a largescale KYC examination.
Akin
Akin has ‘exceptional breadth and the ability to work across practice areas’, excelling at disputes in the financial services sector. Investment disputes are a mainstay of the practice, with particular expertise relating to the distressed debt space, sovereign debt disputes, and intra-creditor disputes. Richard Hornshaw ‘leads an effective and responsive team‘. He is well versed in securities law matters, insolvency, and restructuring.
Practice head(s):
Richard Hornshaw
Other key lawyers:
James Terry
Testimonials
‘ The team has exceptional breadth and the ability to work across practice areas.’
‘Richard Hornshaw is a star player who leads an effective and responsive team.’
‘Richard Hornshaw is well known in the London litigation market as an experienced litigator in high-value, complex disputes with cross-border aspects.’
‘Top-of-the-bill team who go the extra mile.’
‘Richard Hornshaw has an unflappable, calm, strategic legal and commercial mind. A true gentleman who is great to work with – technically superb, and with excellent client and counsel-handling skills.’
‘James Terry is a super-savvy operator in the restructuring space – super-focused on how to get the best result for the client – often devising creative and successful strategies, and pushing others in the team to think outside of the box.’
‘Technically excellent, commercially savvy, and a great team to work with at all levels – quality throughout. I could not recommend them more highly.’
Key clients
Goldman Sachs
Barings Asset Management
Senior Secured Noteholders of Galapagos
The administrators of African Minerals Limited
Apollo
Elliott Associates and Elliot International
Ad Hoc Group of Noteholders to Imtech
Ad Hoc Committee of Noteholders of Noble Trading
Work highlights
- Representing Elliott is its landmark judicial review against the London Metal Exchange (LME) for the loss Elliott suffered by virtue of the LME’s decision to retrospectively cancel nickel trades.
- Advising Veon Holdings BV on a scheme of arrangement in respect of US$1bn+ of debt, including resisting a challenge to the scheme brought by certain creditors.
- Advising some of the world’s largest asset managers as holders of senior secured notes issued by Galapagos SA, a business which went through a complex restructuring in 2019.
Collyer Bristow LLP
The banking and financial disputes practice at Collyer Bristow LLP acts on a range of complex business disputes, ranging from high-value contract disputes and professional negligence claims, to contentious insolvency and trusts work. Fintech and crypto are key strengths of the team, as is competition. The team is ‘extremely good with clients’ and has ‘good domain knowledge’. Robin Henry, who specialises in complex FX derivative contracts and mis-selling claims mandates, chairs the practice.
Practice head(s):
Robin Henry
Testimonials
‘Extremely good with clients and great members of the team’
‘The team was extremely professional and gave different options on how to solve my legal disputes.’
‘They were very compassionate with my personal situation and fair with the legal fees.’
‘Good domain knowledge.’
Key clients
Musst Holdings Limited
Work highlights
- Acted for Musst Holdings Ltd against Astra Asset Management Ltd in litigation and a trial regarding breach of contract in relation to the raising of capital.
- Acting for the London Borough of Newham making claims against Barclays Bank Plc in respect of LIBOR fixing for recission or damages of c. £300m plus interest.
- Acting for Custodium Ltd in a dispute with FCA in connection with the application to the FCA to become an authorised Electronic Money Institution.
Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG’s banking litigation expertise extends to regulatory, structure finance, restructuring, and fraud, acting on many high-profile regulatory matters linked to Libor and FX. The team notably acts for JP Morgan on many of its banking disputes. James Sidwell is the head of the practice. He has experience across all aspects of corporate and financial services litigation, including fraud and asset tracing. Further noted practitioners include Catherine Naylor and Sean Adams.
Practice head(s):
James Sidwell
Other key lawyers:
Catherine Naylor; Sean Adams
Key clients
J.P. Morgan Bank Luxembourg SA – London Branch
Grant Thornton LLP
The liquidator of Transworld Payment Solutions U.K. Limited (in Liquidation)
The liquidators of Durant International Corp and Kildare Finance Limited and MacDoel Investment Limited
RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP
Work highlights
- Acting for JP Morgan in a dispute arising from financing in the region of US$50m provided to a company registered in the Cayman Islands.
- Instructed by the liquidators of Durant International Corp, Kildare Finance Limited and MacDoel Investment Limited to recover assets misappropriated as part of a c. $200m fraud.
- Advising the liquidator of Transworld Payment Solutions UK in a £200m contribution claim against the First Curacao International Bank N.V. in relation to missing trader intra-community fraud committed against HMRC.
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
The ‘hardworking, tenacious, and immediately responsive’ department at Greenberg Traurig, LLP boasts a diverse breadth of experience in finance and banking disputes, advising private equity houses, hedge funds, asset managers, and banks. Corporate acquisition finance disputes and trade finance disputes are strengths of the firm. Masoud Zabeti is a ‘master of strategy’ and leads a team that includes Mohammed Khamisa KC, a practitioner with experience in multi-jurisdictional cases with a fraud element.
Practice head(s):
Masoud Zabeti
Other key lawyers:
Mohammed Khamisa KC; Matt Hancock Claire Broadbelt; Elizabeth Fox; Struan Clark; Harvey Rees; Irina Morozova; Katharine Bond
Testimonials
‘I have worked with the GT team for several years. The team is hardworking, tenacious and immediately responsive.’
‘Masoud Zabeti is a master of strategy and able to explain complex issues in simple terms making it easy to report internally and make decisions. Masoud together with Mohammed Khamisa KC have shown themselves to have an extraordinary understanding of the legal armoury available.’
Claire Broadbelt and Elizabeth Fox are experts in the field of asset recovery. They are extremely responsive, always display an excellent understanding of our legal options, are relentless at driving workstreams forward.’
‘Key members of the team are Struan Clark, Harvey Rees and Irina Morozova.’
‘Amazing client base and more high profile litigation than one can shake a stick at.’
‘Masoud Zabeti is a great team leader. Katharine Bond is excellent at following up on things that need to be done.’
‘The team are very intelligent, proactive, commercially minded litigators. They stand out because they are always seeking to identify new ways of helping their client achieve their ends, not just going through the motions and waiting for something to happen.’
‘Masoud Zabeti is a force of nature – an intelligent, innovative, tenacious litigator. Would be one of my first choices if I were a client.’
Key clients
Tradition Financial Services Limited
Crane Bank Limited
Bank Frick & Co A.G.
JSC BTA Bank
Work highlights
- Acting for TFS in defending a multi-million-pound claim alleging dishonest assistance and fraudulent trading (under s.213 of the Insolvency Act 1986).
- Representing Ugandan bank, Crane Bank, and its shareholders, following special measures taken against our clients by the Central Bank of Uganda.
- Defending Bank Frick in a claim made by the Deposit Guarantee Fund for Individuals (DGF), as liquidator of National Credit Bank (NCB), (under s.423 of the Insolvency Act 1986).
Humphries Kerstetter LLP
Despite its boutique status, the team at Humphries Kerstetter LLP ‘provides the expertise and service levels of a magic circle firm’, acting for high-value corporates, banks, and individuals. Cross-border work is a mainstay of the firm that handles large-scale interchange litigation and professional negligence work. Joanna Pearson has over two decades of experience in complex financial services litigation and regulatory investigations and is head of the department. Also of note is managing partner of the firm James Russell, who is ‘excellent and hands-on’. Managing associate Chris Louth joined the team from Rosenblatt in January 2023.
Practice head(s):
Joanna Pearson
Other key lawyers:
James Russell; Chris Louth
Testimonials
‘They are lean and provide an excellent service at a smaller cost.’
‘James Russell is excellent and hands on. Approachable and friendly.’
‘HK provides the expertise and service levels of a magic circle firm whilst retaining the flexibility and client focus of a much smaller firm.’
‘My principal contact is James Russell. He is undoubtedly one of the most able solicitors I have ever worked with. He combines a rigorous and analytic legal mind with a highly commercial approach to achieve great results for his clients.’
‘HK is very open to collaborations with other firms and is well connected with top silks.’
‘James Russell is exceptional. Highly competent and extremely knowledgeable He is highly strategic and forward-thinking in his case management.’
Key clients
Uro Property Holdings S.A.
J. García Carrión
Blackmore Bond plc bondholders
Core Venture Capital Trust plc shareholders
Work highlights
- Represented Uro Property Holdings S.A. in a dispute with BNP Paribas relating to the acceleration of a €1.3bn securitised loan allegedly giving rise to a €250m bond make-whole payment.
- Represented J. García Carrión in a dispute with Goldman Sachs arising out of ultra vires foreign exchange derivative transactions entered into by its former finance director.
- Acting for a group of bondholders to investigate and pursue claims on their behalf arising out of the collapse of Blackmore Bond Plc.
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Mishcon de Reya LLP‘s banking litigation practice ‘fights hard for its clients, and is commercially savvy’, with longstanding experience of representing clients in banking, corporate finance, and private equity-related disputes. Derval Walsh acts as head of the team. He sports expertise in complex finance and investment disputes. The ‘standout’ Samantha Kakati is integral to the team, acting for multi-billion-dollar financial services clients alongside Edwin Chik and managing associate Jonathan Barnett.
Practice head(s):
Derval Walsh
Other key lawyers:
Samantha Kakati; Edwin Chik; Jonathan Barnett.
Testimonials
‘Excellent profile in this area.’
‘Samantha Kakati is standout: she will go far.’
‘Fight hard for clients, and are commercially savvy.’
‘Very good at what they do. Good communicators. Great advisors and strategists.’
Key clients
Crane Bank
Borro Group and Victory Park Management LLC
Maze SARL
Trustees of Abbey Mills Mosque
Blue Lily Apartments Limited (part of the Tulip Real Estate Group)
RiverRock European Capital Partners LLP
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP
For one client, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP boasts ‘one of the best banking litigation teams in the City’, describing it as ‘dynamic, highly effective, and committed’. The team is particularly strong in the securities litigation sphere, with team head Chris Warren-Smith
notably skilled in this area. Also leading the team is Melanie Ryan
, who is a ‘great litigator with a very good following’. Ryan represents banks and financial services firms in relation to cross-border regulatory investigations. Peter Sharp yields a ‘fantastic intellect’, and has experience in insolvency and restructuring situations. ‘Brilliant partner’ Paul Mesquitta is another name to note.
Practice head(s):
Chris Warren-Smith; Melanie Ryan
Other key lawyers:
Paul Mesquitta; Keir Baker; Peter Sharp; David Waldron
Testimonials
‘A market-leading securities litigation practice: part of a relatively small number of firms with a commanding presence in the field.’
‘Paul Mesquitta is a brilliant partner who does banking litigation. punches above his weight and fights very hard for his clients. A great partner to have on your team and extremely bright.’
‘The team led by Chris Warren-Smith is to my mind one of the best banking litigation teams in the City – dynamic, highly effective and committed to putting the client in the best possible position – right up there with the best magic circle firms.’
‘Chris Warren-Smith is one of the profession’s heavy hitters – combining great strategic and tactical nous with rigorous analysis and excellent legal judgment.’
‘Melanie Ryan is a great litigator with a very good following. She is hugely experienced and has a great ability to get to the nub of the problem clearly and decisively. Her pragmatism and thoroughness always sets up the client for the best possible outcome.’
‘Peter Sharp has a fantastic intellect and great strategic appreciation that allows him to consider every possible angle and advice clients accordingly.’
‘Chris Warren-Smith and Keir Baker are very good. Chris is a highly experienced partner who brings a level of maturity and calm reflection to complex situations. Keir is accomplished beyond his years, with impressive attention to detail.’
PCB Byrne
PCB Byrne is ‘an excellent firm for banking disputes’ with experience defending claims brought by leading banks. Asset recovery is a strength of the team, as are banking transaction-related cases, and shareholder liability claims. The head of the team Anthony Riem is a ‘dynamic force’, having acted for major financial institutions for thirty years. Trevor Mascarenhas is a ‘go-to for highly complex banking litigation’ and is integral to the team, as is Nick Ractliff, who has ‘great ability and experience’.
Practice head(s):
Anthony Riem
Other key lawyers:
Ben Davies; Anthony Riem; Trevor Mascarenhas; Nick Ractliff
Testimonials
‘PCB Byrne is an excellent firm for banking disputes. They think of innovative solutions to client problems.’
‘Anthony Riem is a dynamic force who knows how to get results for his clients.’
‘Ben Davies assists the client in identifying the crucial aspects to prepare the relevant ammunition to handle the case.’
‘Trevor Mascarenhas is our go-to for highly complex banking litigation. His client service is exemplary and he will go above and beyond to achieve the client’s result.’
‘Anthony Riem is a powerhouse in banking disputes with a fraud angle – enormously experienced and with unrivalled experience, his tactical and commercial judgment is invaluable.’
‘Trevor Mascarenhas possesses the full suite of talents of an outstanding litigator: commanding knowledge of the law, excellent judgement and a strategic brain. Having him on the team is like having a silk and a top-quality partner rolled into one.’
Nick Ractliff is a lawyer with great ability and experience when it comes to litigating banking disputes involving allegations of breaches of duty.’
Key clients
His Excellency Saeed Alqebaisi and Mr Khaleefa Almuhairi
Banco Sabadell
Invest Bank PSC
Deposit Guarantee Fund of Ukraine, as liquidator of National Credit Bank
Canara Bank
Victims of push payment frauds (including Biesterfeld Specialchemie GmbH, DB Cargo France, Newpoint Capital Limited and Sachsenwald Energy Group Gmbh)
Banco Nacional de Cuba
Work highlights
- Acting for Banco de Sabadell SA in a c.€350m commercial court action to in connection with the sale of the bank’s non-performing mortgage portfolio.
- Acting for Invest Bank PSC in the global enforcement of UAE judgments worth approximately $39m.
- Acting for the Banco Nacional de Cuba (as borrower) and the Republic of Cuba (as guarantor) in a c.€70m sovereign debt enforcement claim, brought in the Commercial Court.
Pinsent Masons LLP
Pinsent Masons LLP‘s practice routinely undertakes high-value banking litigation work for major clients in London, with experience in complex, cross-jurisdictional cases. Derivatives work is a mainstay of the practice, with partner Mike Hawthorne highly active in this area. Hawthorne leads the team alongside partner Stuart McNeill and legal director Jennifer Craven.
Practice head(s):
Stuart McNeill; Mike Hawthorne; Jennifer Craven
Other key lawyers:
Michael Reading; Laura Izzo
Testimonials
‘The team is always very ready to collaborate and provide innovative solutions ensuring efficiency and maintaining high standards.’
‘Mike Hawthorne is always a reliable, responsive, and co-operative partner’
‘Mike Hathorne is excellent – laser attention to detail on financial products and very easy to work with.’
Key clients
Dexia Crediop
Banca Intesa Sanpaolo
Work highlights
- Acting for Dexia Crediop and Intesa Sanpaolo in a claim against the City of Venice which was heard in a five week trial in June 2022 with a case value of EUR111m.
Seladore Legal
Seladore Legal is, for one client, ‘probably the best boutique practice to litigate for investors in massive cases’, with the team focusing on fraud and asset tracing as well as enforcement disputes. The nature of the firm allows the team to routinely act on the claimant side against multinational and state-owend institutions. Head of the team and highly commended Simon Bushell brings a ‘career’s worth of experience’ to a practice that also counts Gary Milner-Moore, Gareth Keillor, and Kevin Kilgour as key contacts.
Practice head(s):
Simon Bushell
Other key lawyers:
Gary Milner-Moore; Gareth Keillor; Kevin Kilgour
Testimonials
‘Probably the best boutique practice to litigate for investors in massive cases – they have the toughest litigators around who never take a backward step.’
‘Simon Bushell, Gary Milner-Moore, Kevin Kilgour, Gareth Keillor all deserve special mention – they come together with devastating effect.’
‘Seladore is a boutique litigation firm in the financial / commercial sector and in particular the fraud space; bringing real experience, senior hands on involvement, knowledge and dedication.’
‘Simon Bushell brings a career’s worth of experience; hands on partners Gary Milner-Moore, Gareth Keilor and Kevn Kilgour bring real detailed involvement, knowledge and skill.’
Work highlights
- Acting for liquidators in seeking English law avenues of recovery on behalf of a purported asset management vehicle whose clients were the victims of a sophisticated fraud carried out by its owner.
- Acting for one of multiple defendants in a huge multi-party fraud claim brought by the Kuwait Public Institution for Social Security against a host of banks and other financial institutions.
- Acting for a high-profile client in a case relating to a multi-million dollar investment in a US fund and advising on related potential claims against certain banks.
Squire Patton Boggs
Squire Patton Boggs offers a banking litigation practice that is ‘friendly, professional, and time efficient’, with vast experience in financial services, investment mis-selling litigation, complex finance litigation, and private equity disputes. The ‘very experienced professional’ Chris Webber leads the team. He has two decades of experience in financial service litigation. Further key contacts include Stephen Sampson, the national head of litigation, as well as Christian Toms and Hannah Laming.
Practice head(s):
Chris Webber
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Sampson; Christian Toms; Hannah Laming
Testimonials
‘The team is friendly, professional and time-efficient.’
‘We have worked with Chris Webber who comes across as a very experienced professional. He proposed the right strategy to be followed in terms of cost and likelihood of a successful outcome.’
Key clients
LMAX Limited
Manchester Building Society
Administrators of Duet Capital (Holdings) Limited
Robin Forster (owner of the Qualia Care group of companies)
Gallium Fund Solutions Limited
Independent Wealth Planners UK Ltd
Lloyds Banking Group
Close Brothers Asset Finance
Mortgage Express
Work highlights
- Acting for the founder and owner of the Qualia Care care homes group, in defence of proceedings brought by the FCA relating to allegations of operating unauthorised collective investment schemes.
- Acting for the administrators of Duet Capital to secure the recovery of assets in various locations worldwide following the discovery of a multi-million pound fraud.
- Acting for Gallium Fund Solutions Limited in relation to the collapse of the mini-bond issuer Basset & Gold, causing losses of c.£36m to investors.
Taylor Wessing LLP
The banking litigation practice at Taylor Wessing LLP acts on a wide variety of matters, with expertise in hedge fund and financial institution litigation, cryptocurrency disputes, and insolvency-related disputes. The team is able to rely on the experience of the fraud department of the firm, both domestically and internationally. Andrew Howell and Laurence Lieberman lead the practice, the latter with specific expertise in life sciences and financial services. Richard Viegas and Nick Storrs are also noted.
Practice head(s):
Andrew Howell; Laurence Lieberman
Other key lawyers:
Richard Viegas; Nick Storrs
Key clients
White Oak
MUUST Holdings
Work highlights
- Advising White Oak regarding recovery of funds following its purchase of receivables through a structure operated by Greensill Capital UK Limited which collapsed into administration in 2021.
- Acting for MUSST Holdings in its successful claims for breach of contract against leading hedge fund Astra Asset Management.
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP‘s banking litigation practice consists of ‘very capable litigators‘, acting for clients across the full spectrum of disputes related to financial institutions, including derivatives, securitisations, and acquisition finance. Mis-selling cases, and providing advice to financial service providers who are under investigation by the FCA are also strengths of the unit. Team leader Andrew Burnette has a practice focusing on company and shareholder litigation, with in-depth knowledge of the banking sector. Further key contacts include David Hall and Matthew Walker.
Practice head(s):
Andrew Burnette
Other key lawyers:
David Hall; Matthew Walker
Testimonials
‘Very capable litigators.’
Key clients
Financial Services Compensation Scheme Limited
Astrel Point Zero and Astrel 1
Work highlights
- Advised an alternative lender on a claim against Cushman & Wakefield for negligent overvaluation of two high-value residential properties in London.
Foot Anstey
Foot Anstey‘s banking and finance litigation practice has widespread expertise across fraud, regulatory and compliance, and payment disputes. SME disputes and recoveries, enforcements, and receivership work are further areas of strength for the practice. Mark Rhys-Jones, James Gliddon, and Steven Richards make up the leadership team.
Practice head(s):
Mark Rhys-Jones; James Gliddon; Steven Richards
Work highlights
Keidan Harrison
‘Up-and-coming boutique firm‘ Keidan Harrison acts for domestic and international businesses, private equity funds, and high-net-worth individuals on a range of banking litigation-related matters. Disputes related to loan repayments, crypto, and enforcement actions brought by banks are areas of activity for the team. The ‘enormously driven, hugely innovative, charismatic and energetic‘ Marc Keidan leads the team alongside Luke Tucker Harrison.
Practice head(s):
Marc Keidan; Luke Tucker Harrison
Other key lawyers:
Srishti Jain
Testimonials
‘KH are an up-and-coming boutique firm. Marc Keidan has huge expertise in developing a small firm and he has broadened out beyond his traditional banking practice.’
‘There is real hunger from the firm when developing relationships across all levels. They recruit not just good lawyers but good business people and they fully understand the demands of each sector and the benefits of working as a team.’
‘Excellent boutique, conflicts-free, highly experienced banking litigation team, lead by the indefatigable Mark Keidan.’
‘Marc Keidan is unique: enormously driven, hugely innovative, charismatic and energetic. If there is a difficult case to be won against an awkward bank, Marc is your man.’
‘Boutique with specialist experience and finger on the pulse. Luke Harrison and associate Srishti Jain are at the forefront of developments by attending conferences. Excellent to work with and handle the clients very well indeed.’
‘Luke Harrison and Srishti Jain are both excellent.’
‘The firm has expertise in banking litigation and is able to act against banks, whereas most city firms would not be prepared to do so.’
‘Worked with Mark Keidan who was fast and reliable and most of all has a talent to foresee the moves of the opponents.’
Key clients
MSP Capital Ltd
The Saadat-Yazdi family and companies
Work highlights
- Advising a German insolvency practitioneR, in relation to the Euro 900m defence of a claim brought by a Luxembourg entity controlled by Triton Partners.
- Representing two Kuwaiti HNW individuals in relation to £50m enforcement proceedings in the English Commercial Court.
- Advising the administrators from Begbies Traynor in relation to £5m administration of the estate of a wealthy entrepreneur.
Wallace LLP
The banking litigation practice at Wallace LLP consists of ‘exceptional thinkers who are detailed, thoughtful, and pragmatic with a focus on their clients’. The team regularly acts on complex, multi-jurisdictional banking and financial service disputes, and has impressive group litigation capabilities. The ‘tactically astute’ Alexander Weinberg leads the team, and is commended for his ‘excellent knowledge of procedure, including of litigation funding’. Also of note are Oli Goldman, and at associate level, Philip Blyghton, who is ‘extremely efficient and industrious’.
Practice head(s):
Alexander Weinberg
Other key lawyers:
Oli Goldman; Philip Blyghton
Testimonials
‘A team that punches well above its weight, with good prioritisation of resources and excellent at keeping across multiple workstreams.’
‘Alexander and Phil are not only capable lawyers but excellent team players who have astute commercial judgment and the client’s interests firmly in mind.’
‘Alexander Weinberg is an outstanding partner who is laser-focused on the strategic aspect of litigation and achieving a desirable outcome for his clients. He had an excellent understanding of procedure, including litigation funding.’
‘Philip Blyghton is an extremely efficient and industrious associate who can almost single-handedly manage large-scale litigation, including group litigation.’
‘Alexander Weinberg is very clever, creative on strategy, tenacious, excellent judgment, personable. One of the brightest, most tactically astute London commercial litigation partners I have worked with. Leaves in the dust most of his counterparts at the top firms.’
‘The banking litigation team at Wallace is getting stronger by the year.’
‘Philip Blyghton and Alexander Weinberg have an unfaltering attention to detail whilst remaining commercial and pragmatic.’
‘Exceptional thinkers, detailed, thoughtful, pragmatic with a focus on their clients.’
Key clients
Retail investors in the LF Woodford Equity Income Fund
RGL Management Limited
Mothercare UK Limited (in liquidation)
Viking Office UK Limited
DS Remco UK Limited (in liquidation)
Signet Trading Limited
The Ambassadors Theatre Group Limited
Maplin Electronics Limited (in administration)
BSCL Realisations Limited (in liquidation)
The Caravan Club Limited
Encore Tickets Limited
Work highlights
- Acting for a claimant group comprising thousands of retail investors in the LF Woodford Equity Income Fund who have issued High Court claims against Hargreaves Lansdown and Link Fund Solutions.
- Acting for a prominent claimant group, including a number of well-known high street retailers, in claims against MasterCard and Visa in relation to the unlawful fixing of interchange fees valued in excess of £100m.
Zaiwalla & Co
Boutique firm Zaiwalla & Co has ‘excellent experience in complex international banking disputes‘, acting regularly for and against major state banks. Team head Sarosh Zaiwalla has over 40 years of experience in multi-jurisdictional banking litigation, with particular expertise in international sanctions-related matters. ‘Expert lawyer’ Leigh Crestohl and ‘standout partner‘ Kartik Mittal are also noted.
Practice head(s):
Sarosh Zaiwalla
Other key lawyers:
Leigh Crestohl; Kartik Mittal; Stephanie Limaco
Testimonials
‘Sarosh Zaiwalla is a great senior lawyer and his work leading the whole firm is very good.’
‘I have had the privilege of working with 3 outstanding partners – Kartik Mittal, Leigh Crestohl and Sarosh Zaiwalla, who heads the firm. I would highly recommend each of them.’
‘A boutique firm with excellent experience in complex international banking disputes for overseas clients.’
‘Kartik Mittal is the standout partner, part of a new generation at the firm.’
‘Leigh Cresthol is an expert lawyer that gives amazing and concrete recommendations on legal issues.’
‘Stephanie Limaco is an amazing lawyer and her expertise in both Spanish and English is helpful to us as clients.’
‘A truly unique firm led by Sarosh Zaiwalla and backed by a very talented dedicated team. The firm provides 360 degree client care to some of the most commercial clients litigating in London today.’
Key clients
Central Bank of Venezuela (BoE)
Central Bank of Venezuela (DB)
Wanbury
Individuals involved in the establishment of a Cryptocurrency banking enterprise in Malta
Work highlights
- Representing the client bank in relation to its dispute with the Bank of England (BOE) arising from BOE’s refusal to facilitate the transfer of €930m of the value of gold held in a metals account.
- Acted for Wanbury Limited to provide advice in relation to a deed of variation that it intended to enter with the State Bank of India (SBI).