David O'Brien > Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP‘s practice is active in several specialist areas beyond general commercial litigation, including international disputes; group actions involving professional negligence and financial mis-selling; banking and finance litigation; defamation and reputation management; and digital asset disputes and cybercrime. Additional key areas are insolvency, health and safety/product liability claims, HNW-related disputes, and IP/IT matters. Clare Arthurs heads the litigation team, which features international litigation leader Richard Marshall, who is ‘fiercely bright‘; IP & IT disputes head Phillip D’Costa; and cross-border disputes expert Alex Fox. The second line of partners showcases Michael Brown, who acts in financial services-related commercial disputes; David O’Brien, who ‘sees points that others would not‘; and Kamran Rehman, a 2021 recruit from Shakespeare Martineau LLP. Charlotte Hill, Oliver Cooke and Laura Coleclough are experienced senior associates, while former practice head Rustam Dubash retired from the partnership during 2022, but remains a consultant.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is focused on group action claims against solicitors and on claims for and against construction professionals. The professional negligence team is led by David Niven, working alongside David O’Brien. Niven acts for claimants in high value, multi-party actions against solicitors and other professionals, while O’Brien – ‘a standout performer’ – specialises in complex commercial and financial disputes. Senior associate Nicole Blakey is described as ‘a star, fantastic to work with – very clever but also approachable and kind.’