Efstathios Michael > Slaughter and May > London, England > Lawyer Profile

The disputes and investigations group at Slaughter and May handles insurance and reinsurance disputes for UK insurers, regularly advising clients on potential liability claims and policy coverage. Efstathios Michael is a key name to note and advises on both sides of the table, assisting insurers, reinsurers and brokers as well as policyholders. Damian Taylor is well versed in business interruption claims. Nupur Upadhyay focuses on advising corporate clients and financial institutions on insurance claims.

Providing a ‘consistency of quality that is unprecedented’, Slaughter and May represents global corporations, financial institutions and governments in high-value, technically demanding disputes, in which allegations of fraud are key features. Richard Swallow heads the disputes and investigations group; Jonathan Cotton is experienced in disputes and investigations involving wrongdoing allegations; Efstathios Michael is ‘an amazing lawyer’; and Damian Taylor acts in a range of civil fraud matters. The next line of key practitioners comprises Peter Wickham and Megan Sandler, whose wide-ranging practices include fraud investigations, and Tahlia Brysha-Pullen, who has notable experience in high-value civil claims involving bribery and corruption allegations.

Richard Swallow leads the commercial litigation team at Slaughter and May, which boasts a successful track record in multijurisdictional corporate litigation. The practice’s stellar clientele spans various sectors, including energy, manufacturing and financial services. Efstathios Michael boasts a broad commercial litigation practice – with a particular focus on multi-party disputes and mass claims – alongside Camilla Sanger. Damian Taylor plays a lead role on a number of key matters, advising on distribution, contractual and damages disputes and Richard Jeens is praised by clients. Jonathan Clark represents corporations across a range of sectors in both commercial and competition litigation and Jonathan Cotton co-heads the global investigation group and advises on contentious aspects of corporate transactions. Peter Wickham‘s diverse roster of clients includes a number of corporations and financial institutions; he has particular experience in energy and natural resources disputes. Smriti Sriram, who was promoted to partner in May 2023, Holly Ware, and Megan Sandler are other names to note.

Acting for leading global companies and financial institutions in complex and strategically significant arbitrations, Slaughter and May‘s ‘international arbitration practice goes from strength to strength’. The group’s sector expertise ranges from energy and infrastructure to healthcare and financial services. The team is co-led by James Stacey, whose ‘client management skills and strategic acumen are superb’, and infrastructure and energy sector specialist Damian Taylor. The practice further includes Efstathios Michael, who regularly acts in ICC, LCIA and SIAC arbitrations, and dispute resolution expert Jonathan Clark. Other names to note are infrastructure, energy and natural resources disputes practitioner Peter Wickham, and commercial dispute resolution specialist Megan Sandler.