Richard Garcia > Stephenson Harwood > London, England > Lawyer Profile

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’.

Stephenson Harwood‘s London office routinely represents governments and state-owned companies in their most important PIL matters. The team also comprises financial sanctions expertise, and stands out for its experience in Africa-related issues. PIL leader and head of the Africa and India groups, Kamal Shah, has ‘a strong skill set‘; Sue Millar leads the sanctions group; Rovine Chandrasekera acts in investor-state arbitrations; Ben Sigler is ‘an excellent lawyer‘; and Richard Garcia‘s broad practice includes jurisdictional challenges and freezing orders. Of counsel Stephen Ashley is an expert in EU and UK sanctions.

The widely lauded team at Stephenson Harwood is described as ‘really experienced and technically excellent’ by one client, with the practice fielding particular strength in cross-border disputes. Large corporate, joint venture, and partnership disputes across the energy, financial services, shipping, aviation, and real estate sectors are mainstays of the practice. At leadership level, ‘knowledgeable’ head of team Richard Garcia routinely ‘seeks to go the extra miles for his clients’. ‘Force of nature’ Sue Millar is a key name to note, as are ‘absolute star’ Genevieve Quierin and ‘extremely clever and astute’ Stephen Ashley, with Millar recognised for her impressive sanctions-related expertise. The team has grown significantly with the arrival with Dan Smith from Latham & Watkins in June 2022, Michael Bywell from Hausfeld & Co LLP in January 2023, and Peter Dalton from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in February 2023.