Lucy Ward > Stewarts Law LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Stewarts Law LLP Offices

Stewarts Law LLP
5 NEW STREET SQUARE
LONDON
EC4A 3BF
England
Visit website 020 7822 8000 020 7822 8037

Lucy Ward

Lucy Ward photo
+44 (0)20 7822 8149 [email protected]

Work Department

Commercial Litigation and Securities Litigation

Position

Lucy is a commercial disputes expert specialising in banking and financial services litigation and fraud. She has particular expertise advising institutional investors in complex securities litigation and high value disputes. Lucy is ranked in the Legal 500 as a ‘Next Generation Partner’. She was the lead partner in one of The Lawyer’s top 20 cases for 2020 and described as a “heavy hitter”.

Lucy co-heads the commercial litigation department. Lucy’s clients include institutional investors and financial institutions, corporates, high net worth individuals and sovereign wealth funds.

Her experience covers complicated multiparty cases (including group litigation) in relation to mis-selling of complex financial products, s90 FSMA, professional negligence, breach of contract and fraud.  With experience acting for and against banks, Lucy is able to anticipate opponents’ strategy.  Her work often involves multi-jurisdictional issues.

A selection of Lucy’s key cases include:

  • Acting for 313 institutional investors in the first group securities litigation of its kind in England in a claim against RBS regarding its 2008 rights issue.
  • Acting for Portigon AG (a legacy entity of WestLB) against RBS in a claim for breach of contract, negligence and misrepresentation in relation to CPDO notes.
  • Acting for the investment authority of Ras Al Khaimah (RAKIA) in a claim against a businessman for fraudulent misrepresentation, conspiracy and breach of contract and defending allegations of hacking and abuse of process.
  • Acting for RAKIA in RAKIA (& Ors) v Bestfort Development LLP (& Ors) [2017] EWCA Civ 1014, in which the Court of Appeal clarified the test required for the existence of assets in an application for a worldwide freezing order.
  • Acting for an IT services company in a contractual dispute.
  • Acting for 83 bankers in a successful claim against Dresdner Kleinwort and Commerzbank over unpaid bonuses (Attrill & others v Dresdner Kleinwort and Commerzbank [2012] EWHC 1189 (QB)).
  • Acting for the successful defendant in a claim relating to an alleged written agreement (Gaydamak v Leviev [2012] EWHC 1740 (Ch)).

Career

Lucy joined Stewarts in 2011, having previously trained and worked at Freshfields. She was promoted to partner at Stewarts in 2018.

Personal

Lucy enjoys skiing, exploring new cities, spending time with her two children and good food.

Lawyer Rankings

London > Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail

(Leading partners)

Lucy Ward – Stewarts Law LLP

Representing financial institutions, companies, multi-national corporations, and high-net-worth individuals, Stewarts Law LLP’s ‘dynamic’ banking litigation team advises on disputes related to financial instruments and structures. In addition to its strength in claimant work, the group is also seeing an increase in defence instructions, particularly acting for foreign banks. Lucy Ward and Mo Bhaskaran took over from Clive Zietman, who retired in May 2024, as practice co-heads in April 2023. Keith Thomas is an expert in securities litigation and experienced in advising on shareholder claims. Alex Jay leads the firm’s insolvency and asset recovery team and Elaina Bailes is active, including in offshore jurisdictions, fraud and asset recovery, and financial services and securities litigation. Laura Jenkins’ clientele ranges from individuals to corporations, while Sophie Lalor-Harbord has experience acting both for and against banks.

London > Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium

With ‘great strength in depth‘, boutique litigation and conflict-free firm Stewarts Law LLP is regularly called upon to act against major banks and financial institutions. Lucy Ward leads the team, along with Mo Bhaskaran, while Keith Thomas is head of the firm’s securities litigation practice. Elaina Bailes excels in fraud and asset recovery and financial services and securities litigation, while Lorraine Lanceley has experience acting for both claimants and defendants. Clive Zietman retired in May 2024. Ian Gatt KC left to join Brick Court Chambers.

Yorkshire and the Humber > Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire

Co-led by Mo Bhaskaran and Lucy Ward, Stewarts Law LLP‘s roster of high-value commercial disputes includes international fraud claims and major cases argued before the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the Supreme Court. Bhaskaran and Nick Haworth are key figures behind the team’s strength in fraud and corruption cases. Haworth’s work in this area includes asset tracing, asset preservation and document disclosure. Kate Pollock has a proven track record in competition litigation. Ed Holmes and Andrew Robson further extend the contentious expertise at the firm.

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