Humphries Kerstetter LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

Humphries Kerstetter LLP
St Bartholomew House
92 Fleet Street
EC4Y 1DH
England

Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market Tier 1

City litigation boutique Humphries Kerstetter LLP consistently acts in sizeable commercial disputes, on behalf of clients from a range of industry sectors, such as financial services, energy, defence, insurance, and IT. The practice also acts in commercial litigation involving international trade, Pharma, telecoms, media, construction, and extractive projects. Managing partner James Russell's experience encompasses commercial and financial disputes that frequently comprise trust and company law issues; senior partner Kristopher Kerstetter’s recent work includes High Court proceedings to enforce an arbitration award; Joanna Pearson is 'definitely someone clients want on their side'; Toby Starr has extensive experience in cases involving complex damages issues; and Robert Javin-Fisher acts for both claimants and defendants in major claims. Founder and former senior partner Mark Humphries, who routinely advises on complex cases, is a consultant since April 2022; and Chris Louth, a January 2023 recruit from Rosenblatt, and Harriet Bush are experienced managing associates.

Practice head(s):

James Russell

Testimonials

Extraordinary attention to detail and all staff are extremely empathetic.’

‘An eclectic mix of staff offers huge breadth of expertise. Extraordinarily knowledgeable – 100% grasp of commerciality.’

‘HK is capable of providing a Magic Circle level of expertise and service with a much smaller, more flexible team.’

‘James Russell is undoubtedly one of the most able solicitors around. He combines a rigorous and analytic legal mind with a highly commercial approach to achieve great results for his clients.’

‘Joanna Pearson provides outstanding client service. She gives excellent advice and creates a great team to achieve the best outcome for the client.’

‘Joanna Pearson is definitely someone clients want on their side.’

‘Chris Louth is an accomplished, knowledgeable and passionate litigation lawyer.’

‘Chris Louth has a firm grasp of the intricacies of commercial litigation and shareholder disputes. He provides invaluable advice at pre-trial stages.’

Key clients

Uro Property Holdings

J García Carrión

Eville & Jones (Group)

Co-operative Group

JD Wetherspoons

Coral Racing

Harvey Nichols Group

Associated Independent Stores

Work highlights

  • Acting for Uro Property Holdings (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Banco Santander) in a dispute with BNP Paribas concerning the acceleration of a €1.3bn securitised loan, allegedly giving rise to a €250m bond make-whole payment.
  • Acted for J García Carrión, one of the largest global wine retailers in the world, in a dispute with Goldman Sachs that arose out of ultra vires foreign exchange derivative transactions (entered into by its former finance director).
  • Acting for around 700 claimants in claims against MasterCard and Visa, arising from the interchange fees that merchants incur.

Dispute resolution > Group litigation: Claimant Tier 4

Litigation boutique Humphries Kerstetter LLP acts on complex commercial disputes, with significant experience in the class action space. Competition group litigation is a key strength of the team, having notably acted in the high-profile MasterCard and Visa interchange fees proceedings. Solicitor-advocate Toby Starr leads the team, with specific expertise in financial misselling and fraud claims. Key to the practice are consultant Mark Humphries, who co-founded the firm in 2009 after a long career at Linklaters LLP, and managing partner James Russell.

Practice head(s):

Toby Starr

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Toby Starr is a highly experienced litigator – unflappable, with a friendly manner and very easy to deal with.’

‘Toby Starr is a dogged and highly efficient partner who has an excellent understanding of competition practice and law.’

‘James Russell is exceptional. Highly competent and extremely knowledgeable.’

‘James Russell 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.’

‘James Russell is excellent and hands on. Approachable and friendly.’

Work highlights

  • Acting for around 700 claimants in claims against MasterCard and Visa arising out of the interchange fees that the merchants incur.
  • Acting for the former director of Ofcom as the proposed class representative for 130,000 UK publishers of websites and mobile apps against Google.
  • Acting for a group of bondholders to investigate and pursue claims on their behalf arising out of the collapse of Blackmore Bond Plc.

Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 5

Despite its boutique status, the team at Humphries Kerstetter LLPprovides 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:

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.

Dispute resolution > International arbitration

At City litigation boutique Humphries Kerstetter LLP, senior partner and arbitration specialist Kristopher Kerstetter routinely represents companies in major disputes, in relation to energy, telecoms, financial services, media, insurance, and industrial projects.

Since HK’s establishment in 2009, our clients have trusted us with their most important and difficult business disputes and investigations. Many of our clients are referred to us by full-service international law firms, foreign lawyers and senior members of the English Bar.

We work with clients from a diverse range of industry sectors including financial services, energy, defence, insurance, information technology, international trade, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, media, construction, and extractive projects. Given the backgrounds of our  partners, the firm enjoys a particularly strong banking and financial services client base, acting for and against investment banks, private equity houses and fund management companies.

We have particular experience in managing international disputes that require proceedings in foreign courts, arbitration in an international forum, the application of foreign law or the involvement of sovereign state parties. Where matters of foreign law arise we partner with similar market-leading firms with the necessary expertise in the relevant jurisdictions.

Our partners are experienced and technically excellent lawyers all having come from London-based large international law firms.

A number of our lawyers are experienced solicitor-advocates; James Russell and Toby Starr have conducted High Court trials as advocates, and Kris Kerstetter and Robert Javin-Fisher have conducted final arbitration hearings as advocates.

We are conflict-free due to our specialisation in commercial dispute resolution.

Client service: Excellent client service is at the heart of everything we do.

Disputes happen. In today’s fast-paced world, legal issues can arise unexpectedly and evolve rapidly. When they do, we are here to guide our clients through to a resolution, utilising our wealth of experience in the conduct of high-value and complex commercial litigation and arbitration across a range of sectors. We are also at home with the strategic and commercial planning that takes place long before, or instead of, a dispute reaching a court or tribunal.

Our team is dedicated to achieving optimal outcomes through meticulous preparation, innovative problem-solving, and adept negotiation skills. We are relentless in our pursuit of justice and fairness, always seeking to resolve conflicts in a manner that is both efficient and satisfactory for all parties involved. By upholding these values, we foster an environment of trust and respect, which is conducive to reaching resolution. We have an excellent track record of achieving successful outcomes for our clients, whether that be by final determination of the dispute by a court or tribunal or through settlement. Most of our cases are resolved without the need for trials.

No two cases are the same. Recognising that behind every case are individuals facing significant challenges, we offer compassionate, personalised support that respects their needs and perspectives. Many of our lawyers have lived and worked overseas. We understand the influence that local culture can have on the conduct and resolution of disputes, and we adapt our advice and strategy accordingly.

Our lawyers are adept at tailoring our strategies to suit the unique needs of each client and situation. We are not afraid to think outside the box and explore creative commercial solutions to achieve our clients’ objectives. We pride ourselves on our flexibility and agility in handling our clients’ disputes.

Partner availability and personal engagement on all our cases is a key feature of our practice. We avoid inefficiencies and unnecessary cost by deploying streamlined teams dedicated to the case at hand.

Our team is committed to providing a prompt and efficient service, ensuring that our clients’ needs are addressed in a timely manner. Whether it is responding to urgent inquiries or meeting tight deadlines, you can count on us to be there when you need us most.

Our hourly rates are highly competitive relative to other City law firms and litigation boutiques. We use all forms of alternative fee arrangements and are willing to share risk with our clients in appropriate cases.

The firm has consistently been recognised for the quality of its work and client service. We are regularly ranked in The Legal 500 for our expertise in litigation, and are ranked as “Top Tier” for our work in Commercial Litigation (mid-market). Additionally, we have been shortlisted three times by The Lawyer for Boutique Law Firm of the Year, and by Legal Business for Litigation Team of the Year.

Commercial itigation: We have vast experience of court litigation in all levels of the English higher courts. We are also often instructed to manage court litigation relating to international disputes taking place in off-shore or other foreign jurisdictions.

We work closely with our clients in pursuing their commercial objectives in many types of disputes that are subject to court litigation including those that concern:

  • Banking and financial services
  • Companies (including shareholders and directors)
  • Commercial contracts
  • Competition (private enforcement actions) and group action (please see our Collective Redress page for further details)
  • Fraud and corruption
  • IT and technology
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Licensing and distribution
  • International trade
  • Shipping
  • Insurance and reinsurance
  • Mergers and acquisitions (including claims relating to completion accounts and warranties)
  • Funds and private equity
  • Private international law
  • Professional negligence (particularly accountants and lawyers)
  • Senior executive compensation and poaching

International arbitration: We have extensive expertise in acting for clients in arbitrations under all the major international sets of arbitration rules and involving multiple systems of law or even general principles of international law. We develop global strategies and assemble case-specific teams of sophisticated international lawyers in all relevant jurisdictions to handle the most complex cross-border cases. We also act both for and in opposition to sovereign states. We cover all aspects of international disputes including the enforcement of awards wherever counterparties have their assets.

Our expertise includes advising in relation to:

  • Mergers and acquisitions (including completion accounts and warranties)
  • Complex sale, licencing and distribution agreements
  • Joint ventures
  • Investment treaty disputes
  • Industrial projects
  • Government contracts
  • Financial instruments
  • International trade

This experience spans numerous industry sectors including:

  • Oil and gas
  • Mining and minerals
  • Defence
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Shipping
  • Media and telecommunications
  • Financial services
  • International services and consultancy contracts
  • Construction

Our partners also accept appointments to act as arbitrators in domestic or international commercial disputes.

Collective redress: HK is a leading London law firm active in ‘class action’ work. Our mandates are typically for businesses and other organisations as claimants against other businesses (although as a firm we remain generally open to acting for claimants and defendants). We work with litigation funders and ATE insurers as appropriate to meet our clients’ requirements and are familiar with market norms for documentation and pricing.

We are currently instructed on behalf of the claimants/proposed class representative in actions concerning Google and Blackmore Bond.

We are actively engaged in a number of further class actions in technology, data and financial services.

HK has an established reputation in this field, being particularly well-known for acting for and ultimately settling the claims of a large group of 700 merchants, local authorities and others in the interchange fees litigation against Mastercard and Visa. The firm has also worked on the investigation or pursuit of class actions involving a range of fraudulent and reckless investment schemes, failed SIPP and property investments, data breaches, failed tax schemes and ‘stock drop’ claims, amongst other work.

We have the legal knowledge, the funding and insurance connections, and the team strength to handle class actions effectively. This means our clients do not need to pay unless and until recoveries are made and only pay out of those recoveries for our fees and all necessary disbursements. We prepare cases to fight to trial but aim to reach earlier settlements in the interests of all concerned.

Investigations: We have performed many internal investigations for clients in a number of sectors. We have advised and represented clients in regulatory investigations and disciplinary and enforcement proceedings such as before the Financial Conduct Authority, the Upper Tribunal and the Financial Reporting Council. We have acted for individuals and institutions in relation to high profile international regulatory investigations including interest rate, FX and overseas corrupt payments.

Representative mandates include conducting an investigation into financial reporting irregularities for a multi-national; an investigation into allegations of bullying and inappropriate conduct by a bank CEO; and an internal investigation of a major utility company in connection with compliance with safety requirements in North Sea oil and gas exploration and storage.

Department Name Email Telephone
Commercial litigation and arbitration Kristopher Kerstetter [email protected] +44 207 632 6902
Commercial litigation and arbitration Joanna Pearson [email protected] +44 207 438 1125
Commercial litigation and arbitration Toby Starr [email protected] +44 203 960 3990
Commercial litigation and arbitration James Russell [email protected] +44 207 632 6904
Commercial litigation and arbitration Robert Javin-Fisher [email protected] +44 207 438 1129
Photo Name Position Profile
Robert Javin-Fisher photo Mr Robert Javin-Fisher Robert Javin-Fisher is a partner and solicitor-advocate at HK. Rob has over…
Kristopher  Kerstetter photo Mr Kristopher Kerstetter Kristopher Kerstetter is the senior partner of HK with over twenty years’…
Joanna Pearson photo Joanna Pearson Joanna Pearson is the managing partner at HK with 23 years’ experience…
James Russell photo Mr James Russell James Russell is a partner at HK with 20 years’ experience of…
Toby Starr photo Mr Toby Starr Toby Starr is a partner and solicitor-advocate at HK with 30 years’…
Partners : 5
Consultants : 2
Other fee earners : 17
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