Charles Russell Speechlys LLP‘s ’fraud team has an amazing skillset and wide-ranging technical competence and expertise’. The London team regularly pursues and defends large-scale civil fraud claims (and related asset recovery actions) across multiple jurisdictions. It also carries out investigations where clients (including insolvency office holders) suspect they are victims to wrongdoing. The group additionally has extensive experience in obtaining and resisting emergency relief in relation to cross-border fraud cases, including freezing orders, injunctions, and search orders, and it liaises with criminal authorities and law enforcement agencies where appropriate. The practice’s client base ranges from multinational businesses, regulators, central banks and governments, to corporate investors, insolvency practitioners, and HNW individuals and their family offices. Team head Stewart Hey handles a range of cross-border fraud disputes and investigations; Charlotte Pender‘s track record encompasses high-value banking and fraud cases; Caroline Greenwell’s disputes work covers misrepresentations, wrongful acts, civil fraud asset tracing, and bribery and corruption allegations; and Rhys Novak ‘vigorously seeks to advance his client’s interests’. Other key team members are Abigail Rushton, Lucy Wicksteed and Peter Carlyon, who all act in multi-jurisdictional fraud cases.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The breadth of areas that the fraud team covers at CRS is unbelievable.’
‘The fraud team has an amazing skillset and wide-ranging technical competence and expertise.’
‘Extremely good, and able to manage and prosecute cases efficiently and effectively. The quality of associates on the team is also uniformly excellent.’
‘Stewart Hey’s team is young and dynamic, and very well known among fraud litigators for offshore work - very highly regarded.’
‘Stewart Hey, Caroline Greenwell and Lucy Wicksteed are tremendous team players and technical experts on a broad range of matters. They are responsive, day and night, no matter which continent - truly amazing to work with collaboratively on cross-border legal matters.’
- ‘Stewart Hey has a wonderful quality of actively developing the next generation. He is an empowering leader for his team.’
‘Caroline Greenwell and Abigail Rushton are great team players, show great judgment, and are very likeable. They clearly have great client skills as well.'
‘Rhys Novak is a smart, personable, assertive and pragmatic litigator who vigorously seeks to advance his client's interests. Charlotte Pender is brilliant too.’
Key clients
- Central Bank of Bahrain
- Gulf Air
- Grant Thornton
- Begbies Traynor
- Moore Kingston Smith
- Ocorian Trust
- Shaw Industries
- RSM
- FRP Advisory
Work highlights
Retained by Bilta (UK) (in liquidation) and its appointed liquidators in the retrial of a landmark fraud case.
Defending John Mason, who was recently acquitted of a corruption charge against him, following a high-profile three-month jury trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Successfully acted for a former employee of a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, which (together with ENI) was alleged to have engaged in international bribery and corruption, in relation to a 2011 settlement of various disputes concerning the rights to a deepwater oil block off the coast of Nigeria.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next generation partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Stewart Hey
Other key lawyers
Charlotte Pender; Caroline Greenwell; Rhys Novak; Abigail Rushton; Lucy Wicksteed; Peter Carlyon; James Hyne; Joseph Evans; Jamie Tilling