Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP is, for one client, the ‘top litigation firm in London’, with ’quality at every level’. The practice boasts extensive experience spanning a wide range of sectors, including energy, private equity, and TMT, among others. Class actions are a particular strength of the team, with ‘top tier’ Alan Watts a specialist in this area. Fellow practice co-chair Paul Lewis is noted for his ’incredible depth of experience’. The ‘highly intelligent’ Natasha Johnson specialises in handling leading multi-party disputes, while Rachel Lidgate has particular knowledge of TMT, consumer, and energy work. Chris Bushell is praised as a ’very experienced and sagacious individual’, while Gregg Rowan, a highly experienced class actions lawyer, has recently worked on major mandates for tech multinationals and major retailers. Julian Copeman is well regarded for his ‘wealth of experience, sound judgment and adept(ness) at handling complex commercial litigation.' Other key individuals within the team include Charlotte Benton, noted for her track record in financial services work, and Angela Liu, whose recent engagements include mandates for major automotive manufacturers and investment firms.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Top litigation firm in London. Quality at every level. A pleasure to work with.’
‘Rupert Lewis: the ideal partner in every way. Hardworking. Excellent analysis and strategy. Good client management and team supervision. Julian Copeman: very experienced litigator.’
‘Chris Bushell is a go-to partner for any commercial litigation. A very experienced and sagacious individual. John Whiteoak brings order to the chaos and is unfazed by the huge complexity. A brilliant litigation partner.’
‘Absolutely first rate. One of the few firms which is large enough, experienced enough and has the strength in depth to manage the largest litigation whilst still maintaining excellent client contact and a superb quality of work.’
‘The individuals I have worked with are extremely hardworking and knowledgeable, pairing a deep understanding of the legal and procedural position with commerciality and practicality. Christopher Cox and Richard Mendoza are both excellent, as are Natasha Johnson and John Whiteoak.’
‘The commercial litigation team at Herbert Smith Freehills (Kramer) LLP maintains their top-ranking standards this year, based on the high quality of work they continue to instruct us on. They have a standout disputes team and are active in the full suite of high-profile matters.'
Key clients
- TPG Group Holdings (SBS), LP and other TPG entities
- Amazon
- Jinxin Inc, an offshore special purpose vehicle formed between the China Everbright Group (a Chinese state-owned financial services company) and Baofeng (a Chinese online entertainment company)
- AerCap Ireland Limited and its group companies/subsidiaries
- Mercedes-Benz Group including Mercedes Benz UK
- Various Toyota entities and their authorised UK dealerships
- Virgin Enterprises Limited
- CNH Industrial, Iveco Group N.V. and Stellantis (together "Iveco")
- Bernard Charles Ecclestone
- Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited and Hipgnosis Song Management Limited
Work highlights
Advising TPG, a global private equity house, on a US$13.8 billion claim filed by a jailed Russian oligarch against the TPG Defendants and 15 other defendants.
Acting for Mercedes-Benz, together with its group companies and several dozen independent authorised dealerships, in defending High Court claims brought in relation to diesel NOx emissions.
Advising Amazon on its defence of a competition class action (CPO). The Potential Class Representative (PCR), Robert Hammond, is seeking to bring the claims on behalf of over 50 million Amazon customers in the UK.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
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.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Paul Lewis; Alan Watts
Other key lawyers
Natasha Johnson; Rachel Lidgate; Chris Bushell; Gregg Rowan; Julian Copeman; Christopher Cox; Richard Mendoza; Charlotte Benton; Angela Liu