Civil Fraud, Asset Tracing and Recovery

Representing a Middle Eastern HNW individual in a multi-million USD claim against a Middle Eastern oil & gas engineering and construction company concerning unlawful misappropriation of assets.

Representing Privinvest, a world leader in naval shipbuilding, in a USD 3.1bn high-profile, complex Commercial Court claim (now on appeal to the Court of Appeal) brought by the Republic of Mozambique against Credit Suisse, Privinvest, and others. The claim relates to supply agreements and supporting financial instruments and guarantees entered into by state-owned enterprises dedicated to the development of Mozambique’s offshore Exclusive Economic Zone and supporting international investment into its oil and gas reserves. The claim engages allegations of bribery of Mozambican government officials. An appeal on issues of sovereign immunity featured in The Lawyer's Top 10 Appeals of 2024. Following judgment against Privinvest (though in which most of Mozambique's allegations failed), Privinvest obtained permission to appeal on numerous grounds, including on whether a fair trial was possible in light of established disclosure breaches by Mozambique. The appeal is listed to be heard by the Court of Appeal in June 2026.

Advising an individual in respect of potential breach of duty claims against him valued in excess of GBP 80m, as well as criminal proceedings. This matter concerns an allegedly corrupt scheme by which unauthorised secret commissions were paid via financial institutions and intermediaries in respect of investments by a fund. The case involves allegations of bribery and compliance failings.

Advising a group of claimants in relation to a representative action with value of several hundred million USD against a global cryptocurrency exchange and involving allegations of misrepresentation, fraud and dishonesty.

Representing the spouse who was involved in parallel matrimonial proceedings in the UK in a legal battle to uncover high-value assets allegedly hidden through trust entities in Gibraltar and in other offshore jurisdictions to reduce the marital asset pot available for distribution. This matter involved applications for freezing injunctions.

Representing a company within a multinational group manufacturing building materials in a breach of contract and fraud cross-border high-value dispute concerning the regulation of carbon emissions. This case involved asset tracing action in several European countries and offshore jurisdictions.

Representing a company associated with a HNW individual in enforcement proceedings exceeding USD 20m against a high-profile businessman in relation to an LCIA award. The underlying claim involved allegations of fraud. The enforcement strategy involved obtaining various injunctive reliefs in England (such as worldwide freezing orders, asset disclosure orders and subsequent contempt proceedings), as well as enforcement actions in other jurisdictions.

Advising a multinational financial services company on the global strategy for asset tracing and recovery of USD 30m debt resulting from a nonperforming loans to a European metal processing and trading company. The case involved allegations of fraud and diversion of assets in Europe and US.

Representing joint receivers of a Cayman company concerning the arrest of a super yacht by a bank in enforcement proceedings relating to a USD 40m judgment of the English Court.

Representing an oil exploration company in enforcing a USD 50m LCIA arbitration award in England against a Middle Eastern company and in bringing proceedings against the parent company for fraud. The underlying dispute concerned misappropriation of oil drilling equipment.

Representing a company with CIS-based ownership in tracing and recovering assets from a mining, energy and natural resources conglomerate pursuant to a USD 50m arbitration award via court proceedings in England and offshore jurisdictions against the award debtor, and its beneficial owner.

Representing a HNW individual in a GBP 50m claim against a major Asian aviation conglomerate concerning fraud and unlawful conspiracy relating to commissions on inward investment opportunities into Europe.

Representing two offshore holding companies ultimately owned by a late oligarch in claims for up to USD 50m concerning allegations of dishonest appropriation of the underlying real estate assets and shares in the subsidiary companies by the individual defendant.

Representing a Middle Eastern HNW individual in a USD 80m claim against a Middle Eastern oil & gas engineering and construction company concerning unlawful misappropriation of assets.

Representing a Latin American HNW family and their offshore company in a GBP 80m claim against an investment management company in relation to an investment in real estate in the UK. The claim concerns allegations of breach of duty and fraud.

Representing Cellcom, an Israeli telecommunications company, in defending a USD 100m Commercial Court claim by Lonestar, a leading telecommunications company in Liberia and part of the MTN Group, involving allegations of vicarious liability, conspiracy and torts in connection with the largest ever recorded DDoS cyber-attack.

Representing two entities within an investment management group in claims and related actions arising out of a sophisticated “vishing” cyber-fraud which caused losses to the client and over 100 customers in excess of GBP 100m.

Representing over 100 investors and a tax management company in a CPR 19.6. fraud claim with the total value in excess of GBP 100m against a number of leading banks concerning misrepresentation and deceit in developing and promoting a tax deferral scheme in entertainment industry.

Representing a Middle Eastern HNW individual in a USD 120m claim against two Chinese conglomerates in relation to misappropriation of property and company shares. The case involves allegations of sanction busting and breaches of international money laundering regulation.

Representing affiliated European banks in a USD 130m loan recovery proceedings against a global energy conglomerate and concerning fraudulent activity within the defendant's group. In addition, the case involved insolvency and restructuring issues and asset recovery work in multiple jurisdictions globally.

Representing the shareholders of an international technology company in German proceedings involving asset tracing and attachment actions to the value of USD 200m against the former management team who had fraudulently syphoned off the company's assets to themselves and their agents. This is part of a global asset recovery action.

Representing the liquidators of companies involved in a high-profile scandal concerning a sophisticated investment fraud scheme in a claim for GBP c.200m against two major international banks for breach of mandate and breach of the Quincecare duty.

Representing a company which facilitates investor group actions on behalf of investors in relation to a EUR 250m claim against a European retail company. The claim concerns an accounting fraud in respect of Eurobonds.

Representing offshore trust companies in resisting USD 300m enforcement and tracing proceedings brought by a leading paper packaging and recycling company in Central Asia and others for alleged beneficial interests in offshore trust assets. The case involved freezing and proprietary injunctions.

Representing a HNW individual in cross contribution proceedings against a co-defendant arising out of the settlement of a high-profile conspiracy claim for USD 350m brought by a global fishing company. We also provided strategic advice on the global litigation strategy which involved civil and criminal actions in Europe and Asia.

Representing the beneficiaries of a Panamanian Foundation in claims for losses up to USD 500m incurred due to the fraudulent mismanagement of the offshore trust structure by rogue fiduciaries. The claim included applications for interim relief (including worldwide freezing orders, asset disclosure orders and information orders) in the Caribbean, Europe and Asia, in support of an ICC arbitration seated in Panama.

Representing a leading bank in Central Asia in High Court and worldwide asset recovery proceedings valued at USD 500m against a former senior executive and associated offshore entities concerning misappropriation of the bank's funds and fraud on a large-scale banking fraud. The case was part of a complex multi-jurisdictional asset tracing and recovery process across England, Russia, Ukraine, Cyprus, Switzerland and the BVI in the financial services sector.

Representing the former executive management team of Wind Energy Holdings Limited, Thailand's largest wind energy company, in defending a high-profile claim of over USD 800m. The claim gave rise to issues of fiduciary duty and highlights the complexities of cross-jurisdictional legal issues arising out of allegations of civil fraud. This case is featured in The Lawyer's Top 20 Cases of 2022.

Representing victims of a large-scale fraud perpetrated in Asia in civil recovery proceedings concerning the status of the assets which had been acquired with the proceeds of fraud and are located and frozen in the UK. The value of the assets is GBP 2.75bn including cryptocurrency.

Representing joint administrators of a company involved in a massive cryptocurrency pyramid scheme that defrauded around 700,000 creditors. We are conducting and coordinating global asset tracing and recovery in the context of ongoing cross-border insolvency proceedings with the value of claims between GBP 500m and GBP 5bn.

Representing a CIS bank in a high-profile case against the bank’s former owner in a EUR 1bn judgment enforcement proceedings involving piercing the corporate veil and attachment of numerous high-value assets located on the French Riviera and in the French West Indies.

Representing a multi-family office which has been wrongly drawn into high-profile English High Court proceedings worth approximately GBP 1.3bn brought by an Eastern European bank in liquidation. Due to this mistake, the client's premises were subject to a search order and his hard and soft copy data was seized. We sought protection for the client through several emergency court hearings and handled all related issues.

Representing a group of shareholders in a high-value claim arising out of an investment into a crypto-payment infrastructure company recently valued at over USD 3.5bn against the company and its officers for fraud, deceit, conspiracy and intellectual-property misappropriation.