Abdul is a Partner at Signature’s London office specialising in the handling of commercial disputes including commercial litigation (including product liability) and arbitration matters, and often with a cross-border element.
Abdul has over 25 years’ experience in the handling of litigation, arbitration and contentious regulatory matters in London and Hong Kong. He represents high net-worth individuals, corporates and financial institutions in bringing and defending claims. He has particular experience of disputes relating to investment fund structures, shareholder agreements, joint ventures and M&A transactions. His matters frequently involve complex insolvency and insurance angles.
Abdul has significant experience in advising on financial markets disputes, drawing on time spent on secondment to the Compliance Team of a Wholesale Bank. He regularly advises on disputes relating to financial products, mis-selling, regulatory investigations and compliance issues.
Abdul is regarded as a ‘Leading Partner’ in The Legal 500 UK Guide 2026 for both commercial litigation and banking litigation, where he is described as an “outstanding litigator, both in terms of legal skill and strategic expertise.” Abdul is praised for being “absolutely and completely unflappable” and “a great person to have in your corner in a crisis.” The Guide also notes Abdul “excels in disputes related to financial products and mis-selling.” Previous Guides have described him as “highly regarded” and “an extremely experienced litigator.” A commentator has noted that: “One of the best litigators I have had the privilege of working with is Abdulali Jiwaji.” Chambers Global has described him as a “technically sound, sensible and robust litigator who always finds practical solutions.” Abdul is also ranked in the Chambers UK 2026 Guide for banking litigation, with commentators describing him as “a fantastic lawyer”, “calm and rational, as well as a great listener with strategic mindset”, and “an outstanding lawyer.”
Prior to joining Signature Litigation, Abdul was a partner at Simmons and Simmons in Hong Kong.
He trained and qualified at Lovells. After admission in 1998, he practiced in the Lovells Corporate and Financial Litigation team across London and Hong Kong, before joining Allen and Overy and then Simmons in Hong Kong. He relocated to London in 2014 on joining Signature, also as a partner.
Abdul is admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and holds Higher Rights of audience. He is also admitted to practise as a solicitor in Hong Kong.
He is an officer of the London Solicitors Litigation Association, serving as Membership Secretary. He is also a member of the Inter Pacific Bar Association and the Financial Services Lawyers Association.
Banking and Financial Markets
- Representing Bugsby Property LLC, a property developer and sponsor, in the four-week trial of its c.GBP 300m Commercial Court claim against Legal & General for breach of a contract relating to Bugsby’s bid for the purchase of Kensington Olympia.
- Advising two high-net-worth individual/clients on defending claims under personal guarantees related to loan agreements for in excess of GBP 100m. The matter involves offshore entities, restructuring issues, set-off claims, and related insolvency angles.
- Advising an individual in a GBP 40m dispute with a well-established European investment fund management company arising out of a loan facility. The matter also involves handling a set of parallel winding up proceedings involving a related company.
- Representing a substantial property company in a c.GBP 30m Commercial Court claim against a large UK based banking group following the sale of interest rate swaps. The claim was based on allegations of misselling, misrepresentation, and bad faith.
- Advising a leading supplier of building materials and waste management in relation to a GBP 25m dispute with, and potential counterclaims against, a merchant bank in respect of an alleged breach of finance documents including allegations of accounting irregularities.
- Advising a housing association on a multi-million dispute with a leading bank concerning a topical issue of the bank’s ability to hold property under charge which exceeds the indebtedness of the borrower.
Civil Fraud and Asset Tracing
- 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.
Commercial Litigation
- Representing shareholders in a GBP 700m claim for damages concerning breach of fiduciary duties relating to the development of new technology for electrical vehicles.
- Representing high-net-worth individual/clients and related entities in defending USD 400m conspiracy and money-laundering claims involving multiple jurisdictions relating to promissory notes and loan transactions in the banking sector.
- Representing a large international corporation operating in the travel and tourism sector in prospective claims valued at over GBP 100m concerning an exclusivity agreement in relation to an acquisition opportunity. The claims involve breach of contract, breach of confidence, loss of opportunity and fraudulent misrepresentation.
- Advising a European investment management company in a GBP 10m partnership dispute with a European real estate investment management company concerning the management of a USD 500m real-estate fund involving issues about the scope of duties owed as between members of an LLP.
- Representing members of the Barclay family in claims bought against them by other family members in high-profile High Court proceedings in relation to covert recordings at the Ritz Hotel. The dispute involved allegations of breaches of confidence, misuse of information and breach of data protection rights. Signature advised on the clients’ defence, the wider litigation strategy and confidential settlement.
- Representing HNW shareholders of an offshore entity involved in the financial services industry in defending a c.EUR 45m claim for recovery of monies due allegedly in connection with a placement agreement and a related personal guarantee.
- Advising a global clearing bank on a number of matters including litigation risks associated with shareholder disputes and a capital raise with the total value at stake c.GBP 40m.
- Representing the founders of a media business in a multi-million claim against a UK law firm arising out of the sale of the business to a US brand management company and post-acquisition advice.
Insolvency
- Advising the shareholders and former directors of an insolvent company in responding to and defending claims by the liquidator of the company in a matter involving an estate of in excess of USD 300m.
- Representing a North American lender specialising in financing of early-stage growth enterprises in relation to recovery of distressed loans worth in excess of GBP 12m from the borrower. This involved enforcement action against the defaulting borrower, including assisting with recovery through court action and enforcement of fixed and floating charges through appointment of a receiver.
Product Liability
- Representing Renault and certain of its Authorised Dealerships in the NOx Diesel Emissions Group Litigation in London, a claim of unprecedented scale in the English court, in which more than 1.6 million claimants have issued claims against car manufacturers (and others). The case involves a 12-week technical trial which started in October 2025 and will conclude in March 2026.
- Representing a global technology company and a manufacturer of medtech in defending breach of statutory duty, breach of contract and negligence claims in relation to the supply of allegedly defective products and involving multi-million GBP claims.
- Advising a manufacturer of parts for a gas supply network on liability and regulatory, which includes advising on product recall aspects and compliance with safety regulations.
- Representing the manufacturer of steering equipment and chassis components in respect of a GBP 6m claim for alleged defects in components for the braking system for motor vehicles, including defending allegations of breach of specification and for payment under contractual indemnities.
Professional Negligence
- Representing a HNW individual in a GBP 20m professional negligence claim and related matters against a leading law firm arising from advice on financing agreements.
White Collar Crime and Regulatory Investigations
- Representing an individual in a reference to the Upper Tribunal in relation to a decision notice issued by the Prudential Regulation Authority which raised issues as to fitness and propriety to perform certain regulated functions. Also advising the client on the pursuit of a complaint to the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner.
- Representing an individual in a reference to the Upper Tribunal challenging a Decision Notice issued by the Financial Conduct Authority prohibiting him from preforming any senior management function. The matter involves alleged misconduct in relation to a discretionary fund management business carried out through a brokerage on behalf of retail customers, with allegations that markdowns on holdings were illegitimately applied and not properly notified to customers.
- Advising an individual on SFO and FBI investigations relating to alleged money laundering relating to cross border credit card transactions and layering, including representation in FBI interviews.
International Commercial Arbitration
- Representing the founders of a fintech business focussed on delivering digital banking services in minority oppression claims brought through SIAC arbitration with the total value of claims in excess of USD 100m.
- Representing a leading aircraft manufacturer in an LCIA arbitration in relation to the enforcement of a multi-million USD indemnity claim in a service agreement arising due to significant damage caused to an aircraft by a contractor.
- Abdulali Jiwaji reacts to the recently published CJC report on the effectiveness of the current regulatory approach to third-party funding, in The Law Society Gazette
- The Law Society Gazette - 7 July 2025
- Abdulali Jiwaji comments on the fines levied against UK banks since the start of 2024 and considers whether enforcement will ease
- FT’s Banker - 21 July 2025
- Abdulali Jiwaji and Duncan Grieve quoted in City AM
- City AM - 17 July 2025
- Abdulali Jiwaji comments on the FCA backtracking on its ‘naming and shaming’ approach
- Compliance Week - 7 July 2025
- Abdulali Jiwaji discusses the Civil Justice Council’s review of litigation funding in Law.com International
- Law.com International – 3 March 2025
- Abdulali Jiwaji comments in City AM
- City AM – 13 November 2024
- FCA’s crackdown against so-called ‘finfluencers’ – Abdulali Jiwaji comments in Law360
- Law360 – 24 October 2024
- Abdulali Jiwaji comments on the FCA fining Starling Bank GBP 28.96m over financial crime controls
- FT’sBanker - 10 October 2024
- What can firms learn from the FCA H2O investigation? – Abdulali Jiwaji published in FT Adviser
- FT Adviser – 23 August 2024
- FCA name and shame enforcement proposals challenged – Abdulali Jiwaji published in Retail Banker International
- Financial Reporter – 23 May 2024
- Abdulali Jiwaji comments on how Consumer Duty has impacted wealth management in FinTech Global
- FinTech Global – 2 May 2024
- Abdulali Jiwaji published in The Times
- The Times – 14 March 2024
- Abdulali Jiwaji and Gavin Collins discuss the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in The Times
- The Times – 4 January 2024
- Abdulali Jiwaji and Gavin Collins unpack the Economic Crime and Transparency Act in Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence
- Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence – 21 December 2023
- Abdulali Jiwaji and Johnny Shearman examine the cessation of Libor in The Banker
- The Banker – 8 April 2021
- Tough legacy contracts slow transition away from Libor – Abdulali Jiwaji
- Global Risk Regulator – 8 March 2021
- Europe handcuffed by current corporate liability laws; is change coming? – Abdulali Jiwaji
- Compliance Week – 4 February 2021
- UK’s financial regulator rapped following LCF collapse – Paul Brehony, Abdulali Jiwaji and Johnny Shearman
- Global Restructuring Review – 22 January 2021
- Quincecare, Fraud and Insolvency – Bankers’ Duties and Deep Pockets – Abdulali Jiwaji
- Lawyer Monthly – 18 December 2020
- Corporate failures – can the UK’s financial regulator lead the charge? – Paul Brehony, Abdulali Jiwaji and Johnny Shearman
- Global Restructuring Review – 11 December 2020
- Finding common cause for UK class actions – Abdulali Jiwaji, Johnny Shearman and Ligia Bob
- Law360 – 6 October 2020
- PRIN, class actions and vulnerable customers at risk during the pandemic – Abdulali Jiwaji and Johnny Shearman
- Compliance Matters – 8 September 2020
- Mortgage arrears-handling failures cost Lloyds dearly – Abdulali Jiwaji, Tom Snelling and Johnny Shearman
- Compliance Monitor – 14 July 2020
- COVID-19 Slows Pace Of Existing UK Investigations – Abdulali Jiwaji
- LexisNexis – 20 April 2020
- Legacy Contracts Complicate Libor Transition – Abdulali Jiwaji and Johnny Shearman
- Law360 – 2 March 2020
- Abdulali Jiwaji comments in The Times
- The Times – 31 October 2019
- Top UK Corporate Crime Decisions Of 2019: Mid-Year Review – Abdulali Jiwaji
- Law360 – 12 August 2019
- Abdulali Jiwaji comments on the acquittal of Andreas Hauschild in Law360
- Law360 – 5 July 2019
- Shareholder claims under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 – Simon Bushell, Abdulali Jiwaji, Guy Robson and Claire Colonnese
- Thomson Reuters – 21 March 2019
- Partner Abdulali Jiwaji comments in Law360 on the UK’s fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive
- Law360 – 8 March 2019
- Battle of forms – Abdulali Jiwaji and Nils De Wolff
- Compliance Monitor – 5 November 2018
- No infringement of privilege in regulator investigations – Abdulali Jiwaji and Alasdair Glass
- economia – 9 October 2018
- Financial and Regulatory Disputes Update – Edition 9
- Law360 – 29 May 2018
- “Fair market value” and its place in English Courts – Abdulali Jiwaji, Harry Denlegh-Maxwell and Johnny Shearman
- Global Risk Regulator – 5 July 2018
- Abdulali Jiwaji and Elliott Fellowes examine changes to the FCA business Plan 2018/2019
- FT Global Risk Regulator – 5 July 2018
- Partner Abdulali Jiwaji comments in Law360 in relation to the RBS Global Restructuring Group
- Law360 – 6 March 2018