Ioannis Alexopoulos

Civil Fraud, Asset Tracing and Recovery

• 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 the investment fund of Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili and his family in a dispute valued at USD 600m–USD 1.2bn against Credit Suisse entities for the recovery of losses arising out of mismanagement of his investment portfolio through a range of trust arrangements, which have led to criminal proceedings against the bank’s fund managers. This case involved parallel proceedings in Switzerland, Singapore, New Zealand and Bermuda.
• Representing an entity within a large gambling group in defending an anti-suit injunction in favour of a USD 600m ICC dispute arising out of a joint-venture partnership with a listed software group in relation to a project in LATAM. The case involved parallel court proceedings in England and LATAM, as well as ICC arbitration proceedings.
• 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 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 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 an investment advisor and investors in claims of up to EUR 250m against several global investment banks for the recovery of losses arising from an investment in bonds of a European retail company which was involved in accounting fraud.
• 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 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 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 a global advisory and investment firm specialising in currency risk management in pre-action disclosure application against a number of entities within a banking group. The matter relates to allegations of front running and stop loss busting with the value of claims in excess of USD 100m.
• 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 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.

International Arbitration

• Representing the Claimant in an ICC a “bet-the-company” dispute against the Middle Eastern Respondent for non-payment under a contract for the design, manufacture and installation of a wi-fi network in the Middle East. The total value of claims and counter-claims was USD 1.4bn.
• Representing an entity within a large gambling group in a USD 600m ICC dispute arising out of a joint-venture partnership with a listed software group in relation to a project in LATAM.
• Representing an ultra-high-net-worth individual in separate ICC and Swiss arbitration proceedings with the total value of in excess of USD 500m concerning fraudulent mismanagement of an offshore trust structure – a Panamanian Foundation. This involved a global enforcement strategy, pre-emptive tracing and asset freezing in number of jurisdictions including Cyprus, BVI and Singapore.
• Representing one of the world’s largest mining companies in a USD 500m investment treaty UNCITRAL claim against Liberia relating to a lucrative iron ore mining project and involving issues of expropriations and allegations of conspiracy between the state and another mining conglomerate.
• Representing a leading bank in Central Asia in LCIA and related 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 one of the JV partners in a USD 300mn LCIA dispute concerning non-payment of funding into the joint venture vehicle in relation to the purchase of one of the world’s largest aluminium production companies.
• Representing a Central Asian party against a large East Asian publicly-listed energy company in a USD 300mn LCIA dispute for breach of funding obligations in a JV agreement concerning the failed exploration of an oil and gas field in Central Asia.
• Representing a CIS party in an LCIA dispute involving cross-claims in respect of reciprocal indebtedness arising out of loan arrangements regarding the ownership of an airline. The total value of claims and counterclaims was in excess of USD 300m.
• Representing an Armenian mining company in four separate LCIA arbitrations arising out of a joint venture (and related finance arrangements) with Russian and Cypriot entities concerning the operation of a copper mine. The total value of disputes was USD 300m.
• Representing one of South American largest industrial conglomerates in a USD 200mn UNCITRAL dispute against a mining corporate in relation to a large-scale gold mining JV.
• Representing affiliated European banks in a USD 100m+ LMAA dispute against shipowners concerning Bills of Lading and Letters of Indemnity and involving complex jurisdiction and insolvency issues.
• Representing an investor in a USD 80 million+ investor-state dispute against a CIS country relating to an investment into a transport network involving allegations of misappropriation.
• Representing a high-net-worth CIS individual in a USD 70m LCIA dispute concerning breaches of contract and related fraud arising out of an investment agreement in the legal sector.
• Representing a large corporate in a USD 60m dispute relating to a contract for the supply of raw materials in the steel production industry and concerning the applicability of contractual force majeure provisions in the context of UK and EU economic sanctions against Russia.
• Representing a London-based publicly listed mining company in relation to a USD 25m investment treaty dispute against a Sub-Saharan African country relating to adverse retroactive tax measures.
• Representing a CIS-based business group in two disputes under ICC Rules with the total value of disputes in excess of USD 50m relating to a new luxury hotel project and concerning breaches under a hotel management contract and a brand licensing contract involving reputational issues of global brands.