Experience

Commercial Litigation

• Representing the ex-director of an multinational investment firm in relation to a c. USD 840m claim brought the Kuwaiti Public Institution for Social Security in relation to alleged secret commissions paid to an intermediary.
• Representing a US private equity fund in English High Court proceedings valued at GBP 700m against Bernard Ecclestone and others arising out of the sale of a stake in Formula One. The case involved allegations of corruption.
• Representing Standard & Poors in a EUR 200m High Court claim in relation to alleged mis-rating of complex debt instruments brought by consortium of investors.
• Representing partners in a UK private equity firm, along with associated global entities, in a Commercial Court claim alleging diversion of the business opportunity to conduct an asset recovery process on behalf of the Family and Estate of the late Badri Patarkatsishvili, a Georgian billionaire. The claim is valued in excess of USD 100m.
• Representing two HNW individuals in a dispute for over USD 100m arising out of loan agreements and related personal guarantees. The matter involved complex intra-group restructuring and assignment arrangements.
• Representing a Kuwaiti high-net-worth individual in their GBP 15m High Court claim against property developers in relation to property developments in the UK and Middle East, including asset tracing across multiple jurisdictions.
• Advising a funder of law firms in respect of a c. GBP2m claim in the context of the insolvency of a creditor law firm.

Banking and Financial Markets litigation

• Representing over 200 institutional claimants with respect to over 1,000 different funds/portfolios in a c.GBP 1.5bn group claim against Standard Chartered Bank regarding allegations of breach of statutory obligations under s.90 and s.90A FSMA 2000. The claim relates to alleged omissions and/or misleading statements in published information arising from alleged misconduct, including breaches of Iranian sanctions. The matter generated significant Court rulings, including from the Court of Appeal, and has settled.
• 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 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 Arbitration

• Representing a private-equity investor in respect of alleged contractual breaches by various counter parties, subject to an LCIA arbitration clause, in relation to the funding of the Kalungwishi hydroelectric project in Northern Zambia.

Regulatory Investigations and Follow-on Litigation

• Representing HSBC in respect of a regulatory investigation into alleged mis-selling of interest rate hedging products by HSBC which involved the review of proposed consequential loss claim settlements between HSBC and customers.