Corporate Disputes 2024 - 4th Annual Forum

Adam Rizzo is a lawyer in the Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution group. He focuses on internal investigations, contentious regulatory matters and commercial disputes.

Adam is a disputes lawyer with a focus on high-stakes litigation and regulatory enforcement. He represents clients in investigations and enforcement proceedings brought by various regulators including the Financial Reporting Council, Financial Conduct Authority, Serious Fraud Office and the Insolvency Service. Adam also conducts internal investigations for companies and boards of directors and advises clients in the technology, energy and finance sectors on the UK financial sanctions regime. As part of his wider commercial disputes practice, Adam acts on disputes for professional services firms, financial institutions and technology companies. 

Recognised by Legal 500 as a recommended individual, Adam is described as “efficient and highly personable... excellent at running cases on a day-to-day basis”.

Shona is a Partner in the Private Commercial Litigation team.

Shona is an experienced commercial litigator, with a background in corporate disputes and civil fraud. She is skilled in pursuing and defending complex, high value and multi-jurisdictional claims, which frequently involve alleged breaches of fiduciary duty. Her work often involves seeking or resisting injunctions.

Shona has particular expertise in corporate disputes, acting for companies and individual directors and shareholders in relation to M&A disputes (arising both pre- and post-acquisition), unfair prejudice of shareholders’ interests, breaches of directors’ duties, and breaches of shareholders’ agreements and joint venture agreements. Shona works closely with the corporate team advising on deal risk issues and disputes arising out of transactions. 

Lois advises financial institutions, corporates and entrepreneurs on a broad range of complex, cross-border commercial matters in High Court and international arbitration, with particular experience in corporate and shareholder disputes, contract disputes, banking litigation and financial crime.

Lois has broad experience in acting for corporates, or individuals with corporate interests, across a range of sectors, including private equity, financial services, aviation, energy, retail, beverages and commodities.

Lois' High Court and arbitration experience includes complex post-deal warranty and indemnity disputes, claims for fraudulent misrepresentation, valuation issues, shareholder rights and unfair prejudice claims, banking disputes concerning complex financial products and breach of commercial agreement claims. She also advises on directors' duties and employment issues with respect to senior officers, team moves and breaches of confidence. As well as advising on the resolution of disputes, Lois advises on the prevention of and investigation into financial crime, including bribery and fraud.

Kelwin Nicholls specialises in regulatory investigations/enforcement, M&A disputes, banking and financial services litigation/disputes and compliance advice.

Kelwin's recent matters include bringing and defending claims arising out of acquisitions and disposals of public and private companies, defending mis-selling claims and disputes over swaps and options, and acting for corporate trustees in High Court litigation. He has represented clients in regulatory investigations and enforcement actions including cross-border investigations into rate-setting misconduct, investigations into rogue traders, investigations into suspected market abuse and several high-profile public inquiries. Kelwin also undertakes risk reviews of high-risk products and services within financial institutions and advises on anti-money laundering compliance and anti-bribery programmes for corporates and private equity firms.

Toby Starr is a partner and solicitor-advocate at Humphries Kerstetter with 25 years’ experience in complex commercial disputes, noted in Legal 500 as “knowledgeable, experienced and incisive”. Toby was a solicitor at Linklaters and Debevoise & Plimpton and founded Starr Legal in the City of London before joining Humphries Kerstetter in 2018. 

Toby’s work includes financial markets and finance litigation and competition, consumer and financial services class actions. He has extensive experience in particular in cases involving complex damages issues and procedural matters including interim measures and enforcement. Toby has appeared throughout his career in domestic and international arbitral and other tribunals and the English High Court. 

Nino is a partner with Nater Dallafior in Zurich. He represents clients in complex commercial disputes before arbitral tribunals (ICC, Swiss Rules, DIS, ad hoc) and Swiss courts, particularly in the fields of contracts, post M&A, crypto/blockchain, technology, commodities, construction and banking. He also serves as arbitrator in international arbitration proceedings (previous appointments as Sole, Party-nominated and Emergency Arbitrator under Swiss, LCIA und ICC Rules, governed by Swiss, German, English and Ukrainian law). While he is based in Zurich, he is also qualified to practice in Germany as well as England & Wales. He currently serves as the co-chair of the Swiss Arbitration Association’s below 40 group.

Ned Beale specialises in complex commercial litigation and international arbitration. Many of his cases are in the public eye and involve novel questions of law.  Most have an international dimension – including Ukraine and Russia. Ned was named UK's Litigator of the Year by Legal Week at their 2019 Litigation & Arbitration Awards, when his "innovation and creativity” were praised by the panel chaired by LCIA Director-General Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof.

Ned has extensive experience dealing with contractual claims, including claims arising out of Covid, Brexit and Russia related disruption, shareholder disputes, warranty, earn-out and other post-M&A claims and disputes in the media, manufacturing, and energy sectors.

He has specific expertise in aviation disputes, including both lease finance and manufacturing claims.  Recent instructions include advising Qatar Airways in its multi-billion-dollar dispute with Airbus concerning its A350 and A321 Neo fleets, one of The Lawyer’s ‘Top 20 Cases’ of 2023. 

Ned’s long track-record of acting in banking matters includes structured finance and retail banking disputes. He has acted for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking in two cases before the UK Supreme Court and, most recently, successfully obtaining permission to review the FCA's decision not to extend the IRHP redress scheme (reported at [2023] EWHC 1616).

Oli joined Wallace in 2014 and specialises in commercial litigation and arbitration. He advises companies and high net worth individuals on a broad range of commercial disputes and fraud-related matters, including complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes. Oli holds Higher Rights of Audience and is qualified to appear at all levels of English civil courts.

Oli’s dynamic and flexible approach is evident in the variety of matters he handles, including but not limited to fraud claims, contractual disputes, professional negligence matters, sports disputes, mis-selling claims, shareholders’ disputes and matters involving breaches of confidence, breaches of trust and discrimination. He brings deep expertise to regulatory issues and has acted for and advised corporations in respect of investigations and inquiries on topics including the Takeover Code, sports regulation, anti-illicit trade/supply chain controls, professional standards, cannabis and food safety.

Oli is ranked in the 2024 edition of Chambers & Partners, which describes Oli as someone who is “always on the ball and willing to go the extra mile to get things done"; is “great to work with and very attentive to client needs";  is “always aware of how best to advance his client's case”; and has "a really good read of a courtroom and also has this incredibly tactical brain."

Chris Warren-Smith represents clients in a broad range of corporate investigation, dispute, and privacy matters, across all sectors and many of them high profile, including commercial and international dispute resolution and regulatory enforcement proceedings. Deputy chair of Morgan Lewis’s global white collar and corporate investigations practice, he also has an especially strong banking and financial services practice. The Legal 500 describes Chris as a “highly trusted” “heavy hitter” who leads a banking litigation team “right up there with the best magic circle firms.”

Lorraine is a general commercial disputes lawyer with extensive experience of high-value, high-profile and complex cases acting for both claimants and defendants. Her clients include world leading businesses within a wide range of industries.

She has particular expertise in large group actions, including securities litigation, and commercial fraud as well as banking and financial services disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, and jurisdiction challenges.

As a Partner with Higher Rights of Audience, James focuses on international arbitration, including both commercial arbitration and investor state arbitration, as well as commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution. He has experience of arbitration and litigation predominantly within the energy and infrastructure, retail, telecoms, shipping and sports sectors, including proceedings under the ICSID, ICC, LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, UNCITRAL, LMAA and ADCCAC (Abu Dhabi) arbitration rules. James has extensive experience of working with both companies and states with a particular focus on Central Asia and Africa. James most recently worked for: a South Asian state defending a BIT claim by a UAE entity under the UNCITRAL Rules relating to an alumina refining project; a multinational energy company in an arbitration under the ICC Rules relating to a dispute concerning completion under an SPA; and a South Asian state pursuing and defending claims in the English courts relating to challenges/appeals to arbitral awards worth several billion dollars. James has benefited from secondments based in Moscow and Dubai during his time at the Firm.

Ben Frost is a Partner and accredited Mediator in the firm’s commercial and property litigation team. The Legal 500 has recognised the team as being “technically brilliant. I feel that I have the full force of the team when they act for me. Very few firms bring such a collaborative approach, where you feel that they are an extension of your own team. They understand that I need to make commercial decisions, and they have that at the forefront of everything they do”. Ben has also been individually recognised by The Legal 500 as a Recommended Lawyer.

Ben has experience in a wide variety of disputes including work in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, emergency High Court injunctions, Property Tribunals, and County Court.

Charlotte is an experienced commercial litigator and has been awarded six ‘rising stars’ from The Legal 500 in the past three years. She is recognised as being ‘tenacious’, ‘a real force of nature’ and an ‘opponent-whisperer’, and is said to be ‘brilliant at case management and marshalling evidence’ with ‘a particular talent for sniffing out the best pieces of evidence in a case’.

She advises on a broad range of complex, high-value cross-border disputes across a number of commercial and business sectors, including financial services (having previously been on secondment at a large institutional bank), company disputes, corporate insolvency and civil fraud / asset tracing. She has specialist expertise in digital assets where she advises clients about cryptocurrencies and blockchain disputes, and she acted in one of the very few contested cryptocurrency disputes which resulted in a successful outcome for her client.

Charlotte sits on the Law Society Council on behalf of civil litigators (non-personal injury) and is a committee member of the London Solicitor Litigation Association, having formerly spent two years as the elected President of the Junior LSLA. She is also a committee member of the Cyber Insurance Association and a steering committee member of the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations

Nathalie Allen is an experienced international arbitration lawyer specialising in both international commercial arbitration and investor state disputes.  Nathalie represents clients before key arbitral institutions including ICC, LCIA, SCC, ICSID and AAA, and in arbitrations conducted under the UNCITRAL Rules, ICSID and under foreign investment laws.   Nathalie has also acted in many arbitrations governed by a variety of different jurisdictions.  

Matthew is a commercial and insurance litigator and is experienced in a wide variety of commercial dispute resolution areas including: shareholder disputes; banking; financial markets (including ISDA transactions); fraud; contractual disputes; international sale of goods and commodities disputes; regulatory and investigatory work. Matthew also handles reputation, privacy and defamation issues for a range of high profile clients.

Matthew has advised on and conducted arbitrations under the arbitral rules of several institutions including UNCITRAL, LCIA, ICC, LMAA, LME and OHADA.

He acts for underwriters, brokers and insureds on the Lloyd’s, London and international markets. Matthew has acted as coverage and defence counsel in respect of, inter alia, D&O and fidelity policies. He also has substantial experience of bringing and defending solicitors’, accountants’, tax advisers', architects’ and insurance brokers’ negligence claims.

Matthew’s work often has an international element and he has advised clients across numerous territories in Europe, former Soviet Union, North America, Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Anna Brownrigg has a broad commercial disputes practice and assists clients resolve complex commercial and regulatory disputes through litigation, arbitration and mediation. 

Anna advises UK and foreign corporations, state-owned entities and individuals, often with a cross-border dimension. Anna speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese and she regularly acts for foreign clients in different jurisdictions.

Anna has particular expertise in the financial sector and in oil, gas, mining and infrastructure disputes. Early in her career Anna worked in-house at Petrobras, Brazil handling disputes, investigations and ESG related risks, and she has since acted for and against international energy and mining companies in cases around the globe involving environmental damage, breach of contract and warranty claims, fraud and corruption and ESG disputes. 

Jared is an experienced commercial litigator whose practice at Brodies encompasses a wide range of commercial and corporate disputes before the English Courts and in International Arbitration. Jared acts for a diverse range of clients from sectors including financial services, energy, and food and drink.

Jared is English-qualified and, prior to joining Brodies in 2018, spent 10 years in the dispute resolution team at a Magic Circle firm in London. During this time Jared’s practice focused on complex insolvency and banking and finance disputes.

Jerry Healy is a partner in Willkie’s Litigation and Investigations & Enforcement Practices in London. Jerry has broad experience in the litigation and arbitration of commercial disputes including banking and finance related matters and civil fraud. Jerry has represented a number of leading corporates and financial institutions in high-profile and high value disputes, frequently involving concurrent proceedings in a number of jurisdictions. He also acts for financial institutions and corporates involved in regulatory investigations and enforcements, both civil and criminal, and in implementing anti-corruption systems.

Roger Cooper leads Cleary’s securities and M&A litigation practice.

He has successfully litigated more than fifty shareholder, class action and derivative actions arising out of securities, M&A, corporate governance, and other commercial disputes.

Roger is internationally recognized as a leader in corporate litigation by ranking publications including The Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation, and Chambers USA. Client testimonials attest to Roger’s reputation as a “terrific strategist, with a vast knowledge of his field of expertise,” “very talented,” “really spectacular,” “excellent and smart attorney,” who is “very detail-oriented and conscientious,” and “really understands the facts and the case law in securities matters and we can rely on his judgment and assessments.” He is “client oriented,” demonstrates “great judgment,” “has great advice as to strategy and potential settlements,” is “a very, very thoughtful guy,” and “a pleasure to work with and a terrific litigator.” Roger’s clients value his representation for “professionalism and responsiveness in the highest degree” and rely on his “thoughtful and creative” advice. He leads a team that clients describe as “very responsive and easy to work with,” and “extremely professional and creative in their work, flexible in their implementation and cooperation.” Clients turn to Roger and his team for “a very international approach and a lot of experience in cross-border matters.” In sum, “they are first-rate in terms of intellectual and legal acumen. They’re first grade in securities.”

Kari is a Partner in the Financial Services Disputes and Investigations group in our London office.

She specializes in defending claims against accountancy firms and auditors and representing them in regulatory investigations. She has over 25 years’ experience as a litigator representing clients in the financial services sector in civil disputes and regulatory proceedings, with a particular focus on consumer financial products and mis-selling.

Kari has written numerous articles and speaks regularly on issues affecting accountants, auditors and the financial services sector.

She is described in The Legal 500 as having an excellent knowledge of the law and being extremely commercial in her approach. 

Nick has over 25 years' experience as a disputes lawyer and advises in multijurisdictional actions in both the English High Court and international arbitral tribunals. He is identified as a leading individual for litigation in the major legal directories.

Aziz Rahman is founder and managing partner at Rahman Ravelli, a market-leading commercial litigation, financial crime and cross-border investigations practice.

He advises corporates and senior business and world figures on heavyweight cross-border commercial disputes, high-value asset recovery proceedings, and top-level international arbitration cases involving corporate wrongdoing.

Aziz has gained a reputation as a solicitor who identifies emerging international issues as soon as they arise; playing a significant role in many cases relating to matters such as Ponzi fraud, Libor, Forex, Cum-Ex, sanctions and cryptocurrency.

Known for his expertise in serious and corporate fraud, complex crime, sanctions, bribery and corruption and compliance and regulatory matters,  his workload includes the most notable global corruption investigations, high-value cross-border frauds and major sanctions proceedings.

As a pioneer in civil recovery cases brought under Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act, his experience has helped shape the law. He was the first to take such a case to the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights to protect clients’ assets.

National and international legal guides consistently rank Aziz among the elite in his field. The Legal 500 has called him a “real genius”, “a Rolls-Royce performer’’ and “a powerhouse figure’’. The Chambers UK Guide has said he is “a brilliant lawyer…phenomenally committed to his clients”.

Aziz hosts Rahman Ravelli’s annual corporate crime conference and provides expert analysis chapters for legal guide books on business crime, corporate investigations and sanctions.

Anil Balan is a Senior Lecturer in Professional Legal Education at The Dickson Poon School of Law. He holds bachelors and masters degrees in law and legal practice and masters and doctoral degrees in higher and professional education from Oxford, King’s and UCL.

Previously, Anil was a Principal Lecturer in Law at the University of East London (UEL) and course leader for the undergraduate law programme at UEL. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an external examiner at the University of Chester.

Anil practised as a solicitor in the fields of Commercial Litigation, Corporate Insolvency and Family Law at two large national firms for ten years before entering academia. Since then, he has taught a variety of law modules on the LPC, GDL and LLB (including Contract Law, Tort Law, Family Law, English Legal System, Legal Skills, Ethics, Civil Litigation and Company Law) at a range of institutions in both the public and private sector.

Ronnie Barnes heads Cornerstone Research’s international arbitration and litigation practice. Dr. Barnes is an expert in accounting, damages, and valuation. He specializes in cases that raise complex valuation issues, including the estimation of the cost of capital, the determination of country risk premia, and the valuation of complex financial instruments such as derivatives and structured finance products. Who’s Who Legal has recognized Dr. Barnes as a leading expert witness in legal arbitration and a Global Leader in assessing the quantum of damages in the financial advisory and valuation field.

Florentin Weibel represents clients in proceedings before state courts, arbitral tribunals (ICC, Swiss Rules, DIS, ad hoc, etc.) and administrative bodies. Based on his experience as a corporate and M&A transaction lawyer, Florentin focuses on corporate and shareholder disputes and M&A-related proceedings, including crypto- and blockchain-related disputes. Florentin also regularly represents employees, managers and directors in the context of internal investigations, FINMA enforcement proceedings and criminal matters. He also acts as tribunal secretary.

Edward Davies KC is an experienced commercial litigator, with a strong grounding in company law and corporate insolvency.

He has acted in some of the most significant recent actions in these areas, including ClientEarth v Shell Plc (an application for permission to continue a derivative claim against the directors of Shell plc on grounds of failure to manage climate change risks); Autonomy Corporation Ltd v Lynch (claims concerning the US$11 billion takeover of Autonomy by Hewlett Packard); BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana, (the leading case on the duties of directors in the context of insolvent companies); and Re Coroin Ltd (unfair prejudice and conspiracy claims concerning the Barclay brothers and control of Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley).

Edward has particular expertise in shareholder disputes, including unfair prejudice petitions and derivative claims. He also regularly advises on non-contentious and transactional matters, including schemes of arrangement, reductions of capital, transfers under Part VII FSMA 2000 and company meetings. He appeared on the contested scheme in respect of Dee Valley plc.

Edward frequently acts in overseas matters, including in Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and Jersey; he is called to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Bar. In the case of IsZo v Nam Tai, Edward recently represented a US investor in successfully reversing a $170m placement in a BVI company and, in the insolvency context, he appeared in the leading case on the operation of the segregated accounts regime in Bermuda, Re Northstar Financial Services.

A list of Edward’s reported cases is at www.erskinechambers.com.

Marc co-founded specialist London-based disputes and insolvency law firm Keidan Harrison LLP in May 2020, having previously co-founded successful disputes boutique Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP back in 2009. He started his career at international law firm Simmons & Simmons and has over two decades of international disputes experience. He is recognised by the leading legal directories as being one of the UK’s top disputes lawyers, Chambers & Partners describes him as “a great strategist”, and the latest edition of The Legal 500 says he is ‘’an exceptionally dedicated, inventive lawyer’’, with previous editions describing him as “a no-nonsense lawyer who gets results for his clients” who has a “willingness to get stuck into difficult fights”.

Marc leads Keidan Harrison’s India-disputes team and has worked on substantial cross-border India-related cases for many years, acting for Indian nigh net worth individuals and corporates including (successfully) in a notable and widely reported case for IIFC UK. He visits India at least annually to see clients, friends and colleagues, and has since 2019 been active in initiating and helping to arrange India-disputes related conferences in London.

Marc advises on high value commercial and financial litigation and international arbitration across a range of industry sectors (including financial and professional, IT/tech, commercial property, manufacturing, mining and commodities). His expertise includes commercial agency and joint venture disputes, civil fraud and asset tracing cases, as well as partnership/LLP, shareholder and corporate disputes. He is experienced in bringing and defending claims for interim relief, including worldwide asset freezing injunctions.

Marc’s international arbitration work includes substantial cases across a range of industry sectors, including energy, mining and other commodities, as well as bringing and defending challenges to arbitration awards in the English Court (under ss68 and 69 of the Arbitration Act 1996).

Amit specialises in assignments involving valuation and the quantification of damages. He is a testifying expert witness and has been appointed as expert in both litigation and arbitration cases. He is recognised in Who’s Who Legal with commentators noting he is an expert who is “highly skilled in producing excellent, thorough and clear written expert reports on complex accounting and financial matters”.

Amit spent the initial part of his career in a corporate finance valuations team focussed on commercial valuations for M&A, restructuring and other corporate purposes. He was involved in high profile valuations involving the Icelandic banks and the Dubai World portfolio.

Since then he has focussed on cases arising from class actions, contractual, shareholder and post-acquisition disputes. Examples of recent cases include an unfair prejudice claim relating to an early stage business and a $1bn claim relating to an Asian wind farm portfolio.

Erin is an economist who specialises in applying the tools of financial economics in capital markets disputes and investigations. Who’s Who Legal describes her as “very knowledgeable about financial products and the markets in which they trade” and notes that she “produces robust and defensible analyses”.

Erin has provided testimony as an expert witness, and she has consulted on litigation and arbitration matters in various venues, including US federal and state courts, US domestic and international arbitration forums, and UK High Court. In securities litigation matters, Erin has analysed issues of class certification, the materiality of alleged misrepresentations and omissions, loss causation, and damages. Other recent matters include derivatives close-out disputes and disputes involving SPACs. In contentious regulatory investigations, she has analysed issues including alleged mis-selling and alleged manipulation of benchmark rates.

Liz is a professional support lawyer in the global arbitration practice

Liz provides technical advice to clients and colleagues on complex issues relating to international arbitration. She also helps to lead and drive the firm's thought leadership and client and external engagement on key developments in arbitration.

Mark Pelling was appointed Judge in Charge of the London Circuit Commercial Court in 2019.

He is authorised to sit in the Chancery Division, Queens Bench Division, Administrative Court and the Technology and Construction Court as well as the Commercial and Circuit Commercial Courts.

His Honour Judge Pelling grew up and was educated in North East London. He read law at Kings College London and was called to the Bar in 1979.

He practiced from Monckton Chambers and then 3 Verulam Buildings, where he specialised in commercial and construction litigation both in the Courts in England and Wales and in arbitrations both here and abroad.

He was appointed a QC and a Recorder in 2003, as a specialist Senior Circuit Judge in 2006 and to his present role as Judge in Charge of the London Circuit Commercial Court in 2019.

He is a Middle Temple Bencher and Honorary Bencher of the Kings Inns, Dublin. 

James Worsnip is an experienced testifying expert witness who combines his sector experience in the financial services industry with his interest in technical valuation issues.

His clients are generally addressing complex issues arising from a transaction or a restructuring process where that process gives rise to a dispute between the company (often a bank) and its regulators, shareholders, company directors, auditors or other advisers. His work is often conducted in high-profile situations in which expert evidence is required to support the quantification of damages arising from historic losses or diminution in value.

James has provided expert services in relation to disputes including: the rights issues of RBS and Cattles plc; the resolution of the Cypriot banks and Banco Popular (Esp). He has acted under parliamentary statute in respect of the failure of Bradford & Bingley and for the FSCS in respect of Dunfermline. He has given evidence in ICC and ICSID arbitrations as well as the High Court.

He is a Fellow of the ICAEW and is a founding member of the valuation special interest group. He is also a member of the Bank of England’s panel of valuation experts and part of the restructuring advisory group that is available to the Bank if it were to use its resolution powers.

Prior to joining AlixPartners, James was at a Big 4 accounting firm, where he worked extensively on the regulatory reform of the banking sector following the global financial crisis. He has also held interim roles with banks and other financial firms including as Group CFO of LCH.Clearnet.

Sharif is a Tier 1 Commercial Chancery Silk and a former economist and derivatives trader. The breadth and depth of his practice is such that he is recognised in eight practice areas in Chambers & Partners UK Bar, six practice areas in Legal 500 and five practice areas in Chambers Global. As a former investment banker, he has market-leading expertise in banking and financial services (including regulatory matters) and valuation disputes. He is well known in the market as a court advocate and arbitration counsel in commercial, banking and finance, company, insolvency, partnership and commercial fraud litigation. He has been involved in some of the largest commercial disputes in recent years (see in particular, the Hewlett-Packard/Autonomy and The Republic of Mozambique/Credit Suisse litigation). Sharif has a particular specialism in cross-examining experts on complex financial products or valuation issues.