FIRE International: Vilamoura

Andrew Strauss was the captain of the England cricket team, and the first Director of Cricket for the national team. Among the world’s most respected players, he is one of only three England captains in history to secure Ashes victories both home and away. Under his stewardship, the national side was ranked the top Test team in the world.

After leaving behind a career in the City, Andrew scored a century on his Test debut at Lords. He went on to be rated one of the finest batsmen in the game, scoring over 7,000 runs. A resourceful and dependable opening bat, he often made valuable contributions in tricky situations and he was always recognised for his leadership and professionalism.

On the field Andrew led by example, with a mixture of grit and intelligence. Off the field he was equally popular with supporters and media, doing an enormous amount to promote the game. He retired from the pitch after his 100th Test and took to commentary work with Sky. He was then approached to become Director of Cricket after a difficult period for the team and his successor as captain, Alastair Cook.

Andrew founded the Ruth Strauss Foundation following the premature death of his wife in order to raise awareness of non-smoking related lung cancer and deliver support to the families of those suffering with the disease.

Taher is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team in Dubai. He specialises in civil, real estate, criminal and commercial matters and primarily engages in corporate enforcement work.

Taher is a licensed advocate and holds full rights of audience to appear before all courts in the UAE.

He has a Law degree from the United Arab Emirates University with honours.

Joint founding and managing partner, Mohammed Al Dahbashi, is a prominent Emirati lawyer. Having graduated from the United Kingdom, with a Bachelors degree of Law with Honours (LLB Hons), Mohammed is of the few Emiratis that is experienced in both corporate/commercial transactions and disputes work.

Having worked for UAE firm Hadef & Partners, before setting up his own firm MAD Advocates and then co-founding ADG, Mohammed is committed to combining local UAE experience with international client care standards. Mohammed has also worked with various legal teams in the UAE that specialize on the corporate sector of legal work, and as a legal advisor at a boutique management consultancy firm in Dubai. He worked with the legal team of Mubadala Development Company PJSC, with great focus on corporate governance, aerospace and renewable energy fields. He also trained with other legal teams, including the legal team of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

A licensed advocate, Mohammed has rights of appearance before the competent courts of the UAE and has worked on a wide range of contentious matters, including commercial arbitrations, commercial litigations and criminal matters. He also has experience in corporate restructuring, preparing agreements, joint ventures, negotiating and advising clients.

With his international standards and local legal skills, Mohammed has been able to reach outstanding outcomes for his clients. He is renowned for being focused and effective, whilst remaining attentive to the needs of his clients.

Dr. Alexander Amann LL.M. (UCLA) is a Liechtenstein lawyer licensed to practice law in Liechtenstein, Austria and Switzerland. He’s founder of the lawfirm AMP Amann Partners Attorneys at Law with offices in all three countries. His main areas of practice are complex damages, fraud and money laundering cases as well as investors, consumer and unfair competition class actions. He is member of the Anti Money Laundering Commission of the Liechtenstein Bar Association, is board meber of the Liechtenstein Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association, Lecturer in Insolvency Criminal Law at the University of Liechtenstein and publishes regularly in his areas of expertise.

Ardavan Amir-Aslani is one of the principal partners of the law firm Cohen Amir-Aslani, one of the leading internationally oriented practices in Paris. He is the head of the international law and government relations department of the firm.

Ardavan Amir-Aslani is one of the recognized actors of International Public law in France. As such, he represents a number of sovereign States and organizations across the globe. In such capacity, he has acted as counsel to a number of countries in drafting their internal law in relation to Foreign Investments, securities law, privatizations, Islamic finance, etc... On a regular basis, he represents countries in the negotiation and drafting of government contracts and before international jurisdictions and arbitration tribunals.

He has developed an expertise in the implementation and management of multijurisdictional litigations at an international scale, notably in relation to the recovery of misappropriated or embezzled assets, recovery of jumbo liabilities for banks and institutions, and litigation arising from anti-bribery statutes (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act de 1977 (FCPA) (15 U.S.C. §§ 78dd-1, et seq.) and « Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions » of the OECD dated November 21, 1997).

He has also extended his expertise to comprehensive asset protection strategies enabling the prevention and/or significant reduction of risks by insulating business and personal assets from third party claims. His asset protection plans, employing elaborate multi-jurisdiction legal strategies, implemented prior or subsequent to the initiation of lawsuits or claims have deterred on numerous occasions and this, across the globe, potential claimants and have prevented the seizure of assets. He is also considered to be one of the preeminent experts on national and international sanctions deployed by sovereign States and international organizations and has advised dozens of individuals and entities in this regard. Ardavan Amir-Aslani has represented governmental authorities, international organizations and multilateral agencies in relation to sanctions on several multibillion-dollar global matters. He has also represented private individuals and entities in a large number of sanctions related international disputes.

He is also the author of numerous articles on business law in general and international law in particular. He is regularly invited to speak at conferences on international public law. He has co-directed and participated in the writing of a series of books examining the recovery of international accounts receivables (« Debt Recovery in Europe » in Helbing Lichtenhahn Verlag).

He is a respected analyst of the geo-strategy of the Arab world and of comparative theology. He is regularly auditioned by French and foreign think tanks and by French and foreign chiefs of staff on geostrategic issues pertaining to the Middle East and central Asia. He is also one of the few French lawyers authorized to stand before the international criminal court.

Ardavan Amir-Aslani is a Colonel in the French army (reserve RC) Gendarmerie as well as an honorary Hussar in the First Regiment of Parachutist Hussars.

Rick is Co-Head of the Fraud and Insolvency team. Rick specialises in complex, high value cross-border fraud and insolvency matters, including those which involve claims for breach of contract, fraud and/or breach of fiduciary duties and asset tracing. He has also worked on a number of offshore trust matters in the Caribbean, Gibraltar and elsewhere. He regularly deals with and instructs investigators and offshore lawyers. Rick Brown is based in the London office and is also BVI qualified. Rick has considerable experience in acting for insolvency practitioners, mainly on contentious complex cross-border insolvency matters. He has valuable experience of interlocutory hearings and trials in the Commercial Court in the British Virgin Islands and elsewhere in the Caribbean and has significant experience acting for clients on claims involving parties from China, Russia and the Former Soviet Union, as well as the Middle East.

Elaina is an experienced commercial litigator who has acted on a number of high-profile and ground-breaking cases in the High Court and in leading offshore jurisdictions, including Cayman and BVI.

Elaina acts for companies, financial institutions, states and state-entities and high net worth individuals on a wide range of high-value commercial disputes. Her main practice areas include contentious insolvency and asset recovery, commercial aviation disputes, banking and securities litigation and commercial disputes relating to sanctions. 

Elaina studied Philosophy and Theology at Oxford University (first class honours). She trained and qualified at Linklaters LLP in before joining Stewarts in August 2011. 

Tim specialises in commercial, construction, information technology and professional liability disputes. The majority of his claims have an international element and he has advised and appeared as advocate before courts and tribunals in many jurisdictions in disputes relating to disputes in the UK, Middle East, Africa and Asia. He has particular experience of the Middle East having worked for an international law firm in Dubai for two years. Tim is nominated for both Commercial and Construction Junior of the Year at the Legal 500 Middle East and North Africa Awards 2023.

His practice encompasses the full spectrum of litigation and arbitration, both domestic and international. Tim frequently appears in matters governed by laws other than the laws of England and Wales (both Civil Law and common law systems) and before tribunal members qualified in other jurisdictions. Tim is also called to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands). Many of his claims involve allegations of fraud and dishonesty.

Tim has a degree in Chemistry and worked as a software developer in an investment bank prior to coming to the bar. He is a member of the Bar Council’s IT Panel responsible for advising the profession on all issues relating to Information Technology. As a result of his scientific background, he is regularly involved in cases with a scientific, technical or financial element involving complex expert evidence and cross examination.
Tim is recommended in both UK and international directories for international arbitration, commercial dispute resolution, construction and professional liability disputes. The directories note: “Tim is as smart as any member of the Bar, but what sets him apart is his commerciality. Tim has the ability to deliver clients exactly what they want in an effective and efficient way. Tim is a go to barrister of choice for international clients.”

Internationally, he is top ranked for both construction and commercial disputes in the UK bar section of the Legal 500 UAE Guide which states: “Tim is a formidable barrister and cross-examiner, particularly in technical matters that turn on niche expert evidence. He is particularly skilful at breaking down and presenting highly complex material, turning them into strong legal arguments.” and ‘Tim is razor-sharp. He is excellent at cross-examination; his command of technical and financial issues, in addition to legal issues, is exceptional.”

Tim also sits as a Civil Recorder on the South Eastern Circuit.

Claudia specialises in banking and finance litigation as well as disputes in the restructuring and insolvency sphere. She also handles a broad spectrum of commercial and civil litigation matters. She has appeared both as counsel and co-counsel for trials at the High Court and hearings at the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court.

She is named in Malaysia’s Top 100 A-List Lawyers (Asia Business Law Journal 2024) and ranked as a Distinguished Practitioner in Restructuring & Insolvency (Asialaw 2024). Selected feedbacks from clients include “Claudia has extensive experience in the areas of restructuring and insolvency, commercial litigation and arbitration, banking and finance litigation and civil litigation”, “She is also adept at handling land fraud and forgery cases, and works closely with forensic experts on such matters”, “She is a renowned litigator in the Malaysian legal sector, and very experienced and knowledgeable in banking and finance litigation as well as dispute resolution and insolvency matters”, “She has won many cases for my company and always provides great peace of mind to her clients with her exceptional commitment. Besides, Claudia is always proactive in exploring various legal strategies and keeps me informed at every step, which further instils confidence in her abilities”, “Claudia Cheah – very responsive, fast-thinking, insightful and connects very well with her clients making all of them feel very comfortable. Very approachable, reliable and experienced in offering practical solutions” , “Claudia will study a case from all angles and strategise the best approach (especially for combative defendants). She is very hands-on in preparation for trial and will go through all the possible scenarios with the client” , “Claudia is very responsive to client’s needs and is generous and detailed in her advice. She is meticulous in her work and has an in-depth knowledge of banking and finance matters. Claudia has successfully argued cases on behalf of the company where the fintech law is unsettled”.

Claudia co-heads the Firm's Banking Litigation Practice Group as well as the Restructuring & Insolvency Practice Group. She also heads the Firm’s China Desk.

Jansen Chow co-heads the firm’s Fraud, Asset Recovery & Investigation practice, and covers a wide range of commercial matters with a strong emphasis on cross-border disputes.

He is a leading practitioner in cryptocurrency and digital technology, having successfully obtained Singapore’s first reported case of a worldwide Mareva injunction against “Persons Unknown” and third-party disclosure orders against cryptocurrency exchanges in CLM v CLN.  Additionally, he acted for a group of Russian cryptocurrency algorithmic traders in a US$100 million dispute relating to trade revenue and proprietary software, and advised liquidators of a cryptocurrency investment platform involving misappropriation of over $300 million of cryptocurrency assets.

Jansen also specialises in anti-corruption and regulatory investigations, having acted for one of the largest Singapore conglomerates in a highly publicised corruption scandal in Brazil.

David is a commercial litigator, specialising in complex disputes usually involving elements of international civil fraud and insolvency. He also has significant experience in offshore trust and contentious insolvency litigation in various Caribbean jurisdictions.

David Chalcraft is based in the London office and is also BVI qualified.

David regularly acts for a wide range of stakeholders, including insolvency practitioners, creditors and debtors, protectors and trustees, often involving complex contentious cross-border issues.

David is an associate member of the Association of Business Recovery Professionals.

David is qualified in England and Wales.

Douglas Curran is a shareholder in Anderson Kill's New York office and is the Co-Chair of the Firm’s Financial Litigation & Complex Disputes practice group. Douglas is a trial lawyer representing clients in complex commercial litigation, with a focus on high-stakes financial and business disputes. His clients include corporations and individuals across a variety of industries, including financial services, cryptocurrency, private equity, venture capital, and emergent technology.

As trial counsel for both claimants and defendants in federal and state court, Douglas has secured noteworthy successes in cases involving bondholder disputes, investment disputes, high-level corporate governance disputes, post-closing M&A disputes, financial fraud, and trade-secret misappropriation. Among other things, he has successfully represented a consortium of bondholders with more than $1 billion in claims against an international telecom company, shareholders of an acquired technology company in a $400 million earn-out dispute, a private equity portfolio company in a $120 million trade-secret and antitrust dispute, and a consumer goods company in a trademark-infringement dispute resulting in a $56 million federal jury verdict.

Douglas also has substantial experience representing investors in cryptocurrency exchanges and ventures, digital assets, and other on-blockchain projects. He has had notable success enforcing investors’ rights under SAFT and SAFE investment agreements and in advancing cryptocurrency companies’ rights as creditors in insolvency proceedings. Among others, he represented early-stage SAFE investors with more than $90 million in claims against a multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency exchange, a venture capital SAFT investor with more than $100 million in claims against a multibillion-dollar Web3 blockchain platform, and a tech accelerator with millions in claims against a crypto/AI company under a pre-money SAFE.  Douglas also represents creditors in digital-asset insolvency proceedings, including advising a digital-asset exchange as a member of the creditors’ committee in the offshore insolvency of an $18 billion crypto-based hedge fund.

Douglas has received a number of industry awards and recognition. He was recognized by Law360 in 2023 as an under-40 Rising Star (Trials, Nationwide), named a Legal Lion of the Week by Law360 in 2023, recognized by The American Lawyer in its 2022 Litigator of the Week series, included in The Daily Journal’s Top Verdicts list in 2022, and named to New York Super Lawyers each year since 2016.

Douglas earned his J.D., cum laude, from Duke University School of Law, where he was Articles Editor of the Duke Law Journal, and his B.S.F.S., cum laude, from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Prior to entering private practice, Douglas served as law clerk to the Honorable Susan H. Black on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Fernanda has over 10 years of relevant experience assisting law firms, private equity funds and corporations on a wide range of investigative matters both in EMEA and internationally. She has worked on complex multinational investigations in a variety of jurisdictions across Europe, Latin America and Africa, with a special focus in Spain and Portugal.
Fernanda is Kroll’s EMEA lead blockchain forensic investigations team coordinating global projects involving the trace, confirmation and analysis of digital assets.
Prior to joining Kroll, Fernanda served as the legal attaché of the Panamanian Embassy in Italy, closely following and supporting prosecutors and law enforcement of both Panama and Italy in active corruption investigations and judicial proceedings between both the countries. She practiced corporate and banking law in Panama, overseeing the structure of international networks of companies, financial contracts as well as intellectual property law.
Fernanda has led several corporate intelligence, fraud and internal investigations, helping clients understand the context of situations, as well as possible market movements; she has also helped identify unfair competition, possible unlawful behavior and leaks of information and address other industry-specific queries. Fernanda has also worked on numerous due diligence investigations, providing clients with an understanding of subjects track record, potential as partners, and other matter of interest in relation to transactions and executive hires.
She has handled different asset searches in Spain and Portugal, as well as coordinated global asset tracing investigations in which Kroll helped identify possible assets for debt collection or verification of sources of wealth around the globe. Furthermore, Fernanda is one of our leads in Kroll’s crypto asset tracing practice, coordinating large fraud investigations, combining traces through the blockchain with open source and human source research to identify assets and fraudsters.
Fernanda holds a BA in law from Universidad Santa María La Antigua. She also holds a master’s in international business law from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a master’s in international affairs, with specialization in economics, from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas. She is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist.

Catherine is an experienced civil litigator, working on high profile multi-jurisdiction asset recovery and fraud cases. She is also experienced working on enforcement proceedings and commercial contract claims.  Catherine’s clients include listed companies, nation states, as well as high-net worth individuals.  She also has experience obtaining urgent injunctive relief, such as freezing and search orders, as well as applications for strike out and summary judgment. 

Karen Fellowes, K.C. is a Senior Counsel at Stikeman Elliott LLP and is the Western Canadian Leader for their national Restructuring & Insolvency Group. Her practice is based in Calgary and Vancouver.   She specializes in protecting the interests of stakeholders including creditors, debtors, Trustees, Monitors, Receivers in commercial re-organizations, workouts, restructurings and proceedings under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.  

Karen is the President and Chair of Pro Bono Law Alberta, a provincial organization which runs free legal advice and duty counsel clinics at Courthouses in Calgary and Edmonton.  In 2024, Karen will serve as Global Chair of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC).  IWIRC is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of women in the insolvency profession and has over 2300 members in 57 networks worldwide.  In addition, Karen is part of a delegation to Working Group V of UNCITRAL, and attended the recent sessions relating to asset tracing and choice of law in Vienna and New York.   She also sits on the Board of the Advocates Society’s Insolvency Litigation practice group.

Karen was honoured with a King’s Counsel (K.C.) designation in 2020.

Andrew has a broad and busy practice. He advises and appears in a range of high-value financial and commercial disputes, often with an international dimension.

He acted for the “Guaidó Board” of the Central Bank of Venezuela in its high-profile battle with the Maduro regime for control of billions of dollars’ worth of assets in London, appeared in expedited hearings in the Commercial Court, the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

A large proportion of his other work in recent years has involved major fraud litigation and asset recovery exercises. He also has particular experience in capital markets and investment banking disputes, derivatives and structured products.

Andrew has experience of contractual disputes across a wide range of industry sectors. These include construction and offshore drilling arbitrations, telecommunications, mining, and motor racing. He appeared as sole counsel in a leading Court of Appeal decision on Norwich Pharmacal relief.

Before joining Twenty Essex, Andrew worked as an in-house advocate in several major law firms, most recently in the London office of US litigation specialists Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.

Andrew was admitted as a Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 2003 and to the Bar of the East Caribbean Supreme Court, British Virgin Islands in 2015.

Geraldo Fonseca is a Brazilian lawyer expert in credit recovery and insolvency, where he represents creditors and investors, turning challenges into opportunities. He is a founding partner of FVA | Fonseca Vannucci Abreu.

Geraldo holds a Ph.D. and a Master of Law (LL.M.) and is also a Professor of Law. He is the author of several books that serve as key references for the study of insolvency regulation in Brazil.

Sushmita has nearly 18 years of experience advising clients on a variety of commercial disputes across sectors, including Banking & Finance, Insolvency & Restructuring, and arbitrations, particularly in the areas of construction, projects and infrastructure, and investments. She has advised lenders, borrowers, advisors, and other intermediaries in complex local and cross-border financing transactions across major debt financing disciplines. Sushmita has handled several domestic and international arbitrations, representing clients in institutional arbitrations in India and abroad and has advised on corporate and commercial disputes, appearing before a variety of courts and tribunals. Sushmita has acted both as, briefing counsel and lead advocate in several domestic arbitrations and arbitrations administered by SIAC, ICC, LCIA, DIAC with seats in India, Singapore, Dubai and London.

In particular, she has a wealth of experience in handling proceedings against some of the biggest debt defaulters in India; in domestic and cross border insolvency litigation and advisory work relating to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and asset recovery work for domestic and foreign clients.

Sushmita is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK and empaneled as an arbitrator with several institutional arbitration centres including SIAC, AIAC, THAC.

Her rankings and recognitions include:

1. Recognized as Super 50 lawyers in India by ALB, 2024 edition
2. Recognized a Litigation Star by for Commercial and Transactions by Benchmark Litigation (Asia Pacific 2024)
3. Recognized as one of India’s Future Legal Leaders 2024 by India Business Law Journal
4. Recognized as a Recommended Lawyer for Banking and Finance, Dispute Resolution (Litigation and Arbitration), Insolvency and Restructuring and White-Collar Crimes by Legal500 Asia Pacific (2023 & 2024 edition)
5. Ranked by Chambers & Partners Global Guide and APAC Guide 2023 & 2024 in the field of Dispute Resolution
6. Ranked as Leading Lawyer - Rising Star Partner for Restructuring and Insolvency by IFLR1000, 2022-23 and 2023-24
7. Winner in the category of Commercial Arbitration Lawyer of the Year by Women in Business Law Awards (2022-APAC)
8. Ranked as Rising Star for Dispute Resolution and Restructuring and Insolvency by Asia Law-APAC 2023 and 2024
9. Recognized as a Recommended Lawyer for Dispute Resolution, Insolvency and Bankruptcy and White-Collar Crimes by Legal500 Asia Pacific (2022 edition)
10. Recognized as “Future Star” for Commercial and Transactions by Benchmark Litigation (Asia Pacific 2022 and 2023)
11. Recognized as one of the top individual lawyers in the field of Arbitration, Litigation and Insolvency and Bankruptcy by Forbes-Legiquest Legal Powerlist 2020 and 2021
12. Noted as a “Recommended Lawyer” in the 2019 list by RSG

Lynne Gregory is an English qualified Solicitor, Jersey Advocate, and is called to the Bar in the BVI.  With a commercial background (Allen & Overy, Charles Russell, in-house at a FTSE 250) Lynne specialises in complex multi-jurisdictional commercial, insolvency and fraud/asset recovery cases. 

Lynne is lead counsel to liquidators on one of the world’s biggest fraud matters of recent history and the go-to in Jersey for mining related matters having been General Counsel at a FTSE 250 mining company. 

She regularly speaks at both local and international conferences and was recently appointed to the INSOL Channel Islands conference committee, nominated because of her Jersey insolvency expertise.

Caroline has substantial experience in complex, high profile and multi-jurisdictional disputes, and white collar crime investigations.

Caroline successfully defended John Mason in the recent high profile case of SFO v GPT, Cook & Mason, in which we defeated allegations of international bribery and corruption following a 10 year investigation and prosecution. She has also defended corporate clients in the $9 billion AHAB / SAAD fraud litigation in which she was granted limited admission to the Cayman bar and which featured the Cayman Islands’ longest ever fraud trial. She also successfully defended Guy Colegate, a former employee of a Shell subsidiary from high-profile allegations of bribery and corruption in Nigeria before the Milan Court of Appeal

I am a Partner in the Litigation team in our Cayman Islands office.  I have practised with the firm in the Cayman Islands since the beginning of 2008.

Over the last 15 years I have acted in many of the largest and most complex cases to be litigated in the Cayman Islands. I act for the Algosaibi family in their on-going claims against Maan Al Sanea and his companies, successfully obtaining a US$2.5 billion judgment against Mr Al Sanea and settling certain claims. I also act for the liquidators of the Madoff impacted Primeo fund, in successfully resolving litigation against the Trustee in New York and the Cayman Islands, the investment manager, the Herald feeder fund – where the Privy Council has found in favour of Primeo on both the creditor and shareholder distribution issues – and in the litigation against the administrator and custodian.

I have acted in a number of precedent setting fund liquidations (including Lancelot, Belmont and Heriot), large fraud cases (including Madoff, Dynamic Decisions, Fletcher and Alpha Re) and high profile restructurings (including Arcapita, CEVA, Eircom, Ocean Rig and Tailored Brands). I am regularly instructed to make urgent applications to obtain interim relief and/or to appoint provisional liquidators/receivers.

The founding Partner of B2RLaw. Leads the Dispute Resolution Practice, comprising Corporate & Commercial Litigation, Arbitration, Business Criminal Litigation and Investigations practices. Advocate in Warsaw and an arbitrator listed by the Arbitration Court of the Polish Chamber of Commerce. A lecturer on arbitration and alternative dispute resolution methods at the Center of British and European Legal Studies organized by the Faculty of Law and Administration at Warsaw University and University of Cambridge and at Cardinal Wyszyński University in Warsaw. Widely regarded by clients and peers alike, as one of the leading litigators in Poland.

White Collar Crime – Band 2 Lawyer  |  Chambers & Partners Europe 2025

White-Collar Crime – TOP Tier 1 Team and Leading Partner  |  Legal500 EMEA 2025

TOP 10 White-Collar Crime Lawyers  |  Business Today 2024

Corporate & Commercial Litigation | Arbitration | Competition Litigation | Employment Disputes | IP | Commercial Law

Bartłomiej is an eminent practitioner in general litigation and has particular experience in advising on disputes relating to commercial law, contract law, damages, intellectual property (including trademarks), unfair competition and employment law.

Business Criminal Litigation | Investigations

For several years a litigation Partner with CMS Cameron McKenna Warsaw where he set up and led a highly specialized Business Criminal Litigation (white collar crimes) team. He has built a reputation and a winning track record as a go-to lawyer in Business Criminal Litigation and Investigations. Bartłomiej has vast experience advising on all business related crimes and the liability of members of commercial companies’ bodies and has also been advising international companies on all aspects of anti-corruption related issues, including FCPA matters, as well as any other business related provisions of Polish law. He has advised on some of the most well-known cases involving Poland and/or Polish citizens/companies.

At B2RLaw he continues to advise board members and companies on issues regarding criminal and civil liability, as well as compliance issues within their organizations.

Ericka F. Johnson is the chair of the restructuring and reorganization practice at Bayard.  She advises companies and creditors to maximize the value of assets/recoveries whether it is through an in-court or out-of-court financial restructuring or dissolution.  Ericka also helps buyers navigate the purchase of distressed assets and directors and officers in understanding fiduciary duties in an insolvency setting.  She is a top advocate with a diverse practice spanning a wide range of industries.  Ericka has represented debtors in large and small chapter 11 and chapter 7 cases both inside and outside Delaware.  She regularly litigates contested matters including involuntary bankruptcies, motions for the appointment of Chapter 11 trustees, claim objections, plan confirmation objections, and dismissal/conversion motions as well as bankruptcy adversary matters, including preference, fraudulent transfer, turnover, and breaches of contract and fiduciary duty actions.   

Huw is a partner in our Dispute Resolution Department and a member of the firm's Regulatory Investigations Group.

Huw’s practice covers high-stakes, complex commercial litigation, international arbitration and contentious regulatory work. He has represented large corporates and banks as well as individuals, in complex and hard-fought disputes. In particular, Huw heads our international arbitration team and has a focus on work and thought leadership in that area.

Huw's work in the last 12 months has included: representing individual and corporate defendants to a substantial claim for fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy arising out of the multi-billion pound BTA v Ablyazov litigation; advising corporates in relation to significant international arbitrations (in the US and the UK); acting for a large UK corporate in relation to complex contentious regulatory issues; providing strategic advice in relation to a multi-million pound piece of airline litigation; acting for a fund client in a multi-million pound misselling claim under s.90A/Schedule 10A FSMA; and strategic disputes advice to a number of clients across a variety of sectors.

From 2019 to 2022 Huw was a lead partner in the "Trucks" competition litigation, acting for DAF Trucks in a large number of individual claims as well as two class actions, in both the CAT and at the Court of Appeal. 

Huw previously advised the Icelandic bank Kaupthing, and represented Winding-Up Committee member Jóhannes Rúnar Jóhannsson, in connection with two cases in the Commercial Court commenced by Vincent Tchenguiz and by Robert Tchenguiz and related entities. These were complex, multi-billion pound, high-profile cases in which serious allegations of conspiracy and unlawful conduct were made. In October 2018 the final Claimants abandoned their claim and Mr Jóhannsson and the other Defendants received complete and total vindication from Mr Justice Knowles. This case was listed in The Lawyer's Top 20 Cases of 2018 and attracted a lot of press attention. The team was awarded Litigation Team of the Year at both The Lawyer Awards 2019 and the Legal Business Awards 2019 and Banking Litigation team of the Year at the Legal Week Commercial Litigation and Arbitration Awards 2019.

Prior to this, Huw was a key partner in the team acting for Sebastian Holdings, Inc., the individual investment vehicle of a Norwegian high net worth Individual, in its defence, and multi-billion dollar counterclaim, to claims by Deutsche Bank AG in the English courts, and its prosecution of claims against Deutsche Bank AG in courts in the US. 

Huw writes and speaks regularly on a variety of topics covering the commercial litigation and international arbitration landscapes.

Yves Klein’s main activity is litigating and coordinating transnational asset recovery proceedings on behalf of victims of economic crimes or parties seeking to enforce their claims against assets concealed in Switzerland or abroad. He develops strategies for the international search and recovery of assets, coordinates cross-border proceedings and represents his clients, including individuals, companies, foreign governments, and liquidators of foreign insolvencies, before civil, criminal and bankruptcy courts, in order to recover crime proceeds and obtain damages, notably from facilitators (banks, financial companies, fiduciaries, etc.).

Raphael is a litigator specializing in shareholder disputes, international arbitration, energy disputes, and asset recovery. He has represented clients from a myriad of industries, including power generation, property development, estate plantation, retail distributorship, finance, telecommunications, shipping, healthcare, tourism, and sports.

In 2024, he acted for the successful appellants before the Malaysian Federal Court in its landmark rulings of Obata-Ambak Holdings Sdn Bhd v Prema Bonanza Sdn Bhd & Other Appeals [2024] 8 CLJ 519 (second actor theory in housing development contracts) and Low Cheng Teik & Ors v Low Ean Nee [2024] MLJU 2174 (dichotomy between oppression action and derivative action).

He regularly assists senior counsel from England and Singapore on multi-jurisdictional disputes. He is well-versed with the dispute resolution frameworks under public and private international law (ICJ, ICSID and UNCITRAL).

He also advises on emerging areas of law shaped by digital technologies, especially data privacy and online media regulation. In 2021, he assisted a self-made billionaire to secure an interim injunction to restrain an online news portal from publishing private information leaked from the infamous ‘Pandora Papers’.

In 2014, he was awarded the Best Malaysian In-House Lawyer of the Year by ASEAN Legal Business for his role as Shell’s corporate counsel overseeing the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2022, his critiques on international arbitration have regularly featured in high-indexed journals published by the Cambridge University Press (International & Comparative Law Quarterly) and Oxford University Press (ICSID Review and Arbitration International).

Sheila is the Deputy Head of the Restructuring & Insolvency practice at Rajah & Tann Singapore. She has been at the forefront of recent major restructurings and insolvencies, including Vauld, Eagle Hospitality Real Estate Investment Trust, BSI Bank Singapore, Dynamic Oil Trading (part of the O.W. Bunker Group), MF Global Singapore, various Lehman Brothers Singapore entities, and Ocean Tankers. She also has experience acting for debtors or financial institution creditors in corporate restructuring exercises, and had successfully represented a listed debtor company in obtaining an order granting super priority in the form of security over unencumbered assets, which is a first under Singapore’s rescue financing regime introduced in 2017.

Sheila has also advised and represented various international entities in the investigation and prosecution of cross-border claims involving commercial fraud and breaches of fiduciary duties, and the recovery of assets globally. She has also acted for major international banks and brokerages in investigations into regulatory, risk and compliance issues related to matters such as market manipulation, fixing of benchmark rates, layering and spoofing, and insider trading.

Sheila recently earned the title of “Young Lawyer of the Year” at the ALB SE Asia Law Awards 2024 and her outstanding capabilities in insolvency practice have led to her being recommended in Who’s Who Legal: Restructuring 2024. She is also named a “Future Leader” by Who’s Who Legal: Investigations 2024 and recognised by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2024. She has also been identified as one of the rising stars in INSOL’s Young Practitioner Spotlight 2022.

Additionally, Sheila was featured in the Global Investigations Review (GIR) 40 Under 40 2020 – a list of 40 accomplished young investigations specialists from all over the world, and identified as one of a hundred female investigations specialists in Global Investigations Review’s Women in Investigations 2018.

Pooja Mahajan is the Managing Partner of Chandhiok & Mahajan, Advocates & Solicitors. Pooja leads the firm's Restructuring & Insolvency practice group which includes advising clients on restructuring, both within and outside the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, 2016.  Pooja represents both creditors and debtors in insolvency proceedings and routinely advises resolution professionals and liquidators of a number of companies. She also actively advises on investment in distressed assets. Pooja routinely appears and argues before Indian bankruptcy tribunals such as the NCLT and NCLAT as well as the Supreme Court of India in various insolvency and liquidation proceedings.

Pooja has been ranked in Chambers & Partners and is listed as India’s Super 50 Lawyers by Asian Legal Business and part of A-List of India’s top lawyers by India Business Law Journal. She is considered a ‘Litigation Star’ by Benchmark Litigation, a ‘Notable Practitioner in R&I by Asia Law, a ‘Highly Regarded’ lawyer for R&I by IFLR1000 and one of the top ten most influential R&I lawyers in India by Business Today.

Pooja is part of the executive committee of INSOL India and a part of IWIRC’s (International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation) leadership. She was also the Council Co-Chair at ASSOCHAM National Council for Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code and Valuation. Pooja works closely with World Bank on various projects in the Indian restructuring and insolvency space and was part of the World Bank’s 2019 Task Force for MSME Insolvency and 2022 and 2023 Taskforce for Insolvency & Creditor/Debtor Regimes as India’s representative.

Pooja has authored/ co-authored many thought leadership articles in the insolvency space. She has co-authored a Handbook on the Insolvency Resolution Process - Decoding the Code. She has co-authored World Bank and INSOL International joint report on insolvency measures taken across jurisdictions to address insolvency in the times of COVID-19. She has also contributed to the handbook on ‘Understanding the IBC: Key Jurisprudence and Practical Considerations’ prepared by the International Finance Corporation in collaboration with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) and in publication on Thought Leadership by IBBI & Foreign Commonwealth Development Office, UK. She is actively involved in IBBI’s efforts for skill-building insolvency professionals and has taken multiple lectures and seminars for law students and insolvency professionals organised by Universities, IBBI and the Insolvency Professional Agencies.

Before joining C&M, Pooja was a partner in the Corporate Practice Group of Amarchand & Mangaldas Suresh A. Shroff & Co. She started her career at the chambers of Late Mr. Arun Jaitley and is a graduate from the University of Delhi, with first class honours and a post-graduate with distinction from the University of Oxford.

Eliseo Martínez has been the Managing Partner of IUS+AEQUITAS, a Spanish law firm specialising in litigation, since 2011. The firm has been recognised by Chambers for its “high degree of specialisation, proactivity and ability to provide imaginative and robust solutions to complex problems, and is a top-tier firm in white-collar crime and dispute resolution” and by Legal 500 for being “a true dispute resolution specialist”, Ius + Aequitas Abogados is known for its international litigation, corporate investigations and economic crime expertise. The firm acts in a range of disputes, including bankruptcy proceedings in commercial courts, criminal litigation and international arbitration, with particular expertise in the fields of insolvency, intellectual property and public law.

As a trial lawyer for almost 20 years, Eliseo M. has been involved in almost three thousand different cases and leads the strategy of major cases in his extensive fields of expertise. He currently represents national and international banks and other financial and investment institutions, consumer organisations and different personalities from the cultural and social spheres.

Many of the cases of the law firm he heads are among the most well-known in Spain, cases known for their media impact such as the representation of shareholders in civil and criminal actions in the “Banco Popular-PwC” or “Abengoa” cases; the “Neymar” case, representing the Brazilian investment fund “D. I.S” and the “Brazilian Federation of Professional Athletes – FAAP” against the footballer Neymar Jr. and FC Barcelona; the administration of the bankruptcy of “Ausbanc” or “Vértice360”; or the ICC arbitration in the “Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. case”. Vs. OEA regarding the “Chacao Bridge” in Chile.

With a Master’s degree in U.S. Law from Washington University in St. Louis (School of Law), and practising as a trilingual (English, French and Spanish) international litigator and arbitrator, Eliseo M. is internationally regarded as a top level expert in civil and common law arbitration. He is a sought-after lecturer worldwide and teaches Intellectual Property, Legal Practice and Arbitration at various Spanish Universities such as ICADE, Universidad Villanueva-Complutense de Madrid and Universidad Carlos III.

Eliseo M. is active in the Spanish arts and media, giving lectures and interviews. Since 2010, he is an active member of the editorial team of the Spanish cultural and social magazine ANOCHE TUVE UN SUEÑO (“Last Night I Had a Dream”) and Patron of the International Awards “Committed Optimists” in the “Freedom of Expression” category, which has recognised Raif Badawi (Saudi Arabian writer in prison), Leopoldo López (Venezuelan politician) and Malgorzata Gersdorf (the sanctioned First President of the Supreme Court of Poland), among others.

Marlyn Narkis Assis joined the firm in 2006 when she obtained her certificate of competence, becoming associate in 2012. During her practice at MDU Legal, she gained valuable experience as corporate lawyer, specializing in corporate law, commercial law, real estate, trademark law, migration, health law and public procurement.

Her practice focuses on legal counsel and on supporting local and international companies in all the stages of the business, including the preparation of corporate documents and other issues related to the daily legal needs of the companies such as negotiating contracts, obtaining permits, licenses, or other administrative proceedings with the Panamanian authorities. She assists clients with the legal aspects of real estate and development transactions. She also acts as lawyer in a banking institution, by supervising their proceedings of due diligence.

She has represented our clients in legal affairs related to the Public Procurement Sector, including the preparation of public offers, legal assistance during the bidding procedures, claiming and defending the interests of the clients before the corresponding instances, legal support in the review and governmental contract negotiations, counsel in the writing and review of construction contracts and legal support during the development of projects, including her relationship with contractors and public institutions. Marlyn is the current treasurer of the Latin-American Chapter of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (“IWIRC”) and was acknowledged as a leading attorney in transactions law by Chambers Global and Chambers Latin America.

Gabriella specialises in civil fraud and asset tracing claims, high-value business disputes across a broad range of industries, shareholder and partnership disputes, breach of fiduciary duty claims and insolvency-related claims and applications. She has extensive experience in dealing with jurisdictional challenges and conflicts of laws issues and the full range of applications arising in complex cross-border civil fraud disputes, including freezing orders, receivership applications, Norwich Pharmacal orders and consequential applications relating to enforcement. Thanks in part to her international background, covering Sweden, the US, Spain and the Netherlands, Gabriella has a creative spark which enables her to bring fresh ideas to difficult problems.

Olexander Martinenko is a Partner in the Ukraine office of Kinstellar and the firm-wide Head of Dispute Resolution for 12 offices in 11 jurisdictions in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Olexander is also the Head of the local Competition & State Aid and Energy & Natural Resources services.

A highly acclaimed and recommended expert in dispute resolution, energy, competition, corporate and commercial law, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Advises multi-national and local companies, municipal companies, institutions and organisations on their business activities in Ukraine for almost three decades. Represents clients in Ukrainian and foreign courts and international commercial, and investment arbitration proceedings, both in and outside Ukraine

Participated in many international commercial arbitration proceedings as an arbitrator, and in many more as a counsel/co-counsel and/or a Ukrainian law expert witness. Olexander appears on the lists of recommended arbitrators with the International Arbitral Centre of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber; the Singapore International Arbitration Centre; the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre; the South China International Economic, Trade Arbitration Commission/Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration; the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration; and the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICAC).

Recent awards include the highest ranking - Hall of Fame in Dispute Resolution in Ukraine by Legal 500 2021-2024; Spotlight in Dispute Resolution by Chambers Global 2024, 2023 and Chambers Europe, 2023, 2024; Eminent Practitioner in Ukraine for Dispute Resolution by Chambers Europe/Global 2022; Notable Practitioner in International Arbitration, Celebrated Practitioner in Antitrust & Competition, and as an Authority in Energy & Natural Resources by Ukrainian Law Firms – A Handbook for Foreign Clients 2023-2024

Olexander holds LL.M. form Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA, LL.D. from Koretsky Institute of State and Law of National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Diploma of Specialist in Law (magna cum laude) from Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University, Ukraine.

Focused on advocacy and case strategy and instructed in both litigation and arbitration in England and overseas, Richard has significant experience in high value disputes, frequently involving cross-border issues and freezing orders. Aside from England and the Eastern Caribbean, Richard has been called ad hoc in a number of jurisdictions including the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. He was lead counsel for the successful respondent in Convoy Collateral v Broad Idea before the Privy Council and has appeared for both claimants and defendants on numerous freezing order applications and jurisdiction disputes.  

Lucas Moore has represented high net worth individuals, funds, banks and corporates in international litigation and arbitration for 20 years. Lucas’ practice includes claims arising in financial services, international trade, trust, fraud, contentious insolvency, corporate governance/shareholder issues and reputational issues.

Lucas is well versed in forum and other jurisdictional matters and regularly advises on the use of injunctive relief (including anti-suit, freezing and search orders together with related contempt applications), governing law and enforcement issues.  Lucas’ experience also encompasses international requests for judicial assistance in the form of letters of request and litigation funding arrangements.

Lucas qualified in 2004 and worked at Jones Day before joining Payne Hicks Beach in July 2018.

Hendrik G. Milne is a top international advocate with over 40 years of experience in courts and arbitrations around the world. He is an English barrister and a Florida attorney, admitted to the bar of multiple federal courts across the U.S.A., including the U.S. Supreme Court, and has dozens of reported cases to his credit, many of them creating new law. He is Board-Certified by the Florida Bar in International Litigation and Arbitration and peer-reviewed as “AV” by the USA’s premier rating organization, Martindale-Hubbel, denoting the highest possible level of skill and ethics.

Hendrik (“Henk”) Milne was born in Calcutta, India, in 1953. He attended Queen Elizabeth’s School in North London, England through “A” and “S” levels, and gained his first law degree, a Bachelor of Laws, with honors, from the University of Manchester in 1975. After further legal studies at The College of Law, London, he was admitted to practice as a Barrister of England and Wales in 1977, completing his pupillage in Lincoln’s Inn (taxation and trusts) and The Middle Temple (torts and crime), of which he is a member.

In 1978, Mr. Milne and his wife, Pippa, moved to Miami, and he was awarded a Juris Doctor degree with honors by the University of Miami, School of Law in 1980. An article on the expansion of Florida tort liability that he co-authored in his first year of American law school was published by the Florida Bar in 1979 and later cited with approval by the Florida Supreme Court. See Urich & Milne, Abstracter’s Liability — And Beyond, 53 Fla. B.J. 210, 212 (1979) cited in First American Title Ins. Co. v. First Title Service Co., 457 So. 2d 467, 473 (Fla. 1984).

During law school in Miami, and after admission to the Florida Bar in 1981, Mr. Milne learned American jury trial techniques at one of Miami’s premier litigation boutiques, Anderson & Moss. In 1983, he joined the Miami office of the international law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (now Squire Patton Boggs) where his practice focused on complex commercial, and particularly international, litigation. In 1990, Mr. Milne became a partner in the firm and thereafter head of Squire’s International Litigation & Arbitration Section, worldwide.

Squire’s international practice at the time was focused primarily on Eastern Europe, then opening up after the collapse of the U.S.S.R., while the natural focus of international practice in Miami was Latin America and Western Europe. In 1993, Mr. Milne left Squire and, and together with Arturo Aballí, who was then the head of the firm’s Latin American practice area, and Craig Kalil, a member of the firm’s international litigation section, and others, formed AMK, as a legal boutique focusing on international transactions, international taxation, trusts, and international dispute resolution. The transition was extremely friendly, with Squire essentially helping set AMK up in business.

Mr. Milne’s particular focus is on advocacy in an extremely wide range of substantive legal areas, with a heavy emphasis on multi-state (intra-U.S.A.) and international disputes. Over his career he has arbitrated matters, tried cases to judges and juries, and briefed and argued appeals in many state and federal courts and tribunals across the United States, and abroad. He has strong academic skills and is a very quick study.

Just some of the many substantive areas in which Mr. Milne has had substantial experience are: domestic and international contract litigation; domestic and international trust litigation; domestic and international fraud, RICO, and civil theft litigation; all forms of domestic and international business litigation; a very wide range of property disputes (including international intellectual property rights and international marital property rights); all kinds of insurance disputes including “bad faith” actions; international franchise and distributorship disputes; non-competition disputes; maritime disputes and vessel arrests; Mareva injunctions and pre-judgment asset freezes; civil forfeiture cases; 28 USC § 1782 applications (for obtaining evidence for use abroad); and otherwise the gamut of commercial cases.

Hendrik G. Milne routinely works with lawyers from all over the world in disputes involving the laws of multiple jurisdictions, often supervising parallel or complementary proceedings taking place in multiple countries, simultaneously. He speaks and reads French, German, Dutch and Spanish with varying levels of proficiency, and has been retained as an expert witness on English law in American proceedings and on American laws in connection with proceedings in the U.K. In common with his partners, Mr. Milne has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating for his professional skills and his ethics: “AV.”

Gary is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution department. He is an international litigator who has specialised in complex commercial disputes involving dishonesty, fraud and corruption issues for over 44 years.

For the first 13 years of his career Gary worked in Hong Kong and headed up the Litigation Departments of two of the leading firms there. During this time Gary worked for the leading multi-national financial institutions in Asia, assisting them in asset recovery exercises and enforcing foreign judgments in Hong Kong and throughout Asia.

In 1991 Gary joined Mishcon de Reya and founded the Fraud Group which he led for over 15 years. He has pioneered the use of injunctions in the arena of asset recovery with particular emphasis on freezing assets, forcing disclosure of financial information and seizing evidence via search orders in order to force speedy resolutions of commercial disputes.

In the course of his asset tracing activities Gary has developed an in depth knowledge of the workings of the various offshore banking and trust jurisdictions which are habitually used by parties to conceal their assets. As a result Gary is regularly retained by clients who are seeking creative solutions to unwind or break-up complicated trust and asset sheltering structures in order to access secreted assets.

Gary also regularly advises organisations on how to protect themselves from bribery and corruption risks and assisting them in dealing discreetly with internal and external issues arising when such risks materialise. Gary works closely with Chief Executives, FD’s, HR Heads as well as Legal and Audit Departments to devise strategies to minimise the criminal, civil and reputational exposure created by internal and external corruption.

Gary is co-founder of The International Fraud Group. The IFG (previously known as the Fraud Network) is a handpicked group of specialist fraud lawyers across 20 countries focused on securing injunctions, asset recovery and trust busting remedies in key offshore jurisdictions.

Gary has been awarded Honorary Senior Fellow, Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London.

Chambers 2021 cites Gary as a "strategically brilliant" and "a huge figure in the market." He entered the Legal500 Hall of Fame in October 2020. 

Konstantin Mikov has an extensive experience in asset recovery for victims of financial and cybercrime. As founder of Mikov & Attorneys, his focus is to bring practical legal solutions for the victims to recover their stolen assets through out-of-court procedures in the whole European Union.

Konstantin Mikov is a LL.M. graduate from French University Montesquieu. He acquired extensive experience in one of the most prominent Bulgarian law firms, Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov as well as in the fast-growing regional law firm Peterka & Partners.

Konstantin Mikov is member of the International Bar Association and Sofia Bar Association.

He speaks English, French, Bulgarian and Spanish.

Mercy Okiro, an Advocate of Kenya, brings over a decade of post-admission experience to her practice. She is an Accredited Tutor, Assessor and Accredited Mediator of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London) and the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA). As an Adjunct Faculty Member at the Kenya School of Law and Strathmore University, she further demonstrates her commitment to legal education. Mercy's academic background includes a Master of Arts in International Studies from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Laws degree in International Commercial and Investment Arbitration from Queen Mary University of London. She holds professional certifications in corporate governance, trade law and policy, ESG governance, legal audits, arbitration, mediation and sports dispute resolution. Her ongoing pursuit of certifications in FIDIC contracts management and Construction Adjudication underscores her dedication to staying at the forefront of her field.

Mercy is on the panel of Neutrals of various institutions locally and regionally. She is also listed on the panel of lawyers of the Sports Disputes Tribunal in Kenya and the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne, Switzerland. She also sat on the Cricket Normalization Committee and has recently been elected to serve in the Court Users Committee of the Sports Dispute Tribunal in Kenya. She is the current Convenor of the Law Society of Kenya Sports Disputes Tribunal Bar-bench Committee.

Mercy is a former Vice Chairperson of the KEPSA Gender Sector Board and current Acting Chair of the board of the National Construction Authority. She sits on the Council of the Association of Young Arbitrators, is an Advisory Board member of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (Young Arbitrators Network) and sits on the ADR Committee of East Africa Law Society. She also serves as an Ambassador for the Alliance for Equality in Dispute Resolution, Arbitrator Intelligence and Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers(REAL). She is part of the Equality for Representation Steering Committee in Arbitration, Africa. Mercy is also the Joint Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Africa Asia Mediation Association and a Fellow of the World Mediation Organization. She sits on the Sports, Arts, Culture and Heritage Board of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, the Kenya Bureau of Standards National Technical Committees and the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture Working Groups, amongst other local and international boards. She was the first Kenyan ICC YAAF Representative for Africa, on the Steering Committee of the Young Members Group of CIArb London, and the founding Chair of the Young Members Group of CIArb Kenya. She also sits on the Ministry of Lands Physical and Land Use Planning Committee. Mercy has sat on other boards and served in various leadership positions.

Outside of her professional achievements, Mercy is a well-rounded individual with a range of personal interests. She was feted in 2019 as the “The Young African Arbitration Practitioner of the year 2019”, was listed as one of Africa’s Most Promising Young Arbitrators 2020, 2021 and 2022 by the Association of Young Arbitrators, named as 2nd runner ADR Practitioner of the Year in 2021 by the Law Society of Kenya, Nairobi Branch. She was awarded the Jury’s Award in 2023 for her work in ADR by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Kenya and was 1st Runners in the Category ‘Woman on Board in the 2023 Women on Boards Awards. She has been feted for her contributions to gender equality, leadership and alternative dispute resolution by various international and local organizations. Mercy is a member of the Rotary Club of Kilimani and has recently taken up golf as a hobby, having previously been a volleyball and football player for leisure. Her diverse interests and achievements, from sports to community service, make her a relatable and inspiring figure in the legal community.

Stéphanie Oneyser is counsel in the Litigation and Arbitration Team. She specializes in dispute resolution and represents parties in state courts proceedings, in enforcement and legal assistance matters and in international arbitration proceedings in all aspects of commercial law. Her practice focuses on insolvency law, insolvency-related disputes as well as debt collection and enforcement proceedings. She further specializes in insurances and health care (including primary insurance and reinsurance companies). She regularly publishes in these fields of expertise.

Stéphanie Oneyser studied at the University of Freiburg i. Üe. (MLaw, 2009) and at the University of Bristol, England (Erasmus). She completed her traineeship in a major commercial law firm in Zurich and worked as a judicial law clerk at the district court of Horgen. She was admitted to the bar in 2013 in the canton of Zurich and obtained the title of Associate in Risk Management (ARM) in 2017 and a certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in tort law and insurance law at the University (HSG) of St. Gallen in 2018. Before joining Walder Wyss, Stéphanie Oneyser worked as an associate in the litigation, arbitration and insolvency teams of a Switzerland-wide operating commercial law firm in Zurich.

Stéphanie Oneyser is Co-President of the Insolvency Commission of International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA) and a board member of the Association for debt collection and bankruptcy law (SchKG-Vereinigung/association LP). She is also a member of INSOL Europe.

Stéphanie Oneyser’s working languages are German, English and French. She is registered with the Zurich Bar Registry and admitted to practice in all Switzerland.

Timothy P. O'Toole's white collar defense practice focuses on high-stakes cases involving the economic sanctions, export controls, foreign investment, cybersecurity, and anti-money laundering laws. His clients run the gamut, including U.S. and non-U.S. financial institutions, and public and private companies in the aviation, insurance, logistics, manufacturing, energy, and telecommunications sectors. Recognized as one of the leading international trade lawyers in the U.S. by Chambers USA, Legal 500, Who's Who Legal, and Global Investigations Review, Mr. O'Toole represents companies and individuals at all stages of the process, including compliance, licensing, guidance, and enforcement.  He represents clients in a variety of matters before the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Mr. O'Toole also hosts the firm's economic sanctions and export controls podcast, EMBARGOED!

Prior to joining Miller & Chevalier, Mr. O'Toole served as the Chief of the Special Litigation Division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia where, among other things, he managed and conducted large-scale criminal defense investigations for matters pending in the local and federal courts. He is a former Assistant Federal Public Defender in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he conducted investigations and handled matters for people under sentence of death in federal proceedings.

According to the legal directories “an exceptional barrister” who is “highly imaginative, very clever, totally on top of his papers and fearless”. David has a broad commercial practice, focusing on large-scale international litigation.

Chambers UK recommends David as a leading barrister for Commercial Dispute Resolution, Civil Fraud and Commercial Chancery work. The Legal 500 also recommends David for Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration, Civil Fraud and Insurance and Reinsurance.

Fraud is one of David’s core practice areas, and one for which he is highly ranked in both Chambers & Partners (Tier 2) and the Legal 500 (Tier 1). His experience encompasses all aspects of heavy, international fraud litigation, including disputes of jurisdiction and applicable law, interim relief (such as freezing orders, Norwich Pharmacal orders, and search orders) and enforcement (including via insolvency proceedings). David has extensive experience of obtaining, and resisting, urgent interim relief.

David acts as advocate and advisor in relation to substantial litigation in the Commercial Court, Chancery Division, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court/Privy Council, as well as in International Arbitrations. He also has experience of litigation in a variety of offshore jurisdictions, including acting in the Court of Appeal in the Cayman Islands for the Defendants to a claim for Norwich Pharmacal relief in support of foreign proceedings.

Edward Palmer is a partner at Mintz Group. He has 25 years’ experience of leading of complex, cross-border investigations. Most of his work involves evidence gathering and asset tracing in the context of arbitration, litigation and contentious insolvency. In 2012, he co-founded Greyhawk, a boutique investigations firm, which was sold to Mintz Group in 2025. Edward is ranked Band 1 by Chambers for investigative due diligence.

Morgan’s practice focuses on corporate bankruptcy and creditor’s rights in complex Chapter 11 proceedings. Morgan primarily practices in the bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Delaware. She has broad experience representing debtors, creditors’ committees, lenders, bondholders, secured and unsecured creditors, liquidation trustees, landlords, asset-purchasers, and other interested entities in various bankruptcy reorganization and liquidation proceedings.

Her bankruptcy work includes all matters of litigation and transactions, including involuntary petitions, avoidance actions, relief-from-stay proceedings, trustee motions, sale and purchase of assets, executory contracts and lease issues, post-petition financing, disclosure statements, plan confirmation, and representing liquidating trustees and plan administrators in the wind-down of estates. Morgan also has expertise with cross-border insolvency proceedings, specifically with respect to the consummation of large cross-border asset sales.

James is head of the firm’s fraud practice. He specialises in asset tracing and enforcement and the management of complex, international disputes in state courts and arbitration. As well as running disputes at all levels of the English courts, James has significant experience in managing parallel proceedings in different jurisdictions. James has over 19 years of experience acting on disputes relating to Russia, Ukraine and the CIS and has represented clients from these regions in various courts across the world, including in the Eastern Caribbean, the Channel Islands, Cyprus and Hong Kong, as well as in ICC, LCIA and VIAC arbitrations. James has significant experience of obtaining and defending interim injunctive relief in support of proceedings in England and elsewhere. James also advises on corporate and shareholder disputes (including in relation to companies incorporated overseas), bribery and corruption, sanctions, money laundering and insolvency proceedings.

Andreas, a former federal public prosecutor at Central Public Prosecutor’s Office for Combatting Economic Crime and Corruption, is a sought after dispute resolution specialist with a distinct focus on white collar crime. Before joining the Public Prosecutor’s Office, he was part of the M&A team of Wolf Theiss, Austria’s largest law firm. As he also holds a degree in business administration (Mag. rer. soc. oec.) in addition to his doctorate in law (Dr. iur.), he uniquely combines extensive knowledge of the Austrian public prosecution system with vast corporate understanding. Based on his strong background as defense counsel and his corporate expertise, Andreas has been involved as advisor and counsel in numerous high profile white collar crime matters. He regularly gives lectures on criminal law, for example at the Austrian Academy of Certified Public Accountants. Andreas is furthermore author of several articles on white collar crime. Andreas has been ranked by Chambers and Partners EMEA since 2020, 2021 and 2022 and he is ranked “leading individual” in the field of White-Collar Crime by Legal 500.

Lezgin specialises in Litigation and White-Collar Crime.

He represents Swiss and International clients in asset tracing and recovery (including freezing orders, enforcement of foreign judgments, and international legal assistance). He defends clients in criminal proceedings before Swiss Federal and Cantonal authorities, including in misappropriation and fraud matters.

Lezgin has experience in recovery and tracing of cryptoassets.

He is a graduate of the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva and Humboldt Universität in Berlin.

Lezgin practices in French, English and Turkish.

Iris is a Swiss lawyer admitted to the Zurich bar, with considerable experience in transnational litigation and bankruptcy proceedings across multiple jurisdictions, as well as in asset tracing and recovery. She is well-versed in cooperating with the Office of the Public Prosecutor to support clients in bringing civil claims before criminal courts. Iris regularly advises private clients and their families on both contentious and non-contentious matters, covering the full range of legal issues the clients face.

Iris holds a Master of Law from University of Zurich and is a member of both the Zurich Bar Association and the Swiss Bar Association.

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.

Emile practises in commercial litigation and arbitration, and in tax litigation. He is frequently instructed in matters involving banking and financial services, civil fraud, sanctions, international law, and general commercial disputes. Much of his work involves offshore structures, and in particular offshore trusts.

He also maintains a significant advisory practice in these areas, and has extensive experience in advising on sanctions, private client tax, and financial services regulation.

Emile also practises in public law and human rights, and has been appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel. His public law work often overlaps with his other areas of practice, such as international law, sanctions, and financial services regulation.

He accepts instructions in professional negligence matters, in particular those involving tax or corporate structuring issues.

Emile was shortlisted by Legal 500 as “International Law Junior of the Year 2024”; and he is ranked by Legal 500 as a “Rising Star – Personal Tax”.

Sarah specialises in commercial disputes in the areas of fraud and asset tracing, banking and financial services, insolvency and company law and international arbitration. Many of the matters she is involved in have an offshore element.

Sarah has spent significant periods of time working in-house in London, Norway, and the Cayman Islands. She has substantial experience appearing in the courts of England and Wales and the Cayman Islands.

She spent seven years at Twenty Essex followed by three years in the Cayman Islands as a litigation attorney with a top tier offshore law firm, Walkers. Whilst at Twenty Essex, Sarah developed a strong commercial practice across Chambers’ core practice areas.

During her time in the Cayman Islands, Sarah worked in the insolvency and dispute resolution department with a focus on litigation. She pursued work related to insolvency, civil fraud and asset tracing, contentious trust litigation, and provided legal services to global corporations, financial institutions, capital markets participants and investment fund managers.

In August 2019, she returned to Chambers, with significant expertise in civil fraud and asset tracing, company law, and commercial law. Since returning to Chambers, Sarah has appeared in the courts of England as sole advocate and as a junior in the British Virgin Islands and in the Cayman Islands. She has experience obtaining and responding to applications for freezing and proprietary injunctions, receivership orders, anti-suit injunctions and Norwich Pharmacal relief. She has a particular interest in Middle Eastern law.

Sarah is admitted to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, British Virgin Islands and is direct access qualified.

Bakhyt worked for eight years at Kazakhstan’s largest law firm and led its Dispute Resolution Practice for over five years. Earlier, Bakhyt worked for four years at an international law firm. He represented clients in a large number of high-profile commercial disputes concerning Kazakhstan or Kazakh law. He has significant experience acting as an arbitrator in Kazakhstan's arbitration institutions. He frequently acts as an expert in cross-border litigation and arbitration proceedings.

Chambers & Partners, a prestigious international rating agency, has recognized Bakhyt in Band 1 in the Global 2024 Guide among the top commercial litigation lawyers in Kazakhstan, marking his ninth consecutive year of recognition. He is also recommended by Legal 500 and Who Is Who Legal: Arbitration 2024. Bakhyt is also been acknowledged as the sole ‘Lawyer of the Year’ at the AIFC 2024 Legal Awards among 106 registered lawyers at the AIFC Legal Services Board and more than 50 AFSA licensed law firms. 

Natalie has expertise in litigation and arbitration involving banking and financial services, insolvency, trust, contractual, partnership, shareholder and commercial disputes.  She has a particular specialism in fraud and asset recovery and has acted on some high profile Russian and CIS cases.  She has worked on multi-jurisdictional asset tracing cases, including obtaining extensive Worldwide Freezing, Search, Disclosure and Passport Surrender Orders in one of Russia’s biggest ever alleged bank frauds.

Natalie is on the list of Supervising Solicitors and has hands on experience of working on highly contested search orders involving multiple parties.  She recently assisted the Civil Procedure Rules Committee with the drafting of the new precedent Imaging Order.

Natalie typically advises on cases involving fraud, breach of trust, deceit, misrepresentation and conspiracy.  She has acted for a wide range of international clients ranging from insolvency practitioners, a pension provider subject to a pensions’ liberation fraud, creditors of a ponzi scheme, minority shareholders in a large high street brand, an investment bank, a commodities trading entity, to state appointed liquidators of banks in significant claims to recover proceeds of fraud.  Cases often have an international element and involve interim relief applications, jurisdiction challenges, enforcement of awards/orders and asset tracing.

Background

Natalie qualified as a lawyer in England and Wales in 2005 having obtained an LLB Law with German Law Hons from King’s College London and her LPC (distinction) from the College of Law.  She trained and qualified at SJ Berwin LLP.  She has worked in the litigation teams at Lawrence Graham LLP, Signature Litigation LLP and Taylor Wessing LLP.  She joined civil fraud boutique PCB Litigation LLP (which subsequently became PCB Byrne) and was made up to partner in 2019.  Natalie joined Cooke, Young and Keidan LLP in April 2022.

What the legal directories say

The Legal 500 (2022) edition recognises Natalie as a Next Generation Partner in Civil Fraud and Commercial Litigation and recommends her for Banking Litigation.

The Legal 500 describes Natalie as “a hard working, knowledgeable and client oriented practitioner”, “personable, professional and user friendly”, “great to work with, always on top of the detail” and as “a junior partner who is one to watch. Great management of the case team and extremely good at telling the client how it is”.  She is “known for [her] strategic thinking and [is] client-oriented” and has “excellent control of her cases and is an excellent leader”.

In The Legal 500 2020 edition, Natalie is identified as a key lawyer for civil fraud and in the 2021 edition, she is also identified as a key lawyer for Commercial Litigation and Banking Litigation and is described as “creative in approach [with] excellent client communication”.

Professional groups

Natalie is Honorary Secretary of the London Solicitors Litigation Association and is on the Founding Committee for next generation practitioners for Thought Leaders4 Disputes and the IWIRC European Networks Steering Committee.

Her professional memberships include the Law Society of England and Wales, Commercial Fraud Lawyers Association, Thought Leaders4 FIRE and RAIIDAR International (Recovering Assets, Insolvency, Investigations, Disputes and Restructuring).

Publications, articles and seminars

Natalie is a member of Lexis PSL’s Case Analysis Expert Panel on Dispute Resolution and regularly writes case summaries for that publication.  She is co-editor of the England and Wales chapter of “Enforcement of Foreign Judgments”.  She is actively involved in responding to legal consultations for the LSLA.

She has had numerous speaking engagements including the annual ABA/RAA Conference on the resolution of CIS-related disputes, The Law Society’s English Law Week in Russia and on numerous Thought Leaders4 webinars.

Abraham is a Senior Counsel and the Managing Director of Providence Law Asia. He appears before the Supreme Court of Singapore (appellate and original jurisdiction) and the Singapore International Commercial Court. He is also an arbitration counsel and accredited arbitrator in international arbitrations across Asia. Abraham holds Fellowships with the Singapore Academy of Law, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK).

Abraham has been managing contentious work across Asia over the past 25 years, and has worked in Singapore and London. He works closely with global law firms and leading lawyers from other jurisdictions.

Abraham is recognised as a leading dispute resolution lawyer and described as a “true leader” in Legal 500, and listed as one of the top litigators in Singapore by Chambers and Partners. Abraham has been recognised as “Leading Practitioner in Dispute Resolution” in Chambers Asia Pacific 2023, “Elite Practitioner” in Asialaw Profile 2024 and “Top 15 Southeast Asia Litigators” in Asian Legal Business 2023. He was also named “Thought Leader in Commercial Litigation”, “Thought Leader in Investigations” and “Global Leader in Arbitration” in Who’s Who Legal 2024, and “Litigation Star in Commercial & Transactions and International Arbitration” in Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Guide 2024, and “Singapore Lawyer of the Year” in Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2024.

Abraham established Providence Law Asia LLC in 2012 as a specialist Counsel practice focusing on international disputes and leads a team of close to 20 counsel. Under Abraham’s leadership, Providence Law Asia has attained multiple accolades, including being recognised as a “Leading Firm in Dispute Resolution and Restructuring and Insolvency” in Chambers Asia Pacific 2023, and as one of the Top 100 R&I firms globally in the Global Restructuring Review’s 2023 list. Providence Law was also named “Recommended Firm” in Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Guide 2024, “Leading Firm in Dispute Resolution” in Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 and “Rising Law Firm of the Year” in Legal 500 Southeast Asia Awards 2023.

Abraham was named “Managing Partner of the Year” at the ALB Southeast Asia Law Awards 2019. In recognition of his public service, the Law Society of Singapore appointed Abraham as its “Pro Bono Ambassador” for 2021/2022 to champion the pro bono cause in Singapore.

Felipe Vieira has more than 15 years of experience in complex cases, having worked in several transnational insolvency procedures and in the elaboration and execution of a global strategy for the recovery of misappropriated and/or hidden assets through onshore/offshore structures. Felipe Vieira has a Post-Graduate in Procedural Law (IBDP), Post-Graduate in Business Law (UEL), Master of Laws (LLM) in Corporate Law (INSPER), and is a member of the Judicial Recovery and Bankruptcy Committee of the OAB/SP, guest professor at TMA – Turnaround Management Association, speaker at national and international events and author of articles in the field of international insolvency.

Maureen Ward is a leading commercial litigator and Partner at Bennett Jones with extensive experience leading high stakes fraud and asset recovery proceedings domestically and internationally.  She represents clients from multiple industries in complex domestic and international cross-border litigation, contentious disputes arising from insolvencies, enforcement of international judgments and internal investigations. Her approach is described as powerful and technically proficient, making her a trusted advisor in high-value disputes. She has appeared before all levels of Courts in Canada and frequently obtains urgent injunctions in contentious proceedings.   Maureen was ranked by Chambers & Partners in their 2023 Global Guide for Asset Tracing & Recovery.

Adrian is Head of Dispute Resolution. In this role, he has oversight of all disputes practices in the firm. Called to the bar in 2000, Adrian has been described as “thorough, smart and responsive” and he is recognised in numerous global legal publications for his experience and expertise as counsel in complex commercial cases. His practice spans a range of civil litigation area including commercial fraud, securities-related and banking claims, joint venture and shareholder disputes, succession and trust law, real property (including en-bloc sale litigation) as well as construction and projects.

Meruyet Zhunubayeva – Managing Partner at Astrea KZ, a lawyer with over 10 years of experience in corporate law, tax consulting, and business litigation. Under her leadership, the Astrea team develops and implements legal strategies to help clients effectively manage risks and protect their assets.

Holds a Master of Law degree with a focus on Russian and Kazakhstani legal systems. Member of the Organizing Committee of the Eurasian Legal Professionals Forum.

Previously led projects that have been recognized by Legal500, IFLR1000, and AsianLaw.