Commercial Litigation Team of the Year
This category identifies one outstanding piece of commercial litigation work undertaken by the winning team. The key requirement is not necessarily a substantial award of damages but rather an impressive result for the client, which could include an important out-of-court settlement or avoiding a costly appeals process.
2019 Winner
Simmons & Simmons/Travers Smith
Ian Hammond, Stephen Paget-Brown
Successfully defending Grant Thornton and Kaupthing against claims brought by the Tchenguiz brothers. The high-profile litigation, concerning alleged professional misconduct during the SFO’s investigation into the collapse of Kaupthing and the brothers’ 2011 arrest, was abandoned three days into what was set to be a 12-week trial.
Shortlisted
Hogan Lovells - HIGHLY COMMENDED
Michael Roberts
Successfully representing ENRC in its appeal against the Serious Fraud Office over legal professional privilege. The SFO had brought civil proceedings to enforce ENRC to share the findings of an internal enquiry, despite claims of legal privilege, and ENRC’s victory will have a major impact on how companies prepare internal investigations in future.
Charles Russell Speechlys
Stewart Hey
Successfully representing the joint liquidators of six Cayman Islands-registered companies of Awal Bank against claims brought Ahmad Hamad Al-Gosaibi & Brothers (AHAB). This followed the collapse of the AHAB and the Saad Group and formed a crucial part of one of the world’s largest-ever fraud trials.
Clyde & Co/Fountain Court Chambers/Leigh Day
Fergal Cathie, Patricia Robertson QC, Frances Swaine
Successfully defending the longest-running disciplinary prosecution brought by the SRA, involving allegations of professional misconduct against Leigh Day and three of its lawyers in representing Iraqi individuals alleging torture and unlawful killing by the British Army. Following a seven-week trial under intense press scrutiny, the prosecution was defeated, as was its subsequent appeal.
Gowling WLG
Andrew Smith
Successfully representing the Candy brothers in their high-profile defence of a £132m claim brought by former business associate Mark Holyoake. In the midst of the media storm, the legal team managed to prove the claimant’s lack of credibility and all of the claims, and subsequent appeal, were eventually dismissed.
RPC
Tom Hibbert, Andy McGregor
Representing Bank of St Petersburg in its dispute with the oligarch Vitaly Arkhangelsky concerning defaulted loans to one of his companies, Oslo Marine Group, which he had guaranteed. After a two-year wait for judgment, the bank won on all counts, including Arkhangelsky’s counterclaim.