‘I never saw this as impossible’ – Mishcons’ Shaistah Akhtar on the case that won her Commercial Litigation Team of the Year

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‘I never saw this as impossible’ – Mishcons’ Shaistah Akhtar on the case that won her Commercial Litigation Team of the Year

Mishcon de Reya‘s hard-fought victory for Nigeria in Nigeria v P&ID saw the firm take home Commercial Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards in September. The team assisted Nigeria in challenging a $6.6bn arbitral award made in favour of BVI-incorporated shell company Process & Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) in 2017. With interest accruing at $1m a day, the team sought to overturn the award on the basis of fraud.

But, when the firm was instructed in 2019, Nigeria was almost three years past the deadline to bring the set-aside challenge. Before the team could even begin to present its fraud case (the result of a massive global investigation effort), it had to fight to extend the deadline – and achieved an unprecedented extension, granted in July 2020.

The team’s hard work paid off. On 23 October 2023, judgment was handed down in Nigeria’s favour by Mr Justice Knowles. It was found that P&ID had obtained the award, now worth over $11bn, by fraud.

Shaistah Akhtar, partner in Mishcons’ dispute resolution group, spoke to LB about getting the call from Nigeria, the biggest hurdles the team overcame, and the pressures of a case with national and international repercussions.

Continue reading “‘I never saw this as impossible’ – Mishcons’ Shaistah Akhtar on the case that won her Commercial Litigation Team of the Year”

‘Leave no stone unturned’: LB speaks to Barrister of the Year Edward Henry KC

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‘Leave no stone unturned’: LB speaks to Barrister of the Year Edward Henry KC

Mountford Chambers’ Edward Henry KC won the title of Barrister of the Year at the Legal Business Awards this past September. LB‘s disputes correspondent Isabel Caine spoke with him to hear about his process, the art of cross examining, and his work on the two major cases that won him his trophy.

Continue reading “‘Leave no stone unturned’: LB speaks to Barrister of the Year Edward Henry KC”

‘A huge emotional release’ – DLA’s Adam Ibrahim on the longest trial of his career and winning Lawyer of the Year

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‘A huge emotional release’ – DLA’s Adam Ibrahim on the longest trial of his career and winning Lawyer of the Year

Adam Ibrahim, UK co-head of litigation and arbitration at DLA Piper, was last month named Private Practice Lawyer of the Year at the Legal Business Awards, following a standout year in which he led a large DLA team to victory in a complex mass claimant action over break fees on loans to small businesses, dubbed “the biggest banking case out there” by top-tier silk Bankim Thanki KC.

This March, Mr Justice Zacaroli handed down a 185-page judgment in the case, Farol v Clydesdale Bank and National Australia Bank, comprehensively dismissing all claims against both banks, as well as allegations of deceit against 15 current and former employees of the banks, including four senior executives.

Here, Adam talks to LB’s Anna Huntley about what it was like to be involved in such a huge and long-running case, the rise of class actions, his approach to leadership and management, and what it was like to win the Lawyer of the Year award.

Continue reading “‘A huge emotional release’ – DLA’s Adam Ibrahim on the longest trial of his career and winning Lawyer of the Year”

‘We’re all talking about it, but what’s going to happen?’ Why this year’s LIDW is promising in-house lawyers answers around greenwashing, AI, and group litigation

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‘We’re all talking about it, but what’s going to happen?’ Why this year’s LIDW is promising in-house lawyers answers around greenwashing, AI, and group litigation

The chairs of next week’s London International Disputes Week (LIDW) are urging in-house lawyers to attend the event to learn about all the latest litigation risks.

Continue reading “‘We’re all talking about it, but what’s going to happen?’ Why this year’s LIDW is promising in-house lawyers answers around greenwashing, AI, and group litigation”

‘Your mindset is more important than it seems’ – how Maxwell Chambers shook up Singapore’s disputes landscape

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‘Your mindset is more important than it seems’ – how Maxwell Chambers shook up Singapore’s disputes landscape

Jiun Ean Ban, chief executive of Maxwell Chambers in Singapore, recently sat down with Legal 500 senior research editor Allan Cohen to share the story of his journey to his current position, as well as the latest developments from Maxwell Chambers, the influence of technology in disputes, and his sideline in fantasy novels and educational board games Continue reading “‘Your mindset is more important than it seems’ – how Maxwell Chambers shook up Singapore’s disputes landscape”

Government to address PACCAR ruling with amendment to Digital Markets Bill – but litigation funders argue it isn’t enough

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Government to address PACCAR ruling with amendment to Digital Markets Bill – but litigation funders argue it isn’t enough

An amendment filed to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill last week will allow the use of damages-based agreements (DBAs) for opt-out collective proceedings heard in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, but only for litigation funders. The proposed amendment responds to the Supreme Court’s decision in PACCAR in July this year, which ruled that litigation funding agreements that allowed funders to recover a percentage of damages were prohibited.

The judgment left funders racing to renegotiate existing agreements in order to be able to enforce them, despite remaining adamant that they were optimistic about the industry as a whole. If this amendment is successful, renegotiation will be unnecessary, as litigation funding agreements (LFAs) based on percentages will remain viable. Continue reading “Government to address PACCAR ruling with amendment to Digital Markets Bill – but litigation funders argue it isn’t enough”

Osborne Clarke launches international arbitration offering in Miami

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Osborne Clarke launches international arbitration offering in Miami

Osborne Clarke has announced the launch of its third US office in Miami, adding to its existing offerings in San Francisco and New York. According to the firm, the opening of its Miami practice is the latest phase in its US and international arbitration strategies.

OC has appointed the former managing partner of Bird & Bird Spain and IT, data law and international dispute resolution specialist, Javier Fernández-Samaniego, from his own firm Samaniego Law as its managing partner and sole practitioner. He is well acquainted with the Florida, Latin America, and Spanish legal markets, having run Samaniego Law offices in both Madrid and Miami over the past seven years. Continue reading “Osborne Clarke launches international arbitration offering in Miami”

‘A somewhat unique position’: Quinn Emanuel opens second mainland China office in Beijing

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‘A somewhat unique position’: Quinn Emanuel opens second mainland China office in Beijing

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has announced the launch of a new office in Beijing, its second in mainland China following its 2016 opening in Shanghai.

The new branch will be headed by Xiao Liu, head of Quinn’s China practice. Haiyan Tang will remain as head of the Shanghai office, and will also move into a co-leading role in the China practice alongside Liu. The firm will continue to focus on investigations, litigation, and arbitration, for both China-based clients and multinational clients doing business in China. Continue reading “‘A somewhat unique position’: Quinn Emanuel opens second mainland China office in Beijing”

Boies Don’t Cry

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Boies Don’t Cry

‘What would you do if you weren’t afraid? When I’m making big decisions, there’s always fear attached. I try to put the fear aside and say: “What would I do if not afraid?” Last year when Natasha Harrison still ran Boies Schiller Flexner’s (BSF) London office, she revealed her mantra in conversation with Legal Business. When news broke in January that she and the majority of her disputes team were leaving BSF to start a new litigation-only firm, Pallas Partners, such thinking must have been at the front of her mind. Continue reading “Boies Don’t Cry”

‘A big deal’: Harrison sets out strategy for building a thoroughly modern law firm

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‘A big deal’: Harrison sets out strategy for building a thoroughly modern law firm

Undaunted by a hectic few days in which details of Natasha Harrison’s new firm Pallas Partners hit the headlines, the former Boies Schiller leader and litigator has discussed her agenda with Legal Business.

The influential Harrison (pictured)  is taking well-regarded partners Tracey Dovaston, Fiona Huntriss, Will Hooker, Neil Pigott and Matt Getz with her to staff the new firm. Continue reading “‘A big deal’: Harrison sets out strategy for building a thoroughly modern law firm”