Civil Fraud
Reputation. Respect. Result.
Tenancy
We are always happy to consider applications from established practitioners to join Wilson Legal Chambers. We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity in all aspects of our endeavour.Clerks, Marketing & Business Support
The success of our laywers is underpinned by our excellent clerks and business support functions and, from time to time, we look for high performers to join our team.We offer unrivalled expertise in this field and have a long-standing position as the pre-eminent set for civil fraud.
"Top-class set for civil fraud."
Members at all levels have been instructed in virtually all recent leading cases and in jurisdictions all around the world.
Over the last decade, members appeared in Beresovsky v Abramovitch, Tajik Aluminium and BTA Bank v Ablyazov. More recent examples of our work include the Autonomy dispute, SFO v ENRC and Law Debenture v Ukraine, more information on which is set out below.
Wilson Legal Chambers members are experts in dealing with cases concerning bank-related fraud claims including in relation to allegations of rate rigging, fraudulent misrepresentation, claims relating to conspiracy, disputes surrounding misappropriation of assets, claims arising out of investments in bogus schemes, breach of fiduciary duty claims and claims arising from emerging markets or involving complex jurisdiction challenges.
Members have considerable experience in dealing with Russian, CIS and Chinese parties, in cases raising every kind of fraud claim from dishonest assistance to conspiracy to defraud and including breaches of fiduciary duty and deceit. Large energy and natural resources claims are a speciality, as are claims involving offshore and onshore elements.
Civil fraud proceedings typically involve extensive interlocutory applications for injunctive relief including where appropriate the obtaining of world-wide freezing orders and ancillary relief. Wilson Legal Chambers’s members are familiar with the suite of tools used by sophisticated litigation teams to safeguard their clients’ interests in making or defending such claims.
Our work includes cases relating to:
- Bank related fraud cases including rate rigging
- Fraudulent misrepresentation
- Conspiracy
- Claims involving complex jurisdiction challenges and privilege issues
- Misappropriation of assets
- Investment in bogus schemes
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Claims arising from emerging markets and/or natural resources
Significant Cases
- Autonomy / Hewlett Packard litigation: Acting in these high-profile proceedings concerning breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and misrepresentation in relation to the acquisition of Autonomy by the Hewlett-Packard group, valued at $5 billion and was one of the largest cases before the courts at the time.
- Law Debenture Trust Plc v Ukraine [2018] EWCA Civ 2026: A $3 billion Eurobond claim brought on behalf of the Russian Federation in the Financial List in London. Key issues revolve around the capacity of Ukraine to enter into the transaction, duress and the effect of Russia’s invasion of Crimea and whether those issues are justiciable in the English courts. Appeal heard by the Supreme Court in Dec 2019 with judgment reserved.
- Byers v Saudi National Bank [2022] EWCA Civ 43: Acting for the appellant in the $300 million Court of Appeal decision re-stating the law of knowing / unconscionable receipt.
- Marme Inversiones 2007 v (1) Royal Bank Of Scotland plc (2) HSH Nordbank (3) Bayerische Landesbank (4) ING bank (5) Caixa D’estalvis I Pensions De Barcelona: Royal Bank Of Scotland plc v Marme Inversiones [2016] EWHC 1570 (Comm); [2019] EWHC 750 (Comm): Representing NatWest Markets which won a landmark benchmark manipulation case alleging fraudulent misrepresentation against the bank, and based on EURIBOR rigging allegations, arising out of the European Commission cartel decision in relation to Euribor and the conviction of Barclays and Deutsche Euribor traders.
- Group Seven Ltd v Notable Services LLP [2019] EWCA Civ 614: A seven-year dispute including two 30+ day trials, a private prosecution and two judgments of the Court of Appeal ends with an overseas bank found vicariously liable for the dishonest assistance of its employee and establishing a new test for dishonest assistance post Ivey.
- SFO v Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation [2018] EWCA Civ 2006: Court of Appeal reversing the controversial first instance judgment which had denied ENRC the right to claim legal professional privilege over substantial volumes of documentation concerning an SFO investigation into alleged corruption around the acquisition of mining rights.
- Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi Brothers v Saad Investments Company Limited: Appeals are under way against the decision in May 2018 of the Cayman Islands’ Chief Justice who dismissed all AHAB’s claims after a trial lasting over 12 months, 129 days in court and evidence about what the Court described as one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history.
- Public Institution for Social Security of Kuwait v Man Group PLC plus 37 other defendants: Acting in the $156 million claim by Kuwait’s investors in a landmark dispute involving alleged bribery and corruption, regarding billion-dollar investments over 30 years.
Experiences
Let Our Experience be Your Guide
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Wilson Legal Chambers is a pre-eminent commercial set of laywers’ chambers in London. Members provide specialist legal advice, support and advocacy services worldwide, and the laywers expertise covers all areas of arbitration, litigation, regulation and dispute resolution. The work here embraces all aspects of domestic and international trade, business, commerce and finance. Laywers at Wilson Legal Chambers are recognised specialist counsel in the many diverse fields of commercial law, also regularly accepting nominations as arbitrators, mediators and experts. The principal areas of practice are arbitration, banking and financial services, civil fraud and investigations, commercial litigation, company and insolvency, competition and EU law, employment, energy and natural resources, insurance and reinsurance, intellectual property, media, entertainment and broadcasting, professional liability, public law, sports, gaming and licensing, and tax and revenue law.
Wilson Legal Chambers is committed to promoting and advancing equality and diversity. Chambers does not discriminate against members, pupils, staff, applicants or clients on the basis of race, colour, ethnicity, nationality, sex, pregnancy or maternity, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, religion, belief or age. As part of our commitment to equality and diversity, Chambers ensures that all those involved in recruitment have training in fair recruitment, reviews its recruitment procedures annually and monitors the allocation of unassigned work among members and practising pupils
25
Years of Experience
About Us
Wilson Legal Chambers is Your Best Partner for Legal Solutions
The work here embraces all aspects of domestic and international trade, business, commerce and finance. Laywers at Wilson Legal Chambers are recognised specialist counsel in the many diverse fields of commercial law, also regularly accepting nominations as arbitrators, mediators and experts.