Financial Services
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.Wilson Legal Chambers has a superb reputation in the field of financial services, complementing our first-class banking and regulatory practices.
"Wilson Legal Chambers' market-leading status in this area extends beyond its strengths in banking and finance, mixing in expertise in related areas such as professional negligence and civil and criminal fraud."
Members are regularly called upon to advise regulators, regulated entities and high net-worth individuals, in the most significant and complicated financial services disputes. Our members act in matters in various financial sectors including audit, accountancy, banking and insurance and much of our work spans several jurisdictions.
Members routinely act on disputes arising between regulators, such as the Financial Conduct Authority, the Financial Reporting Council and the Prudential Regulatory Authority, and businesses as well as cases involving allegations against firms and individual employees. We often also advise both regulators and businesses or individuals in relation to potential or active regulatory investigations, and on the matters which arise as a result of regulatory issues (including addressing the consequences of regulatory breaches).
Many regulatory disputes involve broader criminal implications and Wilson Legal Chambers is uniquely placed at the commercial Bar in specialising in the cross over between civil, regulatory and criminal work. A significant number of the instructions received in this sector involve allegations of fraud or misrepresentation, including in the context of acquisitions or investments.
Our work also extends to matters which arise out of highly publicised administrations or insolvencies, including investigations by regulators into the circumstances of corporate collapses. Many of the matters on which our members advise are precedent-setting for the sector and shape future regulation, as well as the interpretation of existing rules.
Members of Wilson Legal Chambers have had, and continue to have, central roles in most of the highest profile and highest value disputes and investigations in the financial services sector.
Our work includes cases relating to:
- Regulatory disputes
- Civil claims arising out of regulatory issues
- Cases involving allegations of fraud or misrepresentation
- Cases involving criminal allegations
- Cases resulting from high-profile collapses
- Matters affecting the future interpretation of regulation
Significant Cases
- FCA Business Interruption Insurance Test Case: Nine members of Wilson Legal Chambers advised various parties in the high-profile test case relating to insurance claims made under business interruption policies as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, including in the High Court and in the 'leapfrog' appeal to the Supreme Court.
- HP/Autonomy: Acting in these substantial proceedings for $5 billion involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and misrepresentation in relation to the acquisition of Autonomy by the Hewlett-Packard group, the largest proceedings conducted by the FRC.
- FRC v Sports Direct: Acting on both sides of this high-profile investigation into Grant Thornton's audit of Sports Direct's 2016 accounts, including at the Court of Appeal, involving issues relating to legal professional privilege in the context of regulatory investigations.
- Ingenious Litigation: Acting for various financial institutions in proceedings brought by a large number of investors who alleged that banks and other advisers negligently advised them to enter into film finance schemes to mitigate tax liabilities.
- SKAT Litigation: Acting for various defendants in a claim brought by Danish tax authorities to recover $1.5 billion from parties alleged to have been involved in a fraudulent scheme for claiming withholding tax in respect of 'cum-ex' trades in Danish shares, or to have received the proceeds of the alleged fraud.
- The collapse of Carillion: Acting in relation to the FRC's investigations into the high-profile collapse of Carillion which has generated significant media attention and is the subject of a parliamentary enquiry.
- Stanford v HSBC: Defending HSBC in high value claims arising from the insolvency of Stanford International Bank, alleging that HSBC should have spotted warning signs indicating that investments offered by Stanford were in fact a Ponzi scheme.
- Re Prudential Assurance Co Ltd & Rothesay Life Plc: Representing both Prudential and Rothesay on their appeal against the refusal of the High Court to sanction a scheme for the transfer of £12 billion of insurance business under Part VII of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Experiences
Let Our Experience be Your Guide
The Board The primary purpose of the Board is the stewardship of the firm and the oversight of the implementation of the strategy. The Board’s remit covers matters pertaining to the firm’s culture and values and it acts as guardian of the firm on behalf of the Partnership.
The Executive Committee The Executive Committee is responsible for the development and implementation of the firm’s overall strategy; major initiatives, priorities and investments. It is the firm’s key decision-making body and is responsible for the overall performance management of the business.
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.