Shoosmiths LLP

Commercial litigation.

Alex is National Head of the Dispute Resolution & Litigation practice and Head of the firm's Birmingham office. She advises on a broad range of commercial disputes from shareholder disputes, contract and misrepresentation claims to obtaining freezing orders and search and seizure orders in complex fraud cases. She has a broad range of experience dealing with litigation and international arbitration as well as participation in various forms of alternative dispute resolution including mediations.

Alex has particular experience dealing with reputationally significant matters and internal investigations, navigating the potentially competing interests of different stakeholder groups.

Given the costly nature of Court proceedings, Alex will always look to achieve a speedy and cost effective resolution to any dispute. Where Court proceedings are the only option, Alex will pursue them aggressively albeit always focused on the client’s commercial objectives.

Her clients include large companies in the IT, retail, automotive and manufacturing sectors such as Electrolux plc, Husqvarna UK Limited and Next Plc.

Her recent instructions include:

• representing an African telecommunications company in international arbitration proceedings in London and Dubai regarding multi-million dollar claims against a Chinese equipment supplier.
• advising a Plc client following allegations of bribery in a civil dispute, conducting an internal investigation and supporting with a self report to the authorities.
• advising a major high street name in relation to the termination of a fixed term IT contract carrying an exposure of £35million. A favourable exit was achieved through negotiations without proceedings being issued;
• successfully obtaining a permanent injunction and substantial costs recovery for a major petrochemicals company against an unauthorised dealer. The claim also involved executing a search and seizure order;
• advising a global financial services company in relation to fraudulent activities conducted by a former employee including unlawful access to the company’s IT systems. Undertakings were obtained together with full financial recovery; and
• acting for a UK Plc in relation to a claim against multiple defendants for conspiracy to defraud and civil bribery securing a substantial financial recovery for the client. The claim involved obtaining a Freezing Order over the fraudsters' assets.

Alex’s understanding of the issues facing businesses and the pressures on in-house lawyers has been enhanced by a number of secondments, one of which was spent in an in-house legal department of a UK based oil company, another in the Cayman Islands in an in-house legal team for a multi-national investment bank and as acting head of legal at a fleet management company. Alex has also worked in-house assisting the in-house legal team of a UK based mobile phone supplier with substantial US litigation, working with US lawyers and preparing the UK arm of the litigation.

Alex has recently been identified as a leader in her field of Dispute Resolution by Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners in which she is described as "praised for her ingenuity and her commercial vision.". She is also in the Legal 500 'Hall of Fame' for Commercial Litigation and is listed in The Lawyer's 'Hot 100' 2021.

After training, qualifying and practising with DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary UK LLP between 1995-2005, Alex joined Shoosmiths as a partner in January 2006.

Conversational French, basic German.

Chairman Birmingham Future 2007-08; non-executive director/chairman Birmingham Forward 2011-2012; BPS Birmingham Limited and BPS Birmingham Leaders 2013 to date.

King Edward VI High School for Girls, Edgbaston; Liverpool University (1994 LLB Hons Law); College of Law, Chester (1995 LPC Commendation).