Signature Litigation LLP

Signature Litigation is best known as a new model commercial and financial market litigation practice with a unique “all member” economic structure. Signature is a law firm with no transactional practice, and therefore very few conflicts of interest, and none of the distractions which come with a multi-practice law firm with offices across many jurisdictions.

The firm: Signature is a law firm founded in 2012 by senior lawyers with many years' experience in leading international practices. As a law firm, Signature specialises in high-value commercial litigation and international arbitration (commercial and investment treaty). Headquartered in London and with offices in Paris, Frankfurt and Gibraltar, the firm was founded to meet the increased demand for advice and support in complex cases from independent and highly experienced litigators, where the dedication of a niche specialist firm yields results.

At Signature law is processed without confusion: Signature is a law firm that suffers none of the distractions of much larger, full-service, law firms. Our dedication to litigation and arbitration removes most present and future conflicts from our work.

Signature is a law firm distinct from anything else in the market. The firm has effectively transferred economic ownership in the firm away from the traditional model of equity partners towards every member of the practice. Signature Litigation has developed and implemented the first truly transparent, non-discretionary and universally applicable profit-sharing structure in the legal market.

Put simply, Signature Litigation is governed effectively by the combined voices of all of its people – with guaranteed rights for everyone to enjoy its success, financial and otherwise, and to ensure that its unique culture remains entirely protected.

Signature is a law firm that ensures its clients are at the heart of everything done by all its members and as such, is able to offer clients in the region high quality advice which truly understands their needs, while avoiding the constraints of potential conflict issues. Above all, it has taken advantage of the developments in technology and outsourcing to ensure that its team is dynamic and efficient enough to deliver the very best service and legal outcomes for its clients.

Recent matter highlights: The firm has continued its strong growth this year with several high-value cases and an expanding team of high-calibre individuals. By way of example, Signature continues to act for international shipbuilding group, Privinvest, in connection with US$2bn claims brought against it and Credit Suisse by the Republic of Mozambique arising from supply agreements and supporting financial instruments and guarantees alleged to have been entered into by Mozambique due to corruption involving state officials responsible for its international investment into its oil and gas reserves, in what is sometimes known as the “tuna bonds” or “hidden debts” litigation. The substantive trial was held in October 2023 and judgment was handed down in relation to that trial in July 2024.

Signature is also acting for investors in shares of Barclays Bank who are pursuing the bank for losses of over £550m following a significant share price drop. The underlying allegations relate to allegations that Barclays misled its customers in connection with its liquidity dark pool. The claims are advanced under sections 90 and 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) and it is due to go to trial in October 2025. In July 2024, Barclays applied to strike out elements of the Claimants case under s90A and a decision from Leech J is awaited. This was the first time that the Court has considered in detail the statutory test of reliance under s90A and it is likely that the decision in that regard will be breaking new ground.

Additionally, Signature Litigation is representing Commission Recovery Limited in a ground-breaking claim for recovery of alleged secret commissions earned from commercial referral arrangements. In February 2023, the High Court ruled that this matter could proceed as a representative action against the Defendants, meeting the hurdle for representative claimants set out by the UK Supreme Court in respect of its 2021 ruling in Lloyd v Google. In January 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Signature’s client, finding that it had successfully met the hurdle to bring a representative claim against the Defendants under CPR 19.8. Later that year in April, the Supreme Court rejected an application by Marks & Clerk for permission to appeal the Court of Appeal’s January decision. Trial is now expected to go ahead in January 2025.

On the international arbitration side, Signature is representing Discovery Global LLC, a US oil and gas exploration company, in a USD500 million investment treaty ICSID claim against Slovakia in which it alleges that it was prevented from conducting oil and gas exploration drilling operations due to unlawful, systematic and repeated pattern of behaviour by state authorities that left Discovery unable to exercise its rights under oil and gas exploration licences it had been granted, depriving Discovery of the total value of its investment.

Recent developments and partner appointments: Signature Litigation’s continued development is evident in recent and significant partner appointments and a strategic office launch. In July 2024, Signature opened its offices in Frankfurt, Germany. This office, led by partners Ulrich Helm and Dr Jan Kraayvanger, advises and represents clients in commercial disputes including mediation, civil court proceedings, as well as national and international commercial arbitrations. Industry sectors of key focus for Signature in Frankfurt include oil & gas and renewable energy – notably offshore wind farms, power plant projects – construction and infrastructure (including, specifically, tunnels and data centres), automotive, financial services, as well as insurance.

In October 2023, Kate Gee, a commercial fraud and crypto litigation specialist, was elevated to partner at the firm. Kate joined Signature as a Counsel in November 2020 from an international law firm and has more than 13 years’ experience acting in complex, high value, cross border disputes, including civil fraud and asset tracing claims, commercial litigation and banking litigation.

In September 2023, the firm appointed Philipp Kurek to its partnership in London. Philipp specialises in international arbitration with particular expertise in investment arbitration, representing clients and providing strategic legal advice in ICSID and ad hoc arbitration proceedings.

Types of work undertaken: Commercial litigation and international arbitration; complex, multi-party disputes that challenge the commercial and reputational viability of its clients, and regulatory disputes in the banking and financial services sector.

Signature Litigation's lawyers have resolved some of the most significant and complex disputes involving financial institutions in recent legal history. The law firm offers services to investment and commercial banks, funds and asset managers, large corporations, private equity and venture capital houses, hedge funds, professional advisers and private clients.

Signature Litigation’s International Arbitration team comprises specialist practitioners across all its offices. The team has substantial experience in commercial arbitration and investment treaty arbitration, acting for clients on high value and complex international arbitrations pursuant to various institutional rules including LCIA, ICC, DIS, ICSID, UNCITRAL, SCC, DIAC, HKIAC, SIAC and CIETAC.

Signature Litigation’s insurance and reinsurance law practice focuses on complex international insurance disputes. Combining the expertise in its London, Paris and Frankfurt offices, Signature Litigation has acted for some of the leading insurers and reinsurers on high value disputes, particularly in Europe, Latin America, the Mediterranean basin, Asia and West Africa.

Complex international trust arrangements and fund management disputes are at the heart of much of the firm’s work, particularly in London and Gibraltar. Some of those arrangements involve formal trust structures in offshore jurisdictions, whilst others involve disputes arising out of informal trust relationships. The law firm also advises regularly on the applicability of constructive trusts to the proceeds of fraud. Its practitioners have been involved in almost all the high value contentious trusts and estates matters before the Gibraltar Courts at all levels and regularly seeks directions from the Court on behalf of trustees.

Signature Litigation’s product liability law practice is led from its Paris office and focuses on assisting major entities with every compliance issue that may arise with regulators, suppliers or consumers. The firm advises clients on all aspects of liability following their products from the day they are designed until they are placed on the market, handling disputes in France and in London.

Signature Litigation’s insolvency litigation practice is based on significant experience of representing a wide spectrum of clients – creditors, investors, debtors and officeholders – across a range of complex disputes. The practice also regularly undertakes matters in relation to contentious restructuring, bringing and defending claims before the Courts.

Signature Litigation has deep experience in dealing with regulatory disputes in the financial sector and conducting corporate investigations. The firm also advises clients in connection with investigations initiated by the FCA and SFO in the United Kingdom, the Financial Services Commission in Gibraltar and, in France, the anti-corruption agency, the AFA. In Gibraltar the firm has acted for the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission in appeals brought against it by regulated entities in relation to the enforcement powers of the regulator.

Signature Litigation’s international construction disputes lawyers have decades of experience advising clients on litigation and arbitration relating to large-scale engineering, infrastructure and construction projects around the world. Signature’s lawyers have considerable experience in out-of-court negotiations, mediation, dispute adjudication board proceedings, as well as in litigation and arbitration.