Joanna Pearson > Humphries Kerstetter LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Humphries Kerstetter LLP Offices
St Bartholomew House
92 Fleet Street
EC4Y 1DH
England
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Joanna Pearson
Work Department
Commercial Litigation and arbitration
Position
Joanna Pearson is the managing partner at HK with 23 years’ experience of complex financial services and commercial litigation and investigations, bringing “significant experience in investor claims, disputes arising from financial products and contract interpretation litigation” (Legal 500). Joanna also specialises in disputes regarding partnership and director duties, including founder/key person exits, conflicts of interest and good faith obligations.
Joanna is described in the Legal 500 as ‘definitely someone clients want on their side’ and ‘a superb lawyer and really good to work with. Efficient and knowledgeable.’
Career
Joanna was a partner in the London office of Simmons & Simmons LLP prior to joining Humphries Kerstetter, with time working in Hong Kong and Singapore. Many of Joanna’s matters have an international element.
Joanna’s litigation experience spans the commercial and financial sectors, with a particular focus on investor claims (both claimant and defendant); disputes involving complex financial products and structures; contractual interpretation disputes; and partnership and shareholder disputes. Joanna acts for individuals, corporates banks, asset managers, wealth managers, investors, and shareholders.
Joanna also conducts investigations, often with a regulatory enforcement or other governmental authority focus, acting for both organisations and individuals
Education
1998: LPC, The College of Law, London
1997: LLB (Hons), King’s College, London
Lawyer Rankings
London > Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
Humphries Kerstetter LLP is ‘a top dispute resolution boutique in London’. The 19-strong practice represents UK and internationally-based corporations, banks, funds and HNW individuals in high-stakes disputes; such matters are frequently before the English Commercial Court and involve international parties or coordination with proceedings in other countries. The firm’s sector expertise covers banking, financial services, energy, defence, insurance, IT, international trade, pharmaceuticals, telecoms, media, and construction. As of April 2024, experienced financial services litigator Joanna Pearson, who ‘gets great results’, is the firm’s managing partner, replacing commercial and financial disputes specialist James Russell, whose cases often involve trust and company law issues. The practice also showcases Kristopher Kerstetter, who represents companies from the energy, telecoms, financial services, media, insurance and industrial projects sectors; Toby Starr, who ‘always looks for the best solution’; and veteran litigator Mark Humphries. Other key figures are Robert Javin-Fisher, an expert in contractual and shareholder disputes, as well as professional negligence, group litigation and competition-related follow-on claims; Chris Louth, who is ‘an absolute credit to the firm and himself’; and Harriet Bush, who has notable experience in product liability matters, negligence and shareholder disputes.
London > Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
A go-to firm for group litigation in the banking and finance sector, Humphries Kerstetter LLP has a strong track record representing groups of bondholders and shareholders. Acting both for and against banks and financial institutions, the team is also experienced in derivatives disputes, fund mismanagement, and impropriety claims and structured product litigation. Joanna Pearson took over from ‘master tactician’ James Russell as managing partner in January 2024, specialising in disputes around partnership and director duties. Russell focuses on derivative and financial product litigation.
Lawyer Rankings
- Commercial litigation: mid-market London > Dispute resolution
- Banking litigation: investment and retail London > Dispute resolution