WilmerHale > London, England > Firm Profile

WilmerHale
49 Park Lane
LONDON
W1K 1PS
England

Dispute resolution > International arbitration Tier 1

Fielding ‘one of the most experienced teams around for international arbitration’, WilmerHale has an enviable track record in high-stakes disputes, including both commercial and investor-state arbitrations. An ‘outstanding, brilliant litigator’, international arbitration practice chair Gary Born is a renowned commercial arbitration and international litigation specialist. Charlie Caher‘s experience includes numerous institutional and ad hoc arbitrations involving all major arbitral institutions and international arbitration practice vice-chair Franz Schwarz has ‘excellent judgement and strategic sense’. Steven Finizio, who also sits as an arbitrator, has particular experience in energy, financial services, shareholder, joint venture M&A, and manufacturing-related disputes. The practice further showcases triple-qualified English solicitor, Singapore advocate and New York lawyer, Jonathan Lim, who acts in a broad range of commercial and investment treaty arbitration matters. In January 2024, the ‘exceptional’ Marleen Krueger, who divides her time between London and Berlin, was promoted to partner. Krueger focuses on international commercial and investment arbitration matters across a range of sectors and jurisdictions.

Practice head(s):

Gary Born; Franz Schwarz; Steven Finizio

Testimonials

‘Terrific talent with brand and clients to match. Huge experience. Big name in arbitration. The diverse WH team is smart, extremely well organised and has a great grasp of the details, which is important in large cases. One of the most experienced teams around for international arbitration.’

‘Their advocacy on the law and the facts is compelling. Easy to work with and quickly grasps key valuation concepts.’

‘The team is very responsive and demonstrates deep understanding of clients’ needs and concerns. They show devotion to cases and constantly exceed expectations in terms of quality of service. From the associates to the partners, the team is engaged in providing a high-quality service.’

‘It is clear that not only are they excellent experts in international commercial arbitration, but they also have a very strong business understanding.’

‘Gary Born is super talented. An outstanding, brilliant litigator. Understands the complexities of cases and has the ability to argue distinctly and distinctively.’

‘Franz Schwartz – excellent judgement and strategic sense. An industry leader and excellent expert with great legal knowledge and deep understanding of clients’ concerns. Despite being high in the firm’s structure, he is very involved in the process, adding invaluable expertise.’

‘Charlie Caher is a highly experienced arbitration lawyer. A superb practitioner. Spot-on tactical instincts. Stands out for his clear explanation of the law and facts that are critical to deciding on the merits.’

‘Marleen Krueger is exceptional. She is a great expert, with excellent communication skills that make her a trusted adviser. Marleen is well aware of what is important for her clients and makes sure to exceed their expectations. Jonathan Lim is very bright, industrious and competent.’

Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals) Tier 2

Under the joint leadership of Stephen Pollard and Richard Burger, WilmerHale’s growing white-collar crime practice routinely represents individuals in significant SFO, NCA, police, and HMRC investigations. The ‘legendary‘ Pollard has an impressive track record handling the full range of business crime and securities enforcement matters, while seasoned white-collar specialist Burger handles both domestic and international regulatory and criminal investigations. Lloyd Firth’s recent caseload includes representing senior individuals in bribery and fraud proceedings.

Practice head(s):

Stephen Pollard; Richard Burger

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Stephen Pollard and Lloyd Firth are deeply experienced and dedicated to the best outcomes of their clients.’

‘Stephen Pollard is, I think, the leading white collar solicitor of his generation in London.’

‘Stephen Pollard is simply the best. It is a big claim to make, and it sounds like an exaggeration, but I don’t say it about anyone else. He is the best for judgement, he is the best for clarity of thought, he is the best for length of vision, and he is charming and modest at the same time as being the best.’

‘Their competence is strong and they have a deep team of associates which have been very helpful with criminal, regulatory and public matters.’

‘Their team, led by the legendary Stephen Pollard is second to none. US law firm heft coupled with gold-standard UK lawyers makes them as good as anyone in this area.’

‘The hugely impressive and experienced Richard Burger is a stellar addition to their ranks.’

‘Excellent experience in some of the most high profile and complex cases.’

‘Richard Burger has exceptional experience in contentious regulatory and white-collar matters, including internal investigations and external prosecutions.’

Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious Tier 3

Combining ‘US law firm heft coupled with gold-standard UK lawyers’, WilmerHale excels in representing financial services entities and senior executives in large-scale regulatory investigations and enforcements. In this context, the team is particularly effective in helping clients navigate matters with regulatory and criminal implications, through large-scale internal or regulatory agency-led investigations. The ‘hugely impressive and experienced’ Richard Burger ‘will leave no stone unturned in achieving the best for his clients’. He has vast experience defending clients before a range of regulatory bodies including FCA, SFO and the US DOJ. Hot on the heels of Burger’s arrival from DWF in January 2023, the firm welcomed the arrival of Imogen Makin from the same firm in January 2024. Makin is also noted for her aptitude at handling global investigations. The ‘legendary’ Stephen Pollard co-heads the team alongside Burger and is able to leverage ‘deep experience across the regulatory and criminal divide’. 

Practice head(s):

Stephen Pollard; Richard Burger

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Richard Burger is very hardworking and conscientious, will leave no stone unturned in achieving best for his clients.’

‘Richard Burger is hugely impressive and experienced.’

‘The legendary Stephen Pollard has a unique blend of deep experience over many years and across the regulatory and criminal divide.’

‘We have referred numerous matters to WilmerHale over the years. Predominantly because of how highly we rate Stephen Pollard, but also because of their deep expertise in contentious financial services investigations.’

‘Recruited top UK regulatory solicitor to beef up its UK regulatory and professional discipline practice.’

‘The team, led by the legendary Stephen Pollard, is second to none. US law firm heft coupled with gold-standard UK lawyers makes them as good as anyone in this area.’

‘In addition to Stephen Pollard, the firm recently recruited the hugely impressive and experienced Richard Burger who is a stellar addition to their ranks.’

Work highlights

Dispute resolution > Public international law Tier 3

With ‘unwavering dedication to providing the utmost in client service’, WilmerHale's public international law team routinely acts in matters involving territorial boundaries and territory-related sovereignty issues, including state-to-state, intra-state and investor-state disputes. The practice also covers sovereign immunity, foreign judgment enforcement, and freedom of speech and belief rights, along with treaty accessions, territorial boundaries, maritime delimitation, international criminal law, and human rights. Gary Born is 'the preeminent expert in international arbitration'; Steven Finizio is experienced in public international law and investment treaty issues; and Jonathan Lim advises international organisations and governments in Africa and Asia on public international law.

Practice head(s):

Gary Born; Steven Finizio

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Always prevails on significant procedural issues. It is a privilege to collaborate with this esteemed team.’

‘The firm comprises, without a doubt, the top practitioners in the field of international arbitration.’

‘In navigating through intricate and multifaceted cases, the team adeptly confronts the complexities arising from multilingual and multi-jurisdictional disputes.’

‘They exhibit remarkable resourcefulness by skilfully combining third-party funding with internal budgetary flexibilities, ensuring uninterrupted case progression while maintaining the highest service standards.’

‘What truly sets this team apart is its agility when responding to the many challenges that arise – it has the ability to come up with innovative solutions, which are only possible with their top-notch professional knowledge and unwavering dedication to providing the utmost in client service.’

‘Unfailingly demonstrates a remarkable depth of knowledge and a broad spectrum of expertise – a high level of service quality and responsiveness, as well as an impressive combination of legal acumen and commercial awareness.’

‘Gary Born is well known as the preeminent expert in international arbitration, and his reputation as a living legend is certainly well deserved. He has exceptional strategic insight, and that insight helps deliver many important wins.’

‘Jonathan Lim is an extraordinarily gifted lawyer and forceful advocate. He is a consummate professional, exceptionally responsive, and always provides highly incisive and practical advice.’

Key clients

Asian Development Bank

Media Defence

Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates) Tier 3

The investigations and criminal litigation team at WilmerHale has a broad practice with notable strength in transatlantic instructions. Co-chair Stephen Pollard, lauded for his ‘incredible experience and phenomenal judgement’, has a strong track record representing corporate clients in high-profile proceedings brought by the SFO. Pollard works alongside co-chair Richard Burger, a former prosecutor with extensive experience handling domestic and international regulatory enforcement and criminal investigations. Lloyd Firth handles internal investigations as well as multijurisdictional government-facing investigations. Imogen Makin joined the team in January 2024, and is a key contact for financial institutions.

Practice head(s):

Stephen Pollard; Richard Burger

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The Wilmer team has incredible strength, shaped by Stephen Pollard. They have an exceptional advantage in their global presence. Their ability to work between locations internationally is unmatched – they are truly able to offer a seamless service across jurisdictions.’

‘Stephen Pollard is one of the greats. He has incredible experience and phenomenal judgement. He has built a great team around him, in particular Richard Burger, and Lloyd Firth. Lloyd in particular has an exciting profile and is a rising star.’

‘Their team, led by the legendary Stephen Pollard is second to none. Gold-standard lawyers.’

‘The hugely impressive and experienced Richard Burger is a stellar addition to their ranks.’

‘Excellent experience in some of the most high profile and complex cases.’

‘Richard Burger has extensive experience on both contentious regulatory and white-collar matters, including internal investigations and external prosecutions.’

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious) Tier 3

With a demonstrable presence in the technology sector, WilmerHale counts some notable clients in its roster and is well-positioned to advise on a variety of patent litigation, including FRAND issues. The group is regarded as ‘superb’ and able to deliver ‘a service of the highest quality’. Justin Watts capitalises on his more than 30 years of experience operating in the patents field to represent pharmaceutical and technology giants in complex litigation, and Anthony Trenton is also highly active on the litigation side. Matthew Shade, who is both a solicitor and European patent attorney, enjoys extensive expertise across the electronics, technology, and medical devices arenas. Annsley Merelle Ward has considerable experience operating for innovative technology companies and Christina Guazzi contributes her experience that spans the technology and pharmaceutical sectors.

Testimonials

‘A superb team focused on all aspects of patent litigation which delivers a service of the highest quality.’

‘Annsley Merelle Ward is a dedicated and extraordinarily hard-working patent litigator with superb judgement.’

‘Dedicated and skilled FRAND litigators. Efficient and easy to work with.’

‘Annsley Merelle Ward is knowledgeable and user friendly; an excellent team leader and coordinator; always thinking outside the box strategically.’

‘Annsley Merelle Ward – you want her on your side. Super clever, imaginative, determined, and fights exceptionally hard for her clients.’

‘An unbelievably dedicated team capable of providing the very best service to the most demanding clients in exceptionally complicated multi-jurisdictional disputes.’

‘Anthony Trenton is truly exceptional in his ability to manage the most diverse and complex litigation involving large numbers of senior lawyers and complex clients.’

‘Annsley Merelle Ward is exceptionally experienced, extremely well-versed in the law across the whole of IP, and a very able and practical litigator.’

Key clients

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Schlumberger

Gyrodata, Inc.

Work highlights

Photo Name Position Profile
Gary Born photo Gary Born Chair of WilmerHale’s International Arbitration Practice Group
Charlie Caher photo Charlie Caher Partner
Steven Finizio photo Steven Finizio Partner
Christina Guazzi photo Christina Guazzi Counsel
Jonathan Lim photo Jonathan Lim Partner
Annsley Merelle Ward photo Annsley Merelle Ward Partner
Cormac O'Daly photo Cormac O'Daly Partner
Franz Schwarz photo Franz Schwarz Vice Chair of WilmerHale’s International Arbitration Practice Group
Anthony Trenton photo Anthony Trenton Partner
Justin Watts photo Dr Justin Watts Partner
Photo Name Position Profile
Lloyd Firth photo Lloyd Firth Counsel
Stephen Pollard photo Stephen Pollard Partner