Bernard O'Sullivan > CMS > London, England > Lawyer Profile

CMS
CANNON PLACE
78 CANNON STREET
LONDON
EC4N 6AF
England
Bernard O'Sullivan photo

Position

Partner

Career

Bernard advises on all aspects of complex commercial litigation with a particular emphasis on asset recovery, civil fraud and regulatory issues. Bernard frequently acts for both claimants and defendants in high value multi-jurisdictional disputes. Bernard is a member of the advisory board and co-chair of the Informa Asset Recovery conference in Dublin.

Chambers UK 2020 describes Bernard as a “supreme strategist” who is “unflappable, pragmatic and commercial.” Chambers UK 2019 noted of Bernard that: “He is a brilliant lawyer who not only knows the law but knows how to achieve positive results efficiently. He understands the various cultural issues that are at play in international fraud cases, and manages various competing interests simultaneously with savvy.”

Bernard has in depth experience of securing and defending asset tracing orders including freezing, search, disclosure and Norwich Pharmacal orders. Bernard has also acted as lead litigation adviser for clients in a wide range of jurisdictions (both common law and civil law) including securing appropriate orders and investigations in these jurisdictions.

Prior to CMS he was a partner in Dechert before setting up the niche practice Byrne and Partners.

Education

  • Birmingham University, Birmingham

Lawyer Rankings

London > Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil

(Hall of Fame)

Bernard O’SullivanCMS

Continuously focused on generating victories for clients’, CMS‘ fraud team in London leverages the firm’s enviable banking client base, particularly in relation to financial fraud. The group is also supported by the firm’s highly regarded regulatory lawyers. Other areas of expertise are energy-related mandates, along with corruption, tax evasion and money laundering cases. The firm additionally has a robust cyber fraud practice, with its breach response service covering 70 jurisdictions worldwide. Praised for his ‘intellectual dynamism and brilliance’, commercial litigator Bernard O’Sullivan is a specialist in asset recovery, civil fraud and regulatory issues; Andrew Taplin‘s broad fraud practice ranges from multi-jurisdictional claims involving HNW individuals and their corporate vehicles, to employee fraud, payment fraud claims for banks, and business and share sale-related fraud, dishonesty and concealment claims; Tamsin Blow represents both claimants and defendants in multi-jurisdictional fraud cases; Luke Pardey is ‘fantastic’; and Eoin O’Shea is a highly regarded fraud and financial crime practitioner. In April 2024, Nadia Latti was promoted to partner, ‘a role she has been owning for some time’, while Anita de Villiers has notable experience in fraud proceedings (both in the UK and Australia).