Sidley Austin LLP maintains a strong practice on behalf of large, sophisticated international entities and individuals seeking advice and representation when faced with reputation or career threatening issues, often at the intersection of financial crime and regulatory enforcement. Much of this work is of a cross-border nature, with the team working well with other offices including in the US and Asia. Sara George is ‘truly exceptional’ and has vast experience representing clients accused of a variety of regulatory infractions, including as they relate to insider trading, market manipulation and money laundering.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'The team and the practice cover greatly a broad number of complex situations, for demanding and sophisticated clients, with operations in several jurisdictions. The team also ensures great diversity with great quality of staff across several seniority levels. They are also very practical and have helped us and clients save time. I have worked with them greatly as a team also. We have also used specific technology tools that saved time and resources also.'
  • 'Sara George is truly exceptional.'
  • 'Experts in their field focused on what is relevant and their client best interests, great collaboration with their international offices.'
  • 'Each member of the team contributes significantly and seamlessly, and each one clearly has their clients' best interests at heart.'
  • 'Each time they provided added value to the overall complex situations and contexts we have been working together to solve, in several jurisdictions. So, their cross-border knowledge also puts them ahead of other reputed international law firms.'

Key clients

  • Tom Hayes

Work highlights

  • Represented the former UBS and Citigroup trader Tom Hayes, who was convicted of interest-rate rigging following a Serious Fraud Office-led trial, on a pro bono basis in the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal in a successful challenge to a proposed prohibition order following his conviction for manipulation of LIBOR.

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Stephen Cohen, Sara George

Other key lawyers

Samantha Cumming