A&O Shearman

With excellent domestic and European regulatory coverage, and now better placed to assist on matters with a US nexus following the merger with legacy firm Shearman & Sterling, A&O Shearman is truly a force to be reckoned with in the financial services litigation and investigations field. The ‘outstanding’ Calum Burnett is a trusted advisor to a plethora of leading banks and asset managers, a position he has justifiably earned over the years by virtue of his ’pragmatic and client-focused’ advice. Burnett handles high-stakes regulatory investigations spanning a range of topics, such as market abuse and insider dealing, financial crime and cyber security breaches. Arnondo Chakrabarti has a rare combination of expertise in handling contentious regulatory matters, as well as corporate crime; he has been, in recent years, at the forefront of contentious matters relating to alleged FX manipulation. The ‘very clever and diligent’ Eve Giles also excels at handling white-collar crime matters, both for institutions and individuals, and has significant experience at handing dual-track criminal and regulatory investigations. The ’extremely hard working, responsive and smart’ Sarah Hitchins has excellent insight into ‘anticipating the FCA’s approach’ on new areas of focus, including with regard to non-financial misconduct. Mahmood Lane has a focus on market abuse and manipulation cases, while the arrival of Thomas Donegan and Barney Reynolds from legacy Shearman & Sterling further enhances the firm’s credibility for both non-contentious and contentious matters.