The result of a May 2024 merger between legacy firms Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling, A&O Shearman fields ‘market-leading lawyers who work exceptionally hard and win cases’. The firm’s civil fraud practice is best known for handling large and multi-jurisdictional fraud cases concerning bribery, embezzlement, deceit and corruption, and its mandates typically involve urgent interlocutory matters, such as freezing and disclosure orders, as well as search and seizure orders. Calum Burnett is head of litigation and investigations in London, while Arnondo Chakrabarti leads the London litigation department. The practice also features Eve Giles, who acts for both corporations and individuals in matters involving fraud issues; Mahmood Lone, who advises global financial institutions on fraud allegations; and Brandon O’Neil, Hayley Humphries and Tom Spackman, who are all ’exceptionally hard-working, bright and technically competent’. Other key figures are Helen Biggin, an expert in large-scale, multi-jurisdictional fraud claims; Juliet de Pencier, who acts in civil fraud matters (alongside her finance litigation practice); and Georgina Thomson, who is notably focused on fraud claims and financial litigation in the High Court.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘A real Rolls-Royce operation. Partners who are entirely on top of the law, drive strategy, and are laser focused on commercial outcomes. All supported by associate teams who get under the skin of the case, and add real value.’
‘A standout team in a crowded market. One real strength of the A&O fraud team is its diversity - this team is packed full of brilliant female associates, who are given the support and space to develop. That cannot be said of most of A&O's competitor firms.’
Key clients
- Arise
- Trinity Investments Designated Activity Company