Active in claimant and defendant litigation, the ‘powerhouse of a firm’ Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP has experience acting for and against banks, with a recent focus on digital asset litigation. Kamran Rehman took over from Clare Arthurs as head of commercial dispute resolution in April 2024. Michael Brown represents groups of shareholder and investor claimants and Phillip D’Costa strengthens the team’s international capabilities, as co-head of the firm’s India group. Promoted to the partnership in April 2023, the ‘excellent lawyer’ Charlotte Hill has experience in civil fraud, asset tracing, and cyber disputes.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Kamran Rehman is an incredibly impressive leader. There is good delegation, and he has confidence in other members of his team, but he is the ultimate decision maker. Bronagh Adams is a very good assistant.’

  • ‘Charlotte Hill is exceptional. She supported a potential litigation case we had with a supplier with genuine skill and business understanding. She was responsive and turnaround times were quick with a high degree of attention to detail.’

  • ‘I have instructed Charlotte Hill and Richard Raban-Williams and was super impressed. Charlotte has an ability to get to the point of the legal issues which is unsurpassed and runs an effective team. Richard is thorough and turns around complex pleadings quickly. Together they make a super team. Charlotte's knowledge of the digital space is also excellent.’

  • ‘An excellent firm that seems to have attracted intelligent, hardworking and decent people across all offices. They are great to work with as an advisor/expert and it is clear that barristers and clients feel the same.’

  • ‘Alex Fox - banking disputes. Charlotte Hill - banking disputes. Philip D'Costa - complex litigation. David O'Brien - general litigation. David Niven - Group action. All bring their own style to cases but with a common theme of hard work, attention to detail and clear expertise.’

  • ‘Penningtons is that unusual combination of a powerhouse of a firm, working on high-profile and intensive cases, but staffed by individuals who are warm and approachable human beings: they're tough with their opponents, when they need to be and when it serves a purpose (rather than just dialling it up to 11 all the time), but they understand that their clients and colleagues aren't machines.’

  • ‘Charlotte Hill is a brilliant addition to any client’s arsenal. She’s charming to deal with, an excellent lawyer, and a consummate networker who has a brilliant knack of getting the other side to agree to things that would usually become mired in argument. Alex Fox is great at the tactics, and at seeing the bigger picture without losing sight of important details. Bronagh Adams is extraordinarily hard-working. Utterly indefatigable, and a great team-player.’

  • ‘Michael Brown has an impressive depth of knowledge which he brings to bear in a measured and reassuring manner. He leads from the front and keeps careful control over the case.’

Key clients

  • Consumers’ Association Ltd t/a Which?
  • Various NFU Mutual Policyholders
  • Hope Capital Limited
  • Ghana International Bank Plc
  • Market Financial Solutions

Work highlights

  • Acted for the Consumers’ Association (Which?) on both their Court of Appeal and Supreme Court interventions in the APP fraud case of Philipp v Barclays Bank UK Plc which involves an important point of banking law relating to the scope of a banker’s duty and liability for losses sustained through authorised push payment fraud.
  • Act for approximately 50 NFU Mutual policyholders, pursuing unpaid business interruption claims against the insurer arising out of COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Acting for Hope Capital Limited in Hope Capital Limited v Alexander Reece Thomson LLP [2023] EWHC 2389 (KB), a valuer negligence claim concerning valuers' scope of duty.

Lawyers

Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Kamran Rehman, Alex Fox, David Niven

Other key lawyers

Michael Brown, Charlotte Hill, Phillip d'Costa, Charlie Shillito, Bronagh Adams, David O'Brian, Harriet Vidot, Chris Hoyer Millar, Colin Hayes, Lauren Cormack, Richard Raban-Williams, Clare Arthurs