Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, praised for its ‘extraordinary strength in depth’, regularly acts for leading corporates and entities across the manufacturing, banking, oil and gas, and banking industries, with a focus on high-profile and cross-border investigations. Under the leadership of the ‘outstanding’ Susannah Cogman, the team has recently seen an uptick in instructions concerning money laundering compliance and sanctions advisory work. Cogman works alongside the ‘world-class’ Brian Spiro, who is highly regarded for his expertise in national and international agency investigations, and Kate Meakin, who advises corporations and financial institutions on fraud, corruption, and sanctions issues. With notable emphasis on UK and EU sanctions, Elizabeth Head is another name to note here.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘A well-resourced, well-regarded team, mainly focused on corporate clients.’
‘This is a world-class firm with a world-class team. They have a superb reputation and are a delight to work with. They inspire confidence.’
‘Brian Spiro is a world-class lawyer and thinker. He is among the best there is.’
‘Brian Spiro is one of the most experienced and well-regarded sources of advice to individuals in the London market. He covers, with a calmness rooted in long long experience, all the different challenges that 'white collar' investigations can bring. He has seen it all and done it all. No case is too large or too complex for Brian.’
'Extraordinary strength in depth.'
‘I have had a chance to work with the corporate crime team at HSF over the last couple of years and have been extremely impressed. The strength in depth and resourcing was extremely impressive. They were also extremely good at managing the client, including an understanding of the internal politics within the corporate client and what was needed to assist them.’
‘I was particularly impressed with Kate Meakin, who did a great job at managing and directing a significant team working on the case without ever losing sight of the detail. She is extremely bright, with a clear tactical sense of the case. She has an exceptional sense of what a corporate client needs and not just what they think they want.'
‘Susannah Cogman is an outstanding individual to work with. Her knowledge and understanding of the law is second to none, and her judgment is excellent. She is very balanced and serves her clients well, especially when they are being pursued by investigating authorities.’
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Susannah Cogman