Thirty-nine years of being right before anyone had to prove it in court.
Most commercial disputes are decided in the weeks before a claim is ever filed — in the conversations a client has before instructing counsel to run. That is the decision we are built to advise on.
The eight ideas that run through every mandate.
Not marketing copy. Working positions, written by the partners who hold them, that shape how we advise from the first phone call.
Read all eight essaysLitigation is a business decision wearing legal clothing. Our job is to advise on the decision, not just the clothing.
£340m fraud claim against a global investment bank
Commercial Litigation — trial before the Commercial Court, London.
- Challenge
Client Challenge
A £340m fraud claim threatened to dominate the bank's next two years and unsettle counterparties mid-transaction.
- Strategy
Legal Strategy
We built the defence around forensic reconstruction of the disputed transactions rather than procedural delay.
- Turning Point
Turning Point
Cross-examination of the claimant's own expert conceded the central factual premise of the claim.
- Outcome
Outcome & Business Impact
Full dismissal preserved the bank's standing with regulators and counterparties through the trial period.
Five practices. No dilution.
Commercial Litigation
High-value contractual, fraud and shareholder disputes before the English courts.
International Arbitration
Investment treaty and commercial arbitration under LCIA, ICC and UNCITRAL rules.
Corporate Disputes
Post-acquisition, shareholder and joint venture disputes at the boardroom level.
Insolvency & Restructuring
Contentious insolvency, cross-border restructuring and director liability.
Financial Regulation
FCA and PRA enforcement, investigations and regulatory litigation.
The people clients call first.
Charles Stone
Eleanor Whitfield
David Okonjo-Reid
Priya Anand
Thirty-nine years of accumulated knowledge.
Essays. Client guides. Analysis of landmark cases. Five-minute board briefings. Long-form research. Everything the partnership has published, since 1987.
Insights
Short-form commentary on developing disputes and decisions.
Publications
Substantial papers on arbitration, fraud and regulatory practice.
The Boardroom
Five-minute reads written for the executives who brief the board.
Partner Notebook
Personal reflections from the partners, off the case file.
Archive
Everything published since 1987, indexed by year and topic.
How outside institutions assess our work.
Legal Directories
- Legal 500 UKTier 1, 8 consecutive years
- Chambers UKBand 1, International Arbitration
- Who's Who LegalEleanor Whitfield, Arbitration
Awards & Rankings
- GAR 30Ranked, 3 consecutive years
- The Lawyer AwardsLitigation Team of the Year, shortlist
- Chambers "Star Individual"Eleanor Whitfield
Media
- Financial TimesCommentary on cross-border enforcement
- Law360Trial coverage, Commercial Court
- Bloomberg LawAnalysis, treaty arbitration
Not every dispute needs Mercer & Stone. Most of the ones we take do.
Read an honest account of who we're built for — and who we're not — before you get in touch.