Where the biggest commercial risks end up being decided.
High-value contractual, fraud and shareholder disputes before the English courts — advised on from the first sign of trouble, not just once proceedings begin.
Litigation is a business decision wearing legal clothing.
Most clients who call us are not certain they want to litigate. They are certain something has gone wrong, and they want to understand their options before committing to a course that will occupy the next eighteen months.
We treat that first conversation as strategic, not procedural. Before we discuss pleadings, we discuss what winning would actually achieve — and whether there's a faster way to get there.
— Charles Stone, Senior Partner
How we work on these matters.
Case Assessment
A senior partner reviews the merits and the commercial context before any claim is issued — not after.
Forensic Preparation
Disputes of this size are won on documentary and witness evidence assembled early, not on eloquence at trial.
Trial-Ready Throughout
We prepare every matter as though it will reach trial, even when we expect it will settle — leverage depends on it.
The Mandate Journey™
£340m fraud claim against a global investment bank
Full dismissal at trial before the Commercial Court, London, preserving the bank's standing with regulators through the trial period.
Read the full Mandate Journey →Questions we're asked before instruction.
How early should we involve you in a developing dispute?
Before you send — or respond to — a letter before action, ideally. Early positioning shapes everything that follows, including settlement leverage.
Do you take cases on a conditional or partial fee basis?
Rarely. Given the scale of the matters we act on, our clients typically instruct on standard commercial terms; we can discuss structures where appropriate.
What's your view on interim injunctions?
A useful tool when genuinely time-critical, and a costly mistake when used as a negotiating tactic. We advise on which situation you're actually in.
How do you handle disputes that involve reputational sensitivity?
The same way we handle everything: privately. We do not issue press releases about client matters, win or lose.