Biography
Graham Huntley is a founding partner of Signature Litigation and a senior specialist commercial and banking litigator. With his time at Signature and previously as a partner in a major international law firm, Graham has over 35 years’ experience in commercial litigation.
Graham is consistently recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers as one of the UK’s highest ranked commercial and banking litigators and has been involved in some of the most significant cases of recent years. The Chambers UK 2023 Guide recognises Graham as “a highly regarded litigator known for handling cases of the utmost value”, with sources praising him as “the mastermind behind the multi-jurisdictional litigation strategy. The kind of lawyer that has a very strong grasp of commercial as well as legal matters.” Previous guides have described him as “a shining light in the litigation market” with “deep experience” and “immense strategic ability”. Market commentators also describe him as “very bright, very hard-working, a good tactician” and “very committed and driven”. Graham has also been ranked Band 1 in Chambers Global for Dispute Resolution: Litigation – UK, and has been noted as “a real force of nature” and a “real straight shooter who is supportive of the staff working with him”.
The Legal 500 UK 2023 recognises Graham in its ‘Hall of Fame’ for both banking litigation and commercial litigation, and a ‘Leading Individual’ for his civil fraud expertise. He is described as “a doyen of London banking litigation”, “a legend in the London banking litigation market”, and a “master tactician”. He is further praised as an “absolute star”, and an “outstanding lawyer [who] has a real skill in getting to the heart of the matter”. A commentator notes “client manner is second to none and the firm thrives on his leadership” and another comments Graham is “utterly dedicated; he will not hesitate to go the extra mile to get the result for his client”. Previous Guides have praised him as “hugely experienced” and an “exceptional litigator”. Graham is further considered “a leading figure in commercial dispute resolution and widely regarded as a rainmaker” and “a force of nature, a very impressive litigator with a deeply commercial intelligence and a willingness to go more than the extra mile for his clients.” The Guide has also noted Graham is an “extremely creative and lateral lawyer”. The Legal 500 UK 2017 regards Graham as “an excellent and careful strategist with unparalleled knowledge of judges, barristers and arbitrators”. In The Legal 500 UK 2016, Graham is commended as a litigator “you would not want to have on the other side” and “one of the most experienced litigators in London”. Graham is praised for his ability to bring “huge experience” to cases. Graham has also been recognised by Citywealth as a Leading Lawyer, as part of the ‘Citywealth Leaders List’ and is also consistently recognised in the Who’s Who Legal Guides for his litigation and asset recovery expertise.
Graham acts for banks, fund managers and life assurers in relation to M&A disputes, regulatory disputes and private investigations, shareholder and joint venture disputes as well as a range of economic tort claims. Graham also has extensive experience of warranty claims and professional indemnity work for a range of corporate and financial institutions as well as for professionals. His experience of ADR includes three of the UK’s most significant mediations involving financial institutions.
Graham Huntley is a past Trustee and President of the London Solicitors Litigation Association and has served as a member of several judicial and professional working parties including the Commercial Court Users’ Group. He has rights of audience in the Higher Courts of England and Wales.
Graham also has a long-standing commitment to pro-bono work, having served as International Pro-Bono Partner for ten years at his previous firm. He is currently a Director of the London Legal Support Trust as well as Chairman of the Capital Cases Charitable Trust.
Experience
- Representing Privinvest in connection with a US$2bn claim brought against Credit Suisse by the Republic of Mozambique. The claim relates to supply agreements and supporting financial instruments and guarantees entered into by state-owned enterprises dedicated to the development of Mozambique’s offshore Exclusive Economic Zone and supporting international investment into its oil and gas reserves. The claim engages allegations of bribery of Mozambican government officials.
- Instructed by the investment fund of Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili and his family in a dispute against Credit Suisse for losses over mismanagement of his portfolio in Switzerland, which have led to criminal proceedings against the bank’s fund managers. Civil proceedings in Singapore are in progress. The Supreme Court of Bermuda recently ruled in favour of the client, ordering Credit Suisse to pay damages “substantially in excess of $500 million” from its local life insurance entity.
- Acted on behalf of the parent company of a telecommunications firm, Cellcom Telecommunications, in relation to allegations of fraud and cyber attacks allegedly designed to gain a commercial advantage over a competitor in Liberia. This case is one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2022.
- Acting for members of the Barclay family in claims brought against them in the English High Court by Sir Frederick and Amanda Barclay in relation to recordings of conversations at the Ritz Hotel. The commercial dispute concerned allegations of breach of confidence, misuse of information and breach of data protection rights. Signature advised on the clients’ defence, the wider litigation strategy and confidential settlement
- Acting for ENRC in landmark proceedings brought by the Serious Fraud Office regarding legal professional privilege, which the Court of Appeal determined in ENRC’s favour.
- Acting on behalf of approximately 40 institutional clients and over 8,000 individual shareholders to bring claims against RBS over its 2008 rights issue following the disastrous acquisition of ABN Amro. This case was recognised as one of The Lawyer’s top 20 cases of 2017.
- Advising an investment bank based in London and the CIS in relation to several fee and market practice issues arising under banking mandates and totalling $140 million in unpaid fees and damages.
- Conducting heavy Commercial Court proceedings in relation to a range of financial transactions in respect of which allegations of conspiracy, fraud, breach of tortious duty, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty under English and Luxembourg laws were all in issue.
- Advising authorised persons in relation to an ongoing investigation by US regulators (the SEC and the DOJ) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority into the obligations and practices regarding the mark-to-market of a complex book of credit default swaps involving detailed and expert analysis of the marking of tranche trades and index trades.
Publications
SIGNATURE LITIGATION—TSEGAYE LAURENDEAU – New Law Journal – 12 September 2022
Signature Litigation sees revenue growth slow to 1.4% this year after bumper 2021 – The Global Legal Post – 7 September 2022
Slower growth at Signature Litigation but staff see increased profit share – Legal Business – 6 September 2022
Signature Litigation Posts £28M Revenue In Latest Results – Law360 – 5 September 2022
Signature move for international arbitration specialist – CDR News – 5 September 2022
Why lawyers want to go solo: It’s ‘very difficult’ to change the culture in a law firm – Financial News – 11 May 2022
Brown Rudnick and Signature go head-to-head in billionaire asset dispute – The Lawyer – 5 April 2022
Signature strengthens banking disputes – CDR News – 24 November 2021
Signature Litigation Hires Finance Partner From Dechert – Law360 – 23 November 2021
Graham Huntley comments in Legal Week re the recent rise in boutique law firms – Legal Week – 22 March 2021
CONTENTIOUS INSOLVENCY EXPERT JOINS SIGNATURE LITIGATION AND WARNS ABOUT FUTURE OF ECONOMY – Edward Fennell’s Legal Diary – 9 October 2020
Increased insolvency and disputes talent at Signature Litigation – Commercial Dispute Resolution News – 7 October 2020
Signature Litigation Boosts Revenue By Nearly A Third – Legal Week – 1 October 2020
News regarding 2019/20 turnover and Paul Brehony appointment – The Lawyer – 1 October 2020
APPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK – TOM SNELLING AT SIGNATURE LITIGATION – Edward Fennell’s Legal Diary – 4 June 2020
Signature Litigation snaps up Snelling – New Law Journal – 31 May 2020
Signature signs up Snelling – CDR – 28 May 2020
Perfect storms – Cases of the year – Legal Business – 27 March 2020
Signature Litigation welcomes Nicolas Brooke in Paris – CDR – 28 August 2019
Former SocGen GC moves to litigation boutique – Global Investigations Review – 8 May 2019
News regarding Nicolas Brooke’s appointment – The Lawyer – 8 May 2019
Press comments in relation to boutique law firms – The Times – 3 August 2018
Interview regarding pro bono work – The Times Raconteur – 28 June 2018
Law versus reality on solicitors’ bills – New Law Journal – 19 January 2018
Q&A: Signature Litigation’s Graham Huntley on potential mergers and the need for litigators to behave – Legal Business – 21 April 2017
Areas of Expertise
Graham Huntley's Latest Published Articles
@SignatureLitLLP
Partner Simon Fawell comments on the possible expansion of the Quincecare duty, which will be considered by the U.K. Supreme Court in upcoming weeks, in @Law360. Read Simon's comments by following the link here: bit.ly/3JCgCLS #Quincecare #Fraud pic.twitter.com/88rcWkwKny
Graham Huntley comments in Financial News
11 May 2022
Graham Huntley comments in Financial News
11 May 2022
Signature Partners
Ioannis Alexopoulos
Ioannis is ranked in the Chambers UK 2022 Guide for international arbitration, which notes that he “consistently produces extraordinary, excellent work and he fills the client with great confidence and comfort”. He is further described as “adept at handling BIT claims” and “is very experienced and brings a wealth of knowledge to the field.” He is also recognised in The Legal 500 UK 2023 as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for civil fraud, international arbitration, commercial litigation and banking litigation, and he is praised for his “superb commercial and practical sense.” Ioannis is also recognised in Who’s Who Legal 2022 Arbitration Guide. He has been described as “well recognised for his top-notch arbitration practice among peers who say he is “very experienced and engaging with the tribunal”.”
Paul Brehony
Paul is recognised for his commercial litigation expertise in The Legal 500 UK 2023 Guide. He has also been recommended for civil fraud and banking litigation and is commended as “a highly accomplished insolvency litigator“, who “is fantastic in highly complex insolvency cases where his knowledge and experience put him head and shoulders above others“. Previous guides have described Paul as a “notable practitioner” for banking litigation and “highly recommended” for commercial litigation. He is further praised as “charming, well organised and a pleasure to litigate with.”
Natalia Chumak
Natalia has been ranked in the Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK Guides for her International Arbitration expertise. She has previously been praised by The Legal 500 and Chambers UK for her “fantastic experience and responsiveness“, for being an “extremely good tactical mind“, a “steely litigator with excellent litigation instincts” and she has been praised for her ability to “remain incredibly calm under pressure“.
Julian Connerty
Julian has been ranked in Chambers for Civil Fraud and the Guide notes he “has considerable expertise in international fraud cases.” Julian is recommended in The Legal 500 UK 2022 for his civil fraud expertise. The Legal 500 has noted that Julian is an “extremely experienced practitioner” and “a specialist in international fraud and asset recovery actions”. Julian is also described as “subtle and meticulous” and “inspires great confidence in all around him”.
Simon Fawell
Simon has been recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK for his litigation and arbitration expertise and is commended as “a strong strategic thinker”, “a real team player” and “very good to work with”. He is also Recommended for insurance and reinsurance litigation.
Sylvie Gallage-Alwis
Sylvie is described by Who’s Who Legal as a “dynamic and determined litigator“, who is “a firm favourite among clients” as “she always goes the extra mile to support her clients, and is proactive in seeking commercial solutions to disputes” and is “analytical, intelligent and responsive“. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide ranks Sylvie as a ‘Leading Individual’ for Product Liability Litigation in France and she is recognised for her work on “high-profile toxic tort and product liability cases, handing a number of asbestos claims.”
Becca Hogan
Becca is recognised as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by The Legal 500 UK 2023 for banking litigation. Becca is described as “exceptional“, with an “excellent grasp of the detail”. She is further praised as a “safe and skilled pair of hands.” She has been described, by previous editions of the Guide, as “stellar“, “calm and strategic“. She has also been praised for her “good instincts” and “commercial approach”.
Graham Huntley
Graham is consistently recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers as one of the UK’s highest ranked commercial and banking litigators and has been involved in some of the most significant cases of recent years. Chambers UK describes him as “an intense and effective solicitor with an incredibly client-focused approach” and he has previously been described as “very bright, very hard-working, a good tactician” and “very committed and driven”. The Legal 500 UK 2023 recognises Graham as a ‘Hall of Fame’ lawyer for both banking litigation and commercial litigation, and a ‘Leading Individual’ for his civil fraud expertise. He is described as “a doyen of London banking litigation” and a “master tactician“.
Abdulali Jiwaji
Abdul is regarded as a ‘Leading Individual’ in The Legal 500 UK 2023 for Commercial Litigation and a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail. The Guide notes he is “absolutely unflappable” and that he “inspires confidence“. A commentator notes that: “One of the best litigators I have had the privilege of working with is Abdulali Jiwaji.” Abdul is further described as having “a grip of the big picture and the detail; very deft in client handling; tenacious and determined; swift, responsive and clear-thinking“. Previous Guides have noted Abdul “is always on the ball and has a good tactical brain” and recognises he “has always provided sound and very considered advice”. He is also praised for being “a steady hand during turbulent times”. Chambers Global has described him as a “technically sound, sensible and robust litigator who always finds practical solutions”.
Tsegaye Laurendeau
Tsegaye Laurendeau is recognised as a ‘future leader’ in the Who’s Who Legal Arbitration Guide. Peers and clients say he is a “brilliant arbitration lawyer” and “very adept at steering cases and handling experts”. Previous editions of this Guide note that Tsegaye is “one of the best arbitration lawyers of his generation”, “a top-notch attorney” who is “rapidly establishing himself as one of the leading practitioners, notably in Africa-related disputes”. Tsegaye also features in The Legal 500 International Arbitration Powerlist UK, which showcases the UK’s leading arbitration practitioners.
Emmanuèle Lutfalla
Emmanuèle is recognised as a ‘Thought Leader’ in Who’s Who Legal’s France 2020 Guide. She is also ranked as both a ‘National’ (in France) and ‘Global’ Leader for Product Liability Defence in Who’s Who Legal. The Guide notes Emmanuèle “excels in handling disputes at the intersection of product liability and insurance matters, representing clients from the life sciences sector in litigation and product risk management.” The Legal 500 EMEA Guide ranks Emmanuèle as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for insurance and notes she is “very renowned in the insurance sector“. The Legal 500 also ranks the insurance and reinsurance litigation practice very highly in Paris, and also notes the department “unites an impressive bench of stellar litigators“. The Chambers Europe 2022 Guide notes that Emmanuèle noted as “the key point of contact” for insurance at the firm. Chambers ranks Signature Paris’ insurance practice as a leading firm in its Europe Guide and highlights the team’s “knowledge and ability to handle complex and difficult matters“.
Hermès Marangos
Hermès is recognised as a ‘Leading Individual’ in The Legal 500 UK 2022 for his insurance and reinsurance litigation practice. Hermès has been ranked as an expert in Chambers Global and Chambers Latin America for his Insurance expertise in the region.
Neil Newing
Neil is regarded as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2023 for international arbitration and banking litigation. He is for his “excellent arbitration experience, and excellent appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of cases.” Previous Guides have described Neil as “a strong lawyer who stands out for the quality and thoroughness of his analysis” and noted for managing “major cross-border disputes“. The Legal 500 UK 2021 recognised him as “an outstandingly clever counsel who will go very far”. Neil is also described as being “an exceptionally talented lawyer, a strategic thinker and a pleasure to work with. The depth and breadth of his experience in international commercial arbitrations is a huge asset to the firm”. He is also ranked in the Who’s Who Legal Arbitration Guide as a ‘future leader’.
Elliott Phillips
Elliott is an internationally recognised barrister and specialises in global commercial litigation and international contentious trusts disputes. He has been recognised in The Legal 500 for his experience in dispute resolution work and is also ranked as a Band 2 individual in both Chambers Global and Chambers Europe for General Business Law: Dispute Resolution — Gibraltar. Elliott is also recognised as one of the world’s leading private client lawyers and trusts and estates litigators, and is listed in the Private Client Global Elite community. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide recognises Elliott as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution in Gibraltar, and notes he “is a specialist in international trusts and estates disputes.” A referee in the Guide described Elliott as “an accomplished litigator, highly experienced, knowledgeable and great to have on your side” and another praised his “vast knowledge and experience across an array of different areas” and noted he is “the stand-out practitioner in a hugely talented team.“
Flore Poloni
Ranked in the Who’s Who Legal Arbitration Guide, Flore is described as “the most dynamic young arbitration practitioner in Paris“, “a very dynamic and multi-skilled lawyer” and praised for her “excellent communication skills and perfect knowledge of arbitration“. The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 Guide ranks Flore as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution and has been recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ lawyer for International Arbitration. Flore has been praised for her “extensive expertise in international arbitration” and described as “extremely capable”.
Thomas Rouhette
Thomas is ranked as a leading expert by both Chambers Global and Europe for his litigation and aviation law expertise, with sources praising him for his “invaluable” advice, experience and knowledge. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide consistently recognises Thomas as a ‘Hall of Fame’ lawyer for his aviation and commercial litigation practices. Who’s Who Legal regards Thomas as the “finest product liability lawyer in the country and one of the very best on the continent.”
Tom Snelling
Highly ranked in the Chambers UK Guide for his commercial litigation expertise, Tom Snelling is described in the 2020 Guide as “extraordinarily good” and an “utter pleasure to work with and enormously talented, with a sixth sense for where a case is going and very sound judgement”. The Guides have also noted that Tom is “amazingly dedicated with strong credentials in international litigation” and that he is both “practical and commercial”. Tom is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2022 for Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail and Commercial Litigation.
Daniel Spendlove
The Legal 500 UK Guide describes Daniel as “hugely talented“, “with a really creative eye for litigation strategy“, “an exceptionally committed, exceptionally hard working lawyer, with a careful and thorough approach to issues” and “a really effective litigator“. He has also been described as “very smart, client focused and details-oriented” and “excellent, with great attention to detail, wide experience and excellent client care’“. He has also been praised as “highly professional”, and “a strategic thinker” who “brings real energy to cases”. He is highly ranked across the Commercial Litigation, Banking Litigation and International Arbitration categories. He was recently described, by Commercial Dispute Resolution magazine, as “one of a new breed of independent and forceful commercial litigation partners”.
Rory Spillman
Rory is recognised as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by The Legal 500 UK 2023 for banking litigation and a commentator notes that Rory has “tremendous judgement” is “very hard-working“, and comes “highly recommended for banking disputes.” He has also been described by previous Guides as “impressive“, “excellent” and a “real authority“.
Josh Wong
Described as a “a highly experienced commercial international arbitration expert“, Josh is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2023 for international arbitration and banking litigation. A commentator remarks: “Josh Wong and his colleagues are a highly knowledgeable and intellectually-focused team that fully appreciates and acts upon all the levers within complex litigation, taking full account of the strengths and weakness of all components.” Past guides have also noted that he is “an expert in security, asset tracing and enforcement actions involving multiple jurisdictions”. He has also been ranked in Chambers Global as a ‘Foreign Expert Based in UK’ for his Chinese dispute resolution, arbitration expertise, and as a ‘Foreign Expert for China’ for UK dispute resolution.
