Biography
Paul is a partner and has nearly 30 years’ experience in complex multi-jurisdictional commercial and insolvency related disputes and has acted in some of the largest and highest profile insolvencies of recent times.
Paul’s work is generally claimant focused, often with a heavy investigative bias. His clients include many of the leading accountancy firms and their officeholders, as well as individuals and corporates across a range of specialist sectors.
Prior to joining Signature Paul was a partner in the commercial litigation team at Stewarts for 10 years and before that he was at PwC Legal where he led the Commercial Litigation team. Previously Paul was at Simmons & Simmons and SJ Berwin.
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.”
Paul is a member of the Association of Business Recovery Professionals (R3) and the International Bar Association and is also a Board Trustee of a charity focused on enfranchising marginalised young women in India through education.
Experience
- Acting for large French insurer in proceedings arising from the Lehman Brothers’ Administration in respect of various claims and counterclaims concerning Forward Financial Instruments made under FBF Master Agreements.
- Acting for a minority shareholder in s.994 and employment proceedings against the off-shore owners of a Data Centre business.
- Acting for the Applicant liquidators in Akers and Anr v Deutsche Bank AG (Re Chesterfield United Inc and Partridge Management Group SA) [2012] EWHC 244 (Ch). A cross border insolvency case in which the Court confirmed that the liquidators of Chesterfield and Partridge, two BVI registered companies in liquidation, could rely on the broad powers afforded to British insolvency office holders under section 236 Insolvency Act 1986, in an application brought under Article 21 of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross Border Insolvency (under the CBIR 2006).
- Acting for the liquidators of Stanford International Bank Ltd in regard to claims against HSBC arising from the fraud perpetrated by Robert Allen Stanford and others which resulted in an estimated USD 4,4bn loss.
- Advising Cayman based liquidators in AHAB v SICL in relation to the nature and propriety of certain esoteric financial instruments (Accreting Strike Options).
Publications
Lords report calls for ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence – Fraud Intelligence – 17 January 2023
The House of Lords fraud report and the UK’s battle against fraud – New Law Journal – 13 January 2023
What’s in the second Economic Crime Bill? – ICAEW Insights podcast – 7 December 2022
What does the new Economic Crime Bill hold in store for accountants and company directors? – Accountancy Daily – 28 November 2022
Economic Crime Bill may have some unpredictable implications for insurers – Insurance Day – 9 November 2022
What to expect from the UK’s new Economic Crime Bill – Law360 – 3 November 2022
Lack of professional scepticism leads to audit failings – Accountancy Daily – 20 October 2022
Landmark Supreme Court judgment on the creditor duty – The Law Society Gazette – 14 October 2022
Supreme Court rules on director duty to creditors – Accountancy Daily – 7 October 2022
‘Landmark’ ruling on duty to creditors – The Daily Telegraph – 6 October 2022
FRC’s new guidance even more essential in light of recent audit failings – Accountancy Today – 9 September 2022
PwC fined £1.8 million for BT Italy audit failures – Evening Standard – 8 August 2022
Quincecare qualified? – Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence – 14 June 2022
Who ate all the PIEs? Audit reform for Public Interest Entities – Fraud Intelligence – 23 May 2022
FRC audit licensing and a doomed effort to curtail fraud – Accountancy Today – 20 May 2022
Can lessons be learnt from the apparently ceaseless flow of regulatory findings and fines? – Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence – 4 May 2022
Company directorship: corporate criminal risks – Accountancy Daily – 26 April 2022
Audit Watchdog Fines Deloitte £1.45M Over Botched Audit – Law360 – 21 April 2022
Quincecare quarrel: How interpretations of a historic duty may transform the landscape of banking fraud claims – Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence – 1 April 2022
Company directorships: ESG and the risks of private actions – Accountancy Daily – 28 March 2022
PwC Becomes Latest Subject of Investigations – Bloomberg Tax – 7 March 2022
Company directors: increased scrutiny and enforcement – Accountancy Daily – 3 March 2022
Tecnimont Arabia v NatWest – Law.com – 22 January 2022
When the Quinces don’t care… – Fraud Intelligence – 15 January 2022
FRC auditor fines in 2022 – Blog – 12 January 2022
Revealed: The Top 20 Cases of 2022 – The Lawyer – 10 January 2022
Challenger firms wilt under Big Four audit dominance – Accounting Web – 11 November 2021
Challenging the ‘billion-dollar quartet’ – The Law Society Gazette – 1 November 2021
PD57AC – a sledgehammer to crack a nut? – The Law Society Gazette – 25 October 2021
Trial witness statements: a new direction – PLC Magazine – 1 October 2021
Grant Thornton UK fined $3.2M for Patisserie Valerie audit lapses – Compliance Week – 27 September 2021
What The Future Holds For UK Auditing Reform – Law360 – 17 September 2021
Supreme Court rules Grant Thornton must pay £13.4m over negligent advice – Accounting Web – 24 June 2021
Is the FRC on track to become a new, more resilient regulator? – Accountancy Daily – 24 May 2021
LIBOR transition: the final countdown – PLC Magazine – 25 February 2021
High Court Ruling Checks Growth Of Bank Protection Duty – Law360 – 24 February 2021
Clarity on Quincecare duty for banks – The Law Society Gazette – 15 February 2021
Failure to prevent economic crime legislation – where are we now? – Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence – 2 February 2021
UK’s financial regulator rapped following LCF collapse – Global Restructuring Review – 22 January 2021
Corporate failures – can the UK’s financial regulator lead the charge? – Global Restructuring Review – 11 December 2020
Emerging banking compliance litigation risks: SIB v HSBC – A curate’s egg – Thomson Reuters – 16 October 2020
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 – CDR News – 7 October 2020
News regarding Paul Brehony’s appointment – The Lawyer – 1 October 2020
Signature Litigation Boosts Revenue By Nearly A Third – Legal Week – 1 October 2020
Areas of Expertise
Latest news
@SignatureLitLLP
Associate Paul Grant from Signature’s Gibraltar office will be attending @InformaConnect and @ConTrA_socials’ Trusts in Litigation Conference in Venice between 22 to 24 March. Read more about it here: bit.ly/3FwIOfZ #Trusts #Litigation pic.twitter.com/Mh0xUko7IH
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.
