Biography
Steven practices in both London and Gibraltar. A multi-faceted lawyer, Steven is used to concurrently manage complex contentious and non-contentious commercial, corporate and regulatory mandates.
Steven enjoys a wide corporate and commercial practice, often acting on joint venture and shareholder disputes, contentious asset management, professional negligence claims and Fintech claims.
Steven has the following specialities:
1. Banking litigation: Steven is often instructed on disputes arising out of investment products (including the provisions of MIFID II) or on disputed enforcements undertaken by financial institutions.
2. Contentious insolvency and regulatory: Steven is the only lawyer in Gibraltar to hold an unrestricted Insolvency Practitioner’s licence, allowing him to accept appointments as liquidator, receiver, administrative receiver, administrator and Trustee in Bankruptcy. Steven advises on international asset tracing and recoveries and often acts for officeholders (liquidators, administrators, etc) when prosecuting or defending claims against former directors of liquidated entities. On his regulatory practice, Steven often advises regulated entities on the regulator’s powers to appoint inspectors and/or skilled persons.
3. International trade and commodities disputes: Steven advises on all aspects of CIF and FOB contracts, and has particular expertise oil and gas disputes arising out of Bilateral Investment Treaties.
4. Shipping disputes: Steven engages on ship arrests from our Gibraltar office, receiving instructions from banks, P&I Clubs, shipyards and ship crews.
Steven is ranked in the Chambers Global 2021 and Chambers Europe 2020 Guides for General Business Law: Dispute Resolution. He is described as an “insightful, dedicated lawyer with great attention to detail” and adds that Steven is “extremely hard-working, client-focused and very knowledgeable.” The Legal 500 EMEA Guide also recognises Steven as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution in Gibraltar.
Experience
Insolvency
- Acting for a listed bank in connection with a court appointment receivership over shares. The receiver gained control over a multinational corporate group that owned German real estate worth €108m
- Acting for overseas consumers’ compensation scheme against insurer’s liquidator
- Acting for overseas liquidators in the recovery and realisation of real estate worth over €30m
Commercial Litigation
- Acting for a listed online betting company in connection with an anti-suit injunction prohibiting shareholders to continue with a multimillion negligence claim in the United States (one of the first cases to address the new lis alibi pendens provision in Article 33 of the Brussels Recast Regulation)
- Acting for a German owned oil and gas company in connection with the recovery over €80m of misapplied funds
Admiralty/Shipping
- Acting for a commodities company in connection with a multimillion claim involving loss of cargo under a C.I.F Port of Destination contract
Press Coverage
The role of blockchain in the public sector – Open Access Government – 19 June 2020
Landmark Bitcoin judgments classify cryptocurrencies as property – The Investigator – 10 June 2020
UK ‘Property’ Classification Boosts Confidence In Bitcoin – Law360 – 17 April 2020
Can Bitcoins Be Considered Property? – Fintech Direct – 30 March 2020
Signature Litigation promotes international commercial litigator, Steven De Lara, to partnership – CDR News – 16 October 2019
Signature Litigation promotes international commercial litigator, Steven De Lara, to partnership – Legal Week – 16 October 2019
FinTech in Gibraltar: overview – Thomson Reuters Practical Law – July 2019
Five Points to Consider Regarding the Regulation of Cryptocurrency – Global Banking and Finance Review – 9 May 2019
The Role of Data Protection in Distributed Technology – Global Banking and Finance Review – 21 February 2018
Time to draw up rules on blockchain technology – Compliance Monitor – 14 February 2018
Bitcoin investors need protection – FTAdviser – 27 September 2017
Time to draw up rules on blockchain technology – Thomson Reuters – 18 September 2017
Time to draw up rules on blockchain technology – Financial News – 13 September 2017
Areas of Expertise
Steven De Lara's Latest Published Articles

@SignatureLitLLP
Senior Associate Becca Hogan examines the recent ruling in Rowe & Ors v Ingenious Media Holdings PLC & Ors, the importance of this judgment for security for costs and litigation funding, as well as the impact on litigation funders, in @LegalWeek bit.ly/303zfjw pic.twitter.com/yUwZTDI1aj