News

Signature Litigation has been ranked in The Legal 500 UK 2017 for ‘Fraud: Civil’, ‘Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail’, ‘Commercial Litigation’, ‘International Arbitration’, ‘Insurance and Reinsurance Litigation’,  and ‘Professional Negligence’.

Founding partner Graham Huntley has also been ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ for ‘Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail’. Please see below a list of the full rankings and comments for the firm from Legal 500:

LONDON: CRIME, FRAUD AND LICENSING

Fraud: Civil (Tier 4)

Signature Litigation LLP’s ‘outstanding’ practice is ‘a force to be reckoned with in the civil fraud disputes area’, and the team ‘shows great client care and ultimate professionalism’. The group saw a number of significant hires in the last year, former practice head Simon Bushell from Latham & Watkins and Josh Wong from DLA Piper being among the most notable. The firm currently represents Blue Tropic and Coppella Ventures in a high-value claim for damages under Georgian law, where the two claimant companies allege significant misappropriation of assets. Graham Huntley and Julian Connerty co-head the practice.

Simon Bushell is ranked as a Leading Individual in this category.

LONDON: DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail (Tier 3)

Signature Litigation LLP’s ‘very responsive, strong team’ grew when the firm recruited Simon Bushell, Ioannis Alexopoulos, who ‘has great experience, clear thinking and iron logic’, and Josh Wong from Latham & Watkins, Bryan Cave and DLA Piper, respectively. The firm ‘provides a high level of service’ and has a strong focus on large, complex and often cross-border cases, with its client base including banks and other financial institutions, multinational corporations, and individuals. The team acted for one of the three lead groups of RBS shareholders in claims against RBS, pursuant to FSMA’s section 90 and in relation to RBS’ failed 2008 rights issue. It also represented property company Desiman in its claim against Bank of Scotland, HBOS Treasury Services and Lloyds Bank for mis-selling of LIBOR-referenced interest rate swaps, breach of implied representations and wrongful appointment of administrative receivers. Graham Huntley is ‘one of the doyens of the London litigation market’; Abdulali Jiwaji ‘has a very good appreciation of the commercial nature of litigation’; Daniel Spendlove ‘immerses himself in clients’ cases and takes a hands-on approach which reaps dividends’; and Natalia Chumak ‘manages to secure favourable outcomes for clients in cases that seem hopeless’. Other notable advisers are Julian Connerty, Adam Rooney and Hermès Marangos.

Graham Huntley is ranked as a Leading Individual in this category.

Commercial Litigation (Tier 3)

Signature Litigation LLP is ‘a notably excellent boutique firm, which has a very lean structure that means excellent value for clients; and it has grown to be one of the most visible and permanent fixtures in big-ticket commercial cases’. The firm saw significant growth through the recruitment of Latham & Watkins’ former London litigation team head, Simon Bushell, as well as ‘very strong lawyer’ Ioannis Alexopoulos and international commercial litigator and arbitrator Josh Wong from Bryan Cave and DLA Piper, respectively. Highlights included acting for one of the three lead groups of RBS shareholders in Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 claims against RBS, regarding its failed 2008 rights issue. The ‘indefatigable’ Graham Huntley is ‘an excellent and careful strategist with unparalleled knowledge of judges, barristers and arbitrators’; Abdulali Jiwaji ‘gives carefully considered opinions’; Daniel Spendlove is ‘highly professional’; and Natalia Chumak ‘has extraordinary, high-quality analytical skills’. Hermès Marangos, Julian Connerty and Adam Rooney are also key contacts.

International Arbitration (Tier 5)

Signature Litigation LLP is ‘a superb firm that is highly specialised in disputes and has a strong international touch, given the multi-lingual skills and cross-jurisdictional training of its staff’. Natalia Chumak acts in institutional arbitration proceedings, ad hoc arbitrations and investment treaty disputes, and she is particularly focused on acting for clients from ex-Soviet Union countries, predominantly Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Chumak’s ‘performance impresses clients; she is totally committed and literally dedicates all of her time to the matter she is working on’. Senior associate Nick Storrs is ‘a competent, hardworking rising star’.

LONDON: INSURANCE

Insurance and Reinsurance Litigation (Tier 6)

Specialist dispute resolution firm Signature Litigation LLP focuses on international work in emerging markets, particularly Latin America; barrister and solicitor Hermès Marangos heads the practice and also has experience in litigation and arbitration across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean Basin. The firm is representing an insurer in a high-value claim made under a public liability policy and another highlight saw the group bring a professional negligence action against an international law firm. Large infrastructure projects, D&O claims and losses arising from natural disasters are among core strengths of the practice, which includes Daniel Spendlove, senior associate Kathleen Leslie and Josh Wong, who recently arrived from DLA Piper. Of counsel Sean Redden accepted an in-house position at Chubb.

Professional Negligence (Tier 5)

Boutique firm Signature Litigation LLP specialises in handling larger, high-value matters, often with a cross-border element, and acts for claimants and defendants. It is representing Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation in pursuing claims against its former solicitors, and acted for Fortelus Special Situations Master Fund and Trimast Holding in a £37m claim against an international law firm. Daniel Spendlove represents corporations, financial institutions and directors in professional negligence disputes. Graham Huntley and Abdulali Jiwaji are also recommended.

Signature Litigation’s full profile can be found here.