Experience
Chris’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, financial services disputes, and regulatory investigations. He acts for banks, corporates, and senior individuals in high-value, often multi-jurisdictional matters, including those involving fraud, securities, governance, and regulatory risk. He has experience advising in contentious situations requiring careful strategic oversight, including parallel civil, regulatory, and investigative workstreams.
Chris provides pragmatic, strategic advice focused on achieving clients’ objectives efficiently and with clarity. He is experienced in managing matters from initial investigation and risk assessment through to litigation and resolution, including settlement where appropriate, and has acted in a broad range of sectors and dispute types.
Examples of Chris’s work include:
General Litigation
- Acted for BHP Group PLC and related entities in one of the largest mass claims before the English courts.
- Advised the UK Ministry of Defence on coordinated commercial and judicial review challenges brought by entities ultimately controlled by Terra Firma.
- Advised UK Asset Resolution, Northern Rock Limited and other group entities on several regulatory and financial issues regarding interest rates.
- Advised a large bank on litigation and regulatory issues involving US and UK discovery and disclosure rules.
- Obtained dismissal of US federal claims brought against underwriters in connection with a secondary public offering of equity securities.
- Represented a high net worth individual in negligence and contractual breach claims arising from a complex property dispute.
- Advised a property investment company on claims relating to secured debt positions, including enforcement strategy, valuation issues, and litigation exposure.
Securities, Fraud and Financial Litigation
- Acted for a major shareholder of Kraft Heinz, in securities class actions and related derivative litigation.
- Represented a large retailer based in the US in derivative and securities class action litigation concerning internal controls and financial reporting.
- Represented a pharmaceutical company in shareholder fraud litigation arising out of alleged misstatements.
- Represented Credit Suisse in large scale litigation related to mortgage-backed securities.
M&A and Corporate Governance
- Represented a pharma company in litigation arising from a multi billion dollar bid and related challenges to unsolicited offers.
- Advised in the representation of Martin Marietta Materials in shareholder litigation arising from its multibillion acquisition of Texas Industries.
- Advised on a variety of disputes and non-contentious, contractual, and tort matters as part of an in-house secondment.
Investigations and Regulatory Enforcement
- Represented a large semiconductor manufacturer in an investigation into factual matters regarding one of its products.
- Acted for senior executives of an institutional bank in claims linked to a major international financial misconduct investigation.
- Represented an institutional bank in investigations following disclosure of financial losses and a write down of assets.
- Conducted an internal investigation for the board of an asset management firm into whistleblower allegations.
- Represented a retailer in an SEC investigation into restated earnings and related accounting allegations.