Disputes Strategy & Case Management

We help clients to craft and execute intelligent strategies to achieve victory in their commercial disputes. We successfully navigate cases against businesspeople, fraudsters, corporations, financial institutions, and sovereigns. This begins with a clear articulation of the objective. For instance, to recover funds; to cause an adversary to return to the terms of a deal; to bring about a commercial solution; or to cause an adversary to cease certain activities.

Our Services Include

Gaining advantage and changing calculus

Our work is designed to achieve a maximal outcome for our clients. Where relevant, it can be designed to change the calculus of an adversary to reach a desired settlement. Frequently at the outset, clients find themselves on the back-foot or at a disadvantage to the adversary, who controls the situation. Our work typically redresses the power imbalance, by incentivising the adversary to comply and by imposing a painful cost on non-compliance. With an intelligent strategy and perseverance, pressure leads to a tipping point, which allows an advantageous outcome to be achieved.

Bespoke strategy

We tailor a bespoke strategy to achieve the overarching case objective. This can combine a wide range of tools, tactics and resources, including: investigations and intelligence gathering; legal steps in specific jurisdictions, including injunctions and claims; restrictions against assets and interference with adversary’s business; exercising leverage through negative publicity, either openly through media campaigns or targeted to key parties, such as associates, advisors and business partners of the adversary; exploiting other adversary vulnerabilities; whistle-blower action; regulatory and criminal complaints; lobbying; political solutions; and robust settlement negotiations from a position of strength.

Team assembly and execution

We project manage the dispute and execution of strategy, delivering it to victory. We design a strategy that is creative, tenacious and cost-effective. We then assemble a power team of experts to deliver each component to the highest standard. Where relevant, this can include investigators, lawyers, consultants, political persons, forensic specialists and other experts around the world. We are the engine room that manages and oversees the entire process, in an accountable, transparent and professional manner. We are driven by a tireless determination to win for our clients.

Collaboration with experts

In cases that are managed by a law firm, or other third party, we join as team players, contributing with our advice, experience of achieving victory in complex disputes, asset recovery expertise, and investigations capabilities. In these situations, we are often involved in intelligence gathering, pressure building, discreet engagement with adversaries, negotiation, and delivery of creative settlement solutions, such as cultivating the involvement of strategic third parties in a unique position to the unlock the situation, or assignment of a debt to a third party better placed to collect it.

Our Work

Case Studies

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Crypto fraud

We were engaged by the victim of a big-ticket cryptocurrency fraud, seeking to recover unlawfully liquidated deposits of c.$20 million. Our work unearthed the identities of the fraudsters behind the Eastern European cryptocurrency scheme, and built a well-evidenced dossier of their wrongdoing. To add to the pressure, we mapped out the concealed assets of the crypto outfit and its principals. Our work identified the entities through which the funds were laundered, and the assets acquired with the proceeds. This intelligence ultimately informed the client’s recovery efforts.
Succession dispute management

We were appointed by the heir of a complex estate with significant assets in multiple jurisdictions around the world, including Switzerland, the EU and the Caribbean. These included financial assets and assets held on trust for the deceased. We assisted the client to comprehensively catalogue and value the assets; to negotiate with trustees for their release to heirs; and to settle disputes between heirs to divide the estate on advantageous terms. The case required delicate leverage building and skilful negotiation to achieve a high returns outcome.
European banking fraud

We were engaged by the victim of a bank spoofing fraud that caused the emptying of business accounts. We investigated false identities behind the accounts to unravel an organised crime ring in Eastern Europe. Our efforts overturned the bank’s initial refusal to reimburse the client, and led to a complete recovery.
High value merchandise recovery

We were engaged by the distributor of valuable industrial goods, who had fallen victim to a sizable false orders scam. This caused the distributor to distribute significant merchandise to the fraudsters, posing as a major corporate customer. Using a combination of geolocation, and field intelligence gathering, we located the site where the merchandise was held, and drew the fraudsters into a trap. We were able to secure and recover the missing merchandise, and negotiated the release of the goods with police and the local site-owner.