Our commercial litigation team are routinely retained on high value domestic and multi-jurisdictional disputes opposite well-regarded US, Magic Circle and other established City practices.
We are experienced in taking cases through the High Court, Court of Appeal and to the Supreme Court, as well as co-counselling in respect of cross-border disputes in the US and other foreign jurisdictions.
We also represent clients before a range of arbitral bodies, including the ICC and LCIA, in connection with various international commercial arbitration disputes.
Our clients include SMEs, privately owned and listed UK and international household names, established investors, HNWIs and professional services firms.
Our team has extensive experience of the full range of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation and expert determination, and has a strong commercial understanding of the sectors and markets in which our clients operate.
Both the practice and a number of the individual practitioners are ranked by both of the leading legal directories.
Chambers and Partners notes that the team “provide an exceptionally good service”, “demonstrate a brilliant level of expertise” and are “very responsive”, “very strong”, “communicate well” and “good at both client care and strategizing”. Further accolades include “their knowledge is extensive”, “they adeptly consider the options when dealing with complex matters” and they are “always able to manage the rough and the smooth with equal aplomb”.
Legal 500 notes that "Wallace provides a tight-knit and dynamic team that delivers top-quality legal advice and client care, with a personal touch that clients don’t always get at the bigger firms.” The practice “fields an exceptional team of top-quality lawyers, from partners to junior associates, who are regularly instructed on complex corporate and commercial disputes that involve cross-border issues”. The team “punches above its weight with a classy array of commercial litigators” who bring experience of “heavyweight litigation from the highest tier of litigation practices in London”, who “work tirelessly for clients” and are “not afraid of a fight against the giants of the industry”.
Specialist expertise includes:
Shareholder disputes
Joint venture disputes
Partnership disputes
Contract disputes including breach of warranty
Civil fraud
Professional negligence
Intellectual property disputes (trade mark, copyright, passing off and others)
Insolvency-related disputes
Misconduct and misappropriation
Asset recovery and protection
Anti-trust/competition litigation, including private follow-on damages actions
Notable case references
Acting for three foreign domiciled HNWI defendants in their successful defence of Commercial Court fraud proceedings valued at approximately US$2 billion brought by companies within the Vale group, one of the largest mining and metals conglomerates in the world.
Acting for foreign incorporated entities in LCIA proceedings brought by a Middle Eastern company in a claim for in excess of US $75 million. The claim concerns allegations of fraud arising out of the operation of a tolling agreement in the metals and mining sector.
Acting for a Greek investor in his defence of proceedings brought against him by a Marshall Islands investment company in relation to very valuable shares in a Cayman Islands company said to be worth in excess of US$20 million allegedly held on trust.
Acting for a well-known international businessman defending LCIA proceedings brought by a BVI company, owned by a prominent Russian high net worth individual, in a claim for approximately US $14 million, concerning a debt disputed on the grounds of fraudulent misrepresentation.
Successfully challenging the jurisdiction of the English court in relation to Commercial Court claims for in excess of US $100 million brought against foreign domiciled individuals by companies within a well-known international mining and metals business owned and controlled by Kazakh oligarchs.
Acting for two foreign companies owned by a Russian high net worth individual in a multimillion pound dispute with a UK property developer and a Bahamian investment fund.
Acting for an overseas based HNWI and his UK domiciled co-defendant in their successful defence of substantial multimillion pound Commercial Court proceedings brought against them by a disgruntled Swiss-based investor.
Acting for two foreign companies and a well-known international businessman to secure the discharge of freezing orders that had been wrongly granted on a without notice basis by a well-known businessman’s investment vehicle.
Acting for the former chief aerodynamics engineer for the Red Bull Racing Formula One team in expedited High Court proceedings following his high-profile move to Aston Martin Racing.