Contact details

Dan Smith

T: +44 20 7809 2369 M: +44 7968 826 433 Email Dan | vCard Office: London

Dan Smith Partner

Contact details

Dan Smith

Dan Smith
Partner

T: +44 20 7809 2369 M: +44 7968 826 433 Email Dan | vCard Office: London

Dan advises on high-stakes commercial disputes and investigations, particularly in the areas of investment and finance, complex commercial litigation, contentious restructurings and insolvencies, and bribery and corruption. Dan develops comprehensive dispute strategies early in line with clients’ business objectives, and achieving those objectives through litigation or alternative dispute resolution.
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Dan regularly represents financial institutions, corporates, issuers, banks, bondholders, lenders, shareholders, investors, trustees, and related parties in major cross-border disputes, with a focus on High Court litigation, and on contentious regulatory and enforcement matters.

Dan also advises clients outside litigation, on risk prevention strategies, pre-dispute counselling and analysis, and internal and external investigations into fraud and other wrongdoing.

Dan has advised clients on a large range of cross-border disputes involving nearly two dozen jurisdictions throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Dan is adept at formulating litigation and dispute-resolution strategies involving disputes in multiple jurisdictions.

Dan is a member of the LSLA and Transparency International, and has written numerous articles and commentary on leading cases and trends in litigation.  He also co-authored the UK section of the inaugural Insolvency Litigation guide published by Lexology’s Getting The Deal Through.

“Dan Smith is a fine lawyer who is always eager to explore different angles on a case and often comes up with good points that others might have missed.”

The Legal 500 UK 2022

  • Private equity
  • Restructuring and insolvency
  • Corporate trusts
  • Finance litigation
  • Commercial litigation

A PE real estate business resisting claims designed to prevent completion of a US$2.5 billion acquisition.

A PE house and its portfolio company resisting a claim for in excess of CHF70m for unpaid fees and management incentives arising from a termination of business relations.

A wide variety of PE houses in relation to due diligence in relation to bribery and corruption in the context of acquisitions, and investigations into actual or suspected wrongdoing.

More: Private equity

A major British travel group in connection with a scheme of arrangement and attempted recapitalisation.

An ad hoc committee of senior secured noteholders in a major British restaurant chain in relation to a contentious restructuring.

Various counterparties in relation to ISDA defaults in the Lehman Brothers administration.

More: Restructuring and insolvency

A consortium of bondholders in relation to a more than US$4 billion dispute in related US and UK court proceedings arising from Argentine sovereign bonds.

A security agent in relation to a contested rectification claim by an issuer in relation to a series of £500+ million publicly-traded bonds.

A major fund investor in relation to a dispute with a trustee regarding the construction of waterfall provisions in trust documentation.

More: Corporate trusts

A major Saudi Arabian bank in relation to an approximately US$450 million claim brought in the English High Court by liquidators of a Cayman Islands company arising from the Al-Sanea/Al-Gosaibi dispute.

A PE house and its portfolio company resisting a claim for in excess of CHF70m for unpaid fees and management incentives arising from a termination of business relations.

A major manufacturing company in relation to claims for unpaid corporate finance fees in the context of a public takeover.

More: Finance litigation

A PE real estate business resisting claims designed to prevent completion of a US$2.5 billion acquisition.

A global entertainment company and integrated merchant bank in relation to a claim by the previous employer of key personnel.

A leading media company defending unfair prejudice proceedings, including successfully resisting an injunction application to prevent completion of a corporate acquisition.

A Russian telecommunications company in response to a freezing order in the context of a US$200 million arbitration.

More: Commercial litigation

  • Hotels and leisure
  • Banks and banking

A major British travel group in connection with a scheme of arrangement and attempted recapitalisation.

An ad hoc committee of senior secured noteholders in a major British restaurant chain in relation to a contentious restructuring.

A company in the leisure industry in relation to a number of internal investigations into suspected wrongdoing.

More: Hotels and leisure

A major Saudi Arabian bank in relation to an approximately US$450 million claim brought in the English High Court by liquidators of a Cayman Islands company arising from the Al-Sanea/Al-Gosaibi dispute.

A consortium of bondholders in relation to a more than US$4 billion dispute in related US and UK court proceedings arising from Argentine sovereign bonds.

A security agent in relation to a contested rectification claim by an issuer in relation to a series of £500+ million publicly-traded bonds.

A major fund investor in relation to a dispute with a trustee regarding the construction of waterfall provisions in trust documentation.

More: Banks and banking

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Take care when terminating: James Kemball Ltd v "K" Line (Europe) Ltd

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From News

Dan Smith joins Stephenson Harwood as partner

Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has strengthened its commercial litigation practice with the arrival of partner Dan Smith, who joins the firm in London.

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© Stephenson Harwood LLP 2016. Any reference to Stephenson Harwood in this document means Stephenson Harwood LLP and/or its affiliated undertakings. Any reference to a partner is used to refer to a member of Stephenson Harwood LLP.