Banking and financial services litigation

Libya Investment Authority ("LIA")

Representing the LIA headquartered in Tripoli in dispute with rival bodies in Libya and in relation to the appointment of a Receiver and Manager to run LIA Commercial Court proceedings against Goldman Sachs and Société Générale.

Maxwell Pensioners

Acted in various successful recovery actions against banks including Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, BNP and NatWest arising out of the misappropriation of the pension funds' shares by Robert Maxwell and associates.

Representation of various banks

Acted over the years for various banks including RBS, HSBC, Deutsche, UBS, RZB, Deka, British Arab Commercial Bank, OCBC and the Bank of Singapore.

Banking and financial services regulation

FCA and SFO investigations into Barclays capital raising in 2008

Representing one of the parties involved in these investigations, in dealings with the investigators and with other parties and in various matters arising including High Court proceedings against Barclays.

John Pottage v FSA

Represented the CEO of UBS Wealth Management in relation to a major FSA investigation and subsequent prosecution on the basis of an alleged failure of duty in respect of the bank's systems and controls. The matter proceeded to a two week hearing in the Upper Tribunal ​after which John's client was cleared of all charges.

ICE Futures Europe

Acting for this exchange in relation to various different matters arising from its regulatory function.

Fraud and asset recovery

Kuwait Investment Authority ("KIA")

Leading the team of lawyers and forensic accountants which investigated the misappropriation of hundreds of millions of dollars of KIA's money during the Iraqi invasion. The investigation was centred on Barcelona, Spain. Substantial recoveries were subsequently made.

Westminster City Council ("WCC") v Dame Shirley Porter ("DSP")

Represented WCC in enforcement proceedings against DSP arising out of the 'Homes for Votes' scandal. Her assets were traced to trusts in Guernsey against which a freezing order was obtained and trust-busting proceedings started. As a result, a satisfactory settlement was achieved. Awarded "Dispute Resolution Team of the Year" by Legal Business for this matter.

Exxon Mobil v Petroleo de Venezuela SA ("PDVSA")

Represented PDVSA in successfully discharging one of the highest value freezing injunctions ever granted by the English Court.

Mediation

Practising mediator

John is an accredited CEDR mediator and has conducted some 200 mediations in all.

Reputation and experience

John is one of the most highly regarded part-time mediators (combining this with a very active litigation practice) and, in addition to mediations in England and Wales, has conducted them in Hong Kong, Paris and the Channel Islands.

Representation of clients

Using his experience as a mediator, John has represented numerous clients in mediations.

Dispute resolution

Maxwell Pensioners

Acted in various successful recovery actions against banks including Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, BNP and NatWest arising out of the misappropriation of the pension funds' shares by Robert Maxwell and associates.

Westminster City Council ("WCC") v Dame Shirley Porter ("DSP")

Represented WCC in enforcement proceedings against DSP arising out of the 'Homes for Votes' scandal. Her assets were traced to trusts in Guernsey against which a freezing order was obtained and trust-busting proceedings started. As a result, a satisfactory settlement was achieved. Awarded "Dispute Resolution Team of the Year" by Legal Business for this matter.

Exxon Mobil v Petroleo de Venezuela SA ("PDVSA")

Represented PDVSA in successfully discharging one of the highest value freezing injunctions ever granted by the English court.

Libya Investment Authority ("LIA")

Representing the LIA headquartered in Tripoli in dispute with rival bodies in Libya and in relation to the appointment of a Receiver Manager to run LIA Commercial Court proceedings against Goldman Sachs and Société Générale.

Banks and banking

Maxwell Pensioners

Acted in various successful recovery actions against banks including Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, BNP and NatWest arising out of the misappropriation of the pension funds' shares by Robert Maxwell and associates.

Representation of various banks

Acted over the years for various banks including RBS, HSBC, Deutsche, UBS, RZB, Deka, British Arab Commercial Bank, OCBC and the Bank of Singapore.

FCA and SFO investigations into Barclays capital raising in 2008

Represented one of the parties involved in these investigations, in dealings with the investigators and with other parties and in various matters arising including High Court proceedings against Barclays.

John Pottage v FSA

Represented the CEO of UBS Wealth Management in relation to a major FSA investigation and subsequent prosecution on the basis of an alleged failure of duty in respect of the bank's systems and controls. The matter proceeded to a two week hearing in the Upper Tribunal after which John's client was cleared of all charges.

Funds and financial services

Kuwait Investment Authority ("KIA")

Leading the team of lawyers and forensic accountants which investigated the misappropriation of hundreds of millions of dollars of KIA's money during the Iraqi invasion. The investigation was centred on Barcelona, Spain. Substantial recoveries were subsequently made.

Libya Investment Authority ("LIA")

Representing the LIA headquartered in Tripoli in dispute with rival bodies in Libya and in relation to the appointment of a Receiver and Manager to run LIA Commercial Court proceedings against Goldman Sachs and Société Générale.

Qatar Investment Authority ("QIA")

Regularly representing the Qatar based sovereign wealth fund in various confidential matters.

North America

Madoff

Advising, and liaising with other lawyers in various different jurisdictions (particularly New York, BVI and France), in relation to proceedings brought against our clients arising out of the operation of the largest known Ponzi scheme in history, orchestrated by Bernard Madoff.

Sovereign Wealth Fund

Providing legal advice, assistance and representation in relation to a very substantial investment by the fund in the UK, which involved dealing with the regulatory/prosecution authorities in both the UK and the USA, advising on related contractual issues and consideration of parallel civil proceedings.

USA headquartered law firm

Acting in relation to a complaint made against the firm under the DIFC (Dubai) Courts' Code of Professional Legal Conduct for Legal Practitioners.

USA fraud claim

Advising on a dispute over fees under an agreement for the provision of information to assist with a major fraud claim in the USA, bringing proceedings and securing a settlement.

Asset recovery

Advising on the repossession of certain World War II tanks and their transfer from England to the USA and, separately, of a valuable wrist watch.

Obtaining evidence for use in USA proceedings 

Numerous instances of obtaining evidence in the UK for the use in proceedings in the USA, including orders compelling multiple witnesses based in England to provide oral testimony and orders requiring the production of extensive categories of document.

Demurrage claim

Advising the USA defendant in proceedings arising out of a charter from Malta to Libya.

Road accident

Advising the employee of a USA entity in relation to a prosecution for causing personal injury in a road accident.

More: North America

The Middle East

Libya Investment Authority ("LIA")

Representing the LIA headquartered in Tripoli in dispute with rival bodies in Libya and in relation to the appointment of a Receiver and Manager to run LIA Commercial Court proceedings against Goldman Sachs and Société Générale.

Qatar Investment Authority ("QIA")

Regularly representing the Qatar based sovereign wealth fund in various confidential matters.

Kuwait Investment Authority ("KIA")

Leading the team of lawyers and forensic accountants which investigated the misappropriation of hundreds of millions of dollars of KIA's money during the Iraqi invasion. The investigation was centred on Barcelona, Spain. Substantial recoveries were subsequently made.