Contact details

Sue Millar

T: + 44 20 7809 2329 M: + 44 7825 625 898 Email Sue | vCard Office: London

Awards

Banking litigation: investment and retail & Banking litigation: investment and retail

Banking litigation: investment and retail & Banking litigation: investment and retail

Public international law

Public international law

Sue Millar Partner

Contact details

Sue Millar

Sue Millar
Partner

T: + 44 20 7809 2329 M: + 44 7825 625 898 Email Sue | vCard Office: London

Sue is an experienced and well-respected litigator whose expertise is recognised in the leading directories. Her practice is  broad, encompassing finance litigation, sanctions, civil fraud and corporate and commercial disputes. Clients value her responsiveness and her commitment to finding solutions to complex problems. She leads the firm's sanctions practice and co-heads the firm's "technically strong" finance litigation team.
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Sue is recognised as a leading individual for commercial litigation and banking litigation in Legal 500 2023. Clients have described her as 'a very experienced litigation partner, with the magical combination of being a tough litigator while also being easy and fun to work with!’ and as 'a force of nature and a brilliant litigator. While she has excellent common sense and an instinctive grasp of the commercialities of a case, she is also a talented lawyer and team leader.’ (Legal 500 2023). Meanwhile, she is described as "excellent" in Chambers UK 2023.

Sue also leads the firm's sanctions practice, having practised sanctions law for over 14 years. She advises on a range of contentious and non-contentious issues arising in relation to the Russian, Iranian, Libyan and Syrian sanctions regimes. There are very few firms in the City which can match Stephenson Harwood's experience in this area.

"A dynamic and creative lawyer, who is an inspiring team leader and who is utterly committed to her client’s cause."

The Legal 500 2023

  • Investment funds
  • Fraud and asset recovery
  • Commercial litigation
  • Corporate trusts
  • Finance litigation
  • Dispute resolution
  • Sanctions

Private bank

Acting for a private bank in proceedings brought by a high net worth individual arising from the gating of the AIG Premier bond at the beginning of the global financial crisis.

Asset manager

Acting for an asset manager impacted by targeted sanctions and involving negotiations and liaison with HMT, OFAC and other competent authorities in the EU and offshore jurisdictions. Subsequently advising on disputes with certain service providers.

European fund manager

Advising a European on fund manager on claims arising from the collapse of a Portuguese bank.

Eastern European bank

Acting for the insolvency administrator of an Eastern European bank in claims against its former owner following the bank's collapse.  The proceedings resulted in the former owner being committed for contempt and our client's case succeeding in its entirety at trial. 

Insurance broker

Acting for an insurance broking client against an insured who made fraudulent claims for loss. The claim against the insurance broker collapsed on the first day of trial with indemnity costs being awarded in our client's favour. 

AHAB

Acting for a claimant bank seeking to recover funds against the AHAB conglomerate following allegations of wide-scale fraud exceeding US$9 billion and affecting in excess of 100 banks.

Insurance brokers

Advising a global firm of insurance brokers on a number of claims alleging negligent placement of insurance, including a successful defence following the collapse of a dishonest claimant's claim at trial.

Asset management company

Advising in relation to multiple US proceedings against various investment banks in relation to a very significant portfolio of allegedly mis-sold bonds.

Corporate trustee

Advising in matters arising from a financial institution's liability management exercise pursuant to which it invited bondholders to exchange their bonds for cash and thereafter in relation to a threatened subordinated liability order pursuant to which bondholders' rights would be significantly reduced and/or extinguished.

More: Commercial litigation

Fairhold Securitisation Limited

Advising the corporate trustee on its rights and obligations arising from the wrongful acts of a third party in purporting to put the securitisation vehicle into administration and thereafter preventing illegitimate attempts at enforcement against the trust assets.

Corporate trustee

Defending a corporate trustee against an allegation of breach of trust, resulting in an amicable settlement.

Corporate trustee

Advising a corporate trustee in its claim against an arranger of a securitisation for misrepresentation.

More: Corporate trusts

British Arab Commercial Bank

A high profile claim against AHAB, a Saudi Arabian conglomerate, to recover sums loaned to one of its subsidiaries, ATS. Identified as one of The Lawyer's top 20 cases of recent years, the bank's claim was successful at trial.

Eastern European bank collapse

Acting for the bank’s insolvency administrator on claims against a business man who is subject to civil and criminal fraud proceedings in various jurisdictions. We have obtained freezing, third party disclosure and search orders and had 8 separate court hearings, all of which have been successful.

Private bank

Acting for a well-known private bank against mis-selling and negligent advice claims brought by high net worth individuals arising out of events leading to the commencement of the global financial crisis.

More: Finance litigation

Insurance brokers

Advising a global firm of insurance brokers on a number of claims alleging negligent placement of insurance, including a successful defence following the collapse of a dishonest claimant's claim at trial.

Asset management company

Advising in relation to multiple US proceedings against various investment banks in relation to a very significant portfolio of allegedly mis-sold bonds.

Corporate trustee

Advising in matters arising from a financial institution's liability management exercise pursuant to which it invited bondholders to exchange their bonds for cash and thereafter in relation to a threatened subordinated liability order pursuant to which bondholders' rights would be significantly reduced and/or extinguished.

More: Dispute resolution

Two individuals

Advising two formerly designated individuals on their international strategy, including sanctions-related challenges in the EU and the English Administrative Court by way of judicial review proceedings, dealing with UK regulators and lobbying the UK and the EU.

Asset management company

Advising an asset management company, majority of it owned by a designated entity and managing its assets, on its rights and obligations under the relevant sanctions regime. This included liaising with regulators in a number of jurisdictions and obtaining licences from HMT and OFAC, permitting its continued operation.

Government entity

We advised a government entity in the defence sector in a decades-long commercial dispute. The matter concerned long-running proceedings in the English Commercial Court which considered the effect of sanctions in the commercial courts, one of the only judgments of its kind. This involved the UK and the Netherlands.

More: Sanctions
  • CIS and CEE

Eastern European bank insolvency

Acting for an Eastern European bank’s insolvency administrator on claims against its former owner, a Russian businessman, who is subject to civil and criminal fraud proceedings in various jurisdictions.

More: CIS and CEE

Awards

Banking litigation: investment and retail & Banking litigation: investment and retail

Banking litigation: investment and retail & Banking litigation: investment and retail

Public international law

Public international law

Latest news & insights

30 Nov 2023

From Insights

'Who calls the shots?' – FCDO issues guidance on ownership and control in UK sanctions regulations

Following the much-discussed Court of Appeal judgment in Mints & Ors v PJSC National Bank Trust & Anor [2023] EWCA Civ 1132, the UK Government has issued clarification..

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17 Nov 2023

From Insights

Enforcement of foreign judgments: Invest Bank v El-Husseini

A recent Commercial Court decision has raised an intriguing question of private international law: can a foreign judgment be enforced in England and Wales if it is not..

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10 Oct 2023

From Insights

Managing litigation risk: Corporate and commercial disputes

Welcome to the resource hub for our "Managing litigation risk: Corporate and commercial disputes" event on 10 October 2023.

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11 Aug 2023

From Insights

Finance litigation update - August 2023

Welcome to the latest finance litigation update, in which we summarise some of the most significant cases and other developments relevant to banks and other financial ..

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26 Jul 2023

From Insights

ESG and directors' duties - where are we now? ClientEarth v Shell

In ClientEarth v Shell Plc & Ors (Re Prima Facie Case) [2023] EWHC 1137 (Ch), the High Court rejected ClientEarth's application for permission to bring a derivative cl..

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13 Jul 2023

From Insights

Quincecare duty is flawed and based on a mistaken premise - Philipp v Barclays

The Supreme Court has ruled, unanimously, that the Quincecare duty does not apply where a customer has authorised its bank to make a payment. Banks are under no duty t..

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11 Jul 2023

From Insights

Banks, be on inquiry - Quincecare is coming!

The Supreme Court's judgment on the scope of the Quincecare duty in Philipp v Barclays Bank UK Plc is expected imminently.

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22 May 2023

From Insights

Section 44: fig leaf or shield?

In a short but important judgment (Celestial Aviation Services Limited v Unicredit Bank AG, London Branch [2023] EWHC 1071 (Comm)), the Commercial Court has, for the f..

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24 Apr 2023

From Insights

Section 32 of the Limitation Act: multiple lies, multiple limitation periods? (Seedo v El Gamal)

In Seedo v Gamal and others [2023] EWCA Civ 330, the Court of Appeal clarified the way in which s32(1)(a) Limitation Act 1980 applies to claims based on fraud.

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28 Mar 2023

From Insights

States, take note: Law Debenture v Ukraine

In The Law Debenture Trust Corporation plc v Ukraine [2023] UKSC 11, the Supreme Court dismissed a summary judgment application made by the Law Debenture Trust Corpora..

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09 Mar 2023

From Insights

The 'same interest' test for representative claims – a more flexible approach? (Commission Recovery Ltd v Marks & Clerk LLP)

In Commission Recovery Ltd v Marks & Clerk LLP & Anor [2023] EWHC 398 (Comm), the High Court ruled that a claim for secret commission could proceed as an 'opt-out' rep..

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31 Jan 2023

From Insights

Is relief from liability a loss? (and other Quincecare questions): Stanford v HSBC

In Stanford International Bank Ltd v HSBC Bank PLC [2022] UKSC 34, the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal's decision striking out almost all of Stanford's claim ..

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23 Dec 2022

From Insights

UK and EU sanctions: expansion of the professional and business services prohibitions

In this article, we set out the new scope of the UK's ban on professional and business services contained in the 17th Amendment, and compare it with EU Regulation 833...

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19 Dec 2022

From Insights

UK/Russia trust sanctions: a neat trick or creating new potential problems?

Many months after the Government first announced its intention to introduce Russia related trust sanctions, they have finally been published in The Russia (Sanctions) ..

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07 Dec 2022

From Insights

Finance litigation update - December 2022

Welcome to the latest finance litigation update, in which we summarise some of the most significant cases and other developments relevant to banks and other financial ..

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05 Dec 2022

From Insights

Arbitration insights from Singapore - Latest UK sanctions against Russia targeting crude oil and petroleum products - December 2022

In this December edition of Arbitration insights from Singapore, Singapore-based international arbitration partner Chris Bailey and our dedicated sanctions team examin..

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