Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has strengthened its contentious regulatory, economic crime, and investigations practice with the arrival of David Capps. He will join as a partner in the firm's London office.

David is a leading practitioner and one of the most recognisable names in the City for regulatory work. He has more than 30 years' experience, specialising in regulatory enforcement, investigations, and finance-related disputes. He advises on matters involving market manipulation and insider dealing, anti-money laundering, conduct of business rules, whistleblowing, systems and controls issues, and related policies and implementation. His practice encompasses contentious and non-contentious work, and he is a recognised expert in relation to UK and EU financial services regulation. One of his most recent engagements was leading the team in relation to the John Swift QC review concerning the FCA’s regulatory response to the mis-selling of interest rate swaps to SMEs, published in December 2021.

"As regulators and prosecutors continue to toughen their stance – and following several years of global economic turbulence – we are seeing an uptick in the market for enforcement, supervisory, and investigatory work," said Sean Jeffrey, partner and head of Stephenson Harwood's regulatory litigation practice. "We have a leading contentious regulatory, economic crime, and investigations practice and are well-known in the UK and internationally for our work in this area. The arrival of David, with his market-leading reputation, wide-ranging expertise, and wealth of experience, will enable us to develop our capabilities further and to enhance the support we can provide clients."

David returns to Stephenson Harwood, where he qualified in 1988 and became a partner in 1996. He joins from Ashurst.

"David is a leading practitioner in the field, and it's great to be welcoming him back to the firm," said Paul Thwaite, co-head of Stephenson Harwood’s commercial litigation practice group. "Strengthening our contentious practices remains a priority, and David's arrival – which closely follows that of dispute resolution partners Michael Bywell and Peter Dalton, as well as litigation partner Dan Smith who joined last year – further demonstrates this commitment and our long-term plans to expand the firm's capabilities in this area."

Stephenson Harwood’s award-winning regulatory litigation practice has been at the forefront of high profile investigations and enforcement for many years. It acts for corporates and individuals, and clients include banks, brokers, hedge funds, intermediaries, professional services firms, and senior executives. The team draws on the experience of former prosecutors and regulators.