London Litigation & Arbitration

Our market-leading London Litigation & Arbitration team specialises in the resolution of large, high-stakes and complex business and regulatory disputes and investigations. All of our partners and special counsel, and a number of our associates, are recognised as leading lawyers in the main legal directories, including Chambers, The Legal 500 and Benchmark Litigation Europe, and we regularly handle cases which are singled out as “‘Trials of the Year”’. Recent comments about our team include the following: 

“‘The team is absolutely wonderful. I would always want them in my corner in a scrap. They are also incredibly nice to work with, could not be nicer or more engaged”’. 

“‘These are brilliant and experienced people. They totally get stuck-in for their clients, but they also offer wonderful advice, always putting the client’s position first. Could not be better”’.

“‘A Rolls Royce of a team – one of the better teams in the market for big ticket litigation that you are not afraid to take to trial”’.

“‘… Milbank is second to none. There is exceptional quality at every level, which is hard to find, combined with impressive sector knowledge reflecting the breadth and depth of experience in the team…”’.

“‘The Milbank team is incredibly strong…The team works like a well-oiled machine: the associates are brilliant and can be counted on to work very hard, proactively, and independently, to deliver what needs to be done. And the partner delivers excellent strategic direction and supervision”’.

“‘They are consistently excellent. Their attention to detail and strategic thinking regarding the development of litigation is flawless. They are always alive to the relevant issues in a case, no matter how complex. And they are friendly and a pleasure to work with. Any client would be lucky to have them, and I would heartily recommend”’.

Some of the world’s leading companies and financial institutions, as well as governments, trust us to handle their most important, complex and sensitive matters in a variety of areas including, in particular: banking and financial services litigation and investigations; competition/antitrust litigation (including class actions) and investigations; energy and infrastructure disputes; fraud and asset tracing cases; insolvency and restructuring disputes; international arbitration; IT, outsourcing and communications (including satellite-related) disputes; shareholder and joint venture disputes; and a wide variety of other complex business litigation, arbitrations and investigations. 

Representative matters on which our team have acted include the following:

• Acting for a leading global digital payments network in multiple sets of proceedings in the High Court and Competition Appeal Tribunal (and subsequent appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court) in relation to alleged infringements of competition law relating to the setting and implementation of multilateral interchange fees associated with the use of debit and credit cards, including in “opt-out” and “opt-in” collective proceedings in the Competition Appeal Tribunal. 
• Acting for major international bank in relation to regulatory investigations into the setting of the LIBOR and EURIBOR benchmarks and settlements with the UK Financial Conduct Authority, the US Department of Justice, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Dutch Central Bank, the Dutch Public Prosecutor, and the Japan Financial Services Agency.
• Representing one of Turkey’s largest state-owned banks in an LCIA arbitration in relation to a shareholder dispute concerning the ownership of a national mobile phone operator, where the value of assets in dispute exceeded US$4 billion.
• Acting for a major international investment bank in a criminal investigation commenced against it by a European prosecutor in relation to alleged anti-money laundering failings at the bank’s European subsidiary over a number of years.
• Acting for a leading UK energy company in major litigation in the Technology & Construction Court in relation to a failed IT project.
• Acting for a leading international bank in defending a High Court claim brought by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on behalf of several failed US banks in relation to alleged infringements of competition law and misrepresentations arising out of the setting of USD LIBOR.
• Representing a Qatari Respondent in an ICC arbitration relating to delays and additional costs arising out of a US$1.6 billion polysilicon plant project. 
• Acting for an international financial sector firm in relation to investigations by regulatory authorities in multiple jurisdictions concerning antitrust/competition law and market conduct issues in connection with securities trading.
• Representing one of the main defendants in the approximately US$400 million fraud proceedings brought by the Kuwaiti State Pension Fund in relation to allegations of bribery and corruption related to the asset management sector.
• Representing a South Asian government in successfully resisting the enforcement of a US$1 billion ICSID award arising out of an energy investment by a Turkish party. 
• Acting for a leading global pharmaceuticals company in its successful High Court litigation with a leading technology services provider arising out of the termination of a US$1.5 billion IT infrastructure project.
• Acting on behalf of a leading global investment management firm in the defence of high-value claims brought by a UK pension fund alleging negligence and breaches of contract in relation to a £500 million investment in an enhanced cash portfolio of US MBS securities shortly before the financial crisis.

Many of the cases and investigations on which we have been instructed have an international dimension, covering a wide array of different jurisdictions. We also regularly combine forces with our US team to provide our clients with market-leading representation in major transatlantic disputes and investigations.

Whilst we pride ourselves on having tried, and won, some of the most significant and high-profile cases in the market, our aim is to partner with our clients in finding tailored and pragmatic solutions which meet and exceed their commercial objectives.

We deploy focussed, partner-led teams of exceptional lawyers, supported by the latest litigation technology, which means that we are able to deliver real value and exceptional levels of service.