Civil Fraud Litigator in London

Civil Fraud Litigator – 6+ years PQE

Location: London

Brief

We are looking to recruit a litigator with 6 yrs+ PQE to join the civil fraud and asset recovery team in our London office.

The Role

The civil fraud and asset recovery team sits within our Litigation, Regulatory & Tax department and specializes in cases involving allegations of fraud/dishonesty, where there is often an early emphasis on devising and implementing an asset recovery strategy. The team’s expertise therefore encompasses interim remedies such as financial disclosure applications, search orders, and freezing injunctions. 

Much of our work has an international dimension. For example, we act for the Danish tax authority (SKAT) against Sanjay Shah and numerous other defendants in a £1.44bn fraud dispute. The 12-month trial began in April 2024, following two preliminary issue trials (including one which was appealed to the Supreme Court). Related proceedings are ongoing in Denmark, Germany, the US, Malaysia, Dubai and the DIFC. We also act for six defendants in a $1.9bn fraud claim brought by Privatbank, the largest (and now state-owned) bank in Ukraine. A 13-week trial took place last year and judgment is awaited. Both cases were recognized by The Lawyer Top 20 cases for 2022 and 2024.

Our other clients include banks, corporates, insolvency practitioners and foreign lawyers. Our cases often relate to the banking and financial services sectors, but fraud can happen anywhere and so we also have broad experience of working across other sectors.

Please note that the role relates only to civil litigation. It is not a corporate crime or regulatory role (we have a separate team which specializes in these areas).

The Candidate Required

The team has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years and we are looking for a high-quality candidate to help manage our busy practice and contribute to our future growth. Prior experience of fraud disputes is desirable; however, we will consider applications from exceptional candidates who lack such experience but can demonstrate knowledge of the area and a genuine interest in specializing in it.

Civil fraud is a highly technical area and so we are looking for a candidate with good technical ability. The candidate must also have a strong work ethic – including a willingness to work at unsocial hours when necessary, for example when we are preparing freezing injunction applications or working to tight deadlines.

Our cases involve serious allegations and this can, at times, make the work stressful and intense. We are therefore looking for a candidate with strong personal attributes such as integrity, determination and resilience. We are also a close-knit team and the candidate’s soft skills – such as their emotional intelligence and teamwork – will be assessed during any interview process.

The successful candidate will be given a lot of responsibility from the outset, so will need to have the confidence and personal skills required to interact well with clients. They will also be encouraged, like all members of our team, to develop the team’s brand and their own personal profile. Although we would not expect any candidate to have a fully-formed business plan, an interest in business development and some examples of how they might seek to support the team’s marketing efforts will be regarded positively.

Testimonials

‘Pinsents have an experienced and incisive team which can compete with the Magic Circle at lower rates without compromising client and case attention.’

‘Go-to practice for large, cross-border matters, often involving financial services. Very accessible in terms of how they provide advice and bring in third party experts to support where appropriate’

Legal 500 2023

"The whole team are hugely responsive, ready to listen and provide clear, concise instructions."

Chambers 2024

"The team knows fraud inside out. They are able to digest all the detail, understand it and explain it to others."

"The lawyers are very professional, clear-headed and impressive."

"Pinsent Masons is professional and client-focused."

Chambers 2023