Public international law
Commercial litigation
We combine local and international litigation experience with strategic and commercial advice to achieve the best outcome for you or your business.
Our aim is to defend the interests of individuals, businesses and brands, and we do not shy away from taking on major organizations to achieve that, pursuing them aggressively where necessary.
Experience to solve all of your disputes
Our global litigation team serves a broad range of domestic and international commercial and individual clients, from family offices and high-net-worth individuals to large corporate entities. We are experienced in almost all areas of litigation, including asset recovery and enforcement, contract and company disputes, financial services disputes, fraud, white collar defense and investigations, professional negligence, insurance and restructuring and insolvency. Where necessary, we are also experienced in challenging decisions by bringing claims for judicial review.
With litigation lawyers spread across the world’s key dispute resolution centers from New York to Hong Kong, we work together as a single team to help you to protect your interests domestically and globally. We deal with matters swiftly and efficiently, which is key in complex and large-scale international disputes.
We also offer a number of specific teams, including handling tax controversy, media, privacy and reputation management, commercial arbitration and litigation within the worlds of art, luxury assets and sport, where we are ideally placed to respond to cross-border issues.
Global advice, wherever you are
With offices worldwide, we can guide you through your dispute process and help you make informed and appropriate decisions.
Our European litigation team is known for taking on major fraud, asset recovery, enforcement and financial services disputes.
In the US, we have a wide range of experience across commercial matters, pursing settlements, litigation, trials and appeals aggressively, with an excellent success rate. We have one of the largest dispute resolution teams in Singapore, called on for complex and cross-border commercial disputes and acclaimed for work in high-value insurance and professional liability matters. We also have a strong, commercial litigation presence in Hong Kong who are experienced in complex corporate disputes, joint venture and shareholders’ disputes and insolvency. We have represented clients involved in litigation before Hong Kong courts and in Mainland China (with local counsels).
In addition, our experienced offshore team in the BVI is frequently called upon to assist foreign investors in asset recovery and seeking and resisting applications for injunctive relief before the BVI courts.
Funding your dispute
Should you need help covering the costs of your dispute, we will advise on various options for litigation funding. These include obtaining external funding for significant cases, insurance, conditional fee agreements, fixed or capped fees in appropriate cases.
For further help or information
Get in touch
15 July 2021 - Article
Alternative dispute resolution
Mediation is a popular, private and cost-effective out of court solution to resolve disputes, which has been a particularly useful during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fraud Vlogs
Practical advice on freezing orders, search orders and bank mandate fraud, from our leading specialist, Stephen Ross.
Withers has given us expert guidance on a wide range of issues, and always looks to the bigger picture of our work when formulating their advice. The firm’s lawyers are consistently helpful and responsive when dealing with us.
The firm’s expertise was fundamentally important to us in resolving negotiations with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. The dedication, meticulousness and practical advice provided saved us expense and further delays, and we’ve been glad to work closely with the team on a number of other projects since then, in which the service provided has been of a similarly high quality.
I would be glad to give the best recommendations on the high level of services, professional and individual approach in our rather complicated one-of-a-kind case.
I have worked closely with Withers for years. They are a very effective law firm for international tax matters and I am confident that in each case we work on together we will be guided by their experience and insight.
By instructing Withers to represent me in a difficult dispute I knew I was working with a different calibre of law firm. They were a calming and reassuring team who helped me maintain my morale through difficult times.
The team is an indispensable advisor to us, providing us with a full legal assessment of new project opportunities, and spotting issues before they arise. They are attentive, give swift and effective advice, and prioritise our needs.
We use Spring and her team to guide us on projects of all sizes, and particularly to identify in advance where problems could arise. Their advice is always commercial and considers the eventualities so that we understand the risk profile of each project.
The insurance team at Withers KhattarWong is very professional and delivers top tier services with great energy and positive attitudes. They are very knowledgeable about the insurance sector and are proactive and thorough in their approach.
Withers KhattarWong is our first port of call for insurance claims matters. They are experts in this area and have consistently delivered excellent, practical advice for our matters.
We are very pleased with the team at Withers KhattarWong. They are technically strong, have a keen understanding of the insurance sector and they have helped us achieve numerous favourable results for our claims matters.
Meet the team
View AllHow the litigation team can help
Track record
Defeating £15m claim, our client pays £1 damages
£35 million misselling and LIBOR claim
Multi-billion dollar energy arbitration
US$150 million Russian dispute
Advising a Government on investment treaty drafting
Russian real estate project in LCIA arbitration
Construction dispute and ad hoc arbitration in North Africa
International bank mandate fraud
Professional negligence claim for interest rate swap deal
A world renowned hotel entered into an interest rate swap with several banks, but ended up suffering significant losses. The hotel's owners approached us to pursue the law firm who represented them in a professional negligence claim. The case was listed for a five week High Court trial, but we arranged a settlement before the trial commenced.
Protecting the home in a family fraud dispute
Energy company UNCITRAL arbitration against Pakistan
ICSID dispute over energy investment
Caribbean Government international investment law advice
Public liability cover claim against broker
Negligence claim for hedge fund exit advice
USD$3.25 billion fraud lawsuit
Negligence claim for misadvised property deal
Representing Bar Mutual and its clients
Defending the holders of USD$200 million in bonds
London courts secure fraudster's assets
Swiss fraud
Art theft case for underwriters
Swiss Trustees and a Swiss Bank
Bringing misselling and breach of contract claims against bank
Italy-CIS dispute over contract and arbitration venue
Reputation protection during a high profile divorce
During our client's highly sensitive and hard-fought divorce, our Media and Reputation team played a key role to ensure that our client's public reputation was protected in the face of significant media interest. The team also provided counsel on communications from our client, which were required to uphold his rights in balance with the other party's.
A luxury yacht builder
LG Electronics Inc
Multi-million dollar digital entertainment arbitration
Italian energy company ICSID arbitration
VAT case dispute with former solicitor settled in mediation
Landmark stamp duty decision on in the High Court of Singapore
We successfully represented our client in Zhao Hui Fang and another in a case that challenged the application of stamp duty to a residential purchase by a charity. The High Court of Singapore ruled that the additional buyer’s stamp duties regime does not apply to residential property purchased by a charity. The landmark decision had wide-ranging impact on charities and the non-profit sector in Singapore.
ICC motorway arbitrations
Singapore arbitration on behalf of a Malaysian bank
We are representing a Malaysian bank on an arbitration in Singapore under the ICC Rules regarding claims arising out of a software contract with a Swiss multinational corporation. The contract involved the replacement of the bank’s central banking system, with far reaching cross border implications, given the bank's status as a public institution. The claim relates to the Islamic status of the core banking system with a contract value in the region of USD $17 million.
LCIA arbitration in art sector
TMT Asia Ltd v BHP Billiton Marketing AG & Anor
Cypriot company in a USD$72 million arbitration
Singapore Economic Development Board
Madof related litigation
Defending SMRT Trains Ltd and the Land Transport Authority
Azerbaijani oil company
Shareholder’s dispute in Cyprus
Salim Shalabayev
Chief financial officer of software firm
Greek national basketball team
Caspian Sea $20 million arbitration
Recovering the proceeds of fraud in the UK and Cyprus
UK assets of Greek foundation
Major US accountancy firm in insurance claims
Greek TV merger leads to arbitration
Defending Greek company in Jordan
Multi-national investment dispute in Ethiopia
Multi-billion dollar hedge fund
The Romanian State
Litigation advice for the Ukranian government
Defending architecture copyright infringement
Heir to a publishing fortune
Withers represented one of the heirs to a publishing fortune in a case arising out of a dispute with his children over the administration of various family trusts. Withers successfully resolved the dispute through alternative dispute resolution in California avoiding a costly court battle and prolonged family discord.
Mistaken identity in personal injury case
An elderly client in California
Withers helped an elderly client defeat aggressive efforts by her daughter to force her to endure a medical examination or submit to a guardian ad litem. Withers is often asked to zealously represent parties in California elder abuse actions in a variety of scenarios, including both those situations where the older person is still alive or is deceased.
Complex dispute with a financial consulting firm
Withers represented an individual in a dispute involving a successful limited liability company that provided global financial consulting and advisory services. Withers successfully avoided a public lawsuit and negotiated a successful resolution. This complex matter involved parties in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Belize.
Individual lender based in Russian Federation
Heirs to pharmaceutical company fortune
Represented heirs to the fortune from a pharmaceutical company in a dispute concerning control of the family office and competing claims of breach of fiduciary duty. After completing all pre-trial discovery and motion practice, Withers successfully negotiated a settlement for the heirs without the need for a costly and public trial in California state court.
Litigation against former business partner in Vietnam
Represented the court-appointed administrator of an estate in litigation against the decedent’s former business partner in Vietnam. We brought a derivative action on behalf of an entity the decedent co-owned with his business partner, obtained a preliminary ruling transferring half a million dollars from the entity to the estate, and ultimately settled the case.
Trust beneficiary
Designated beneficiary of a retirement account
Private professional fiduciaries
Elder abuse claims
Conservatorship petition
Litigation with five Italian banks
Litigation advisor to Ukranian government
£30m dispute for Ukranian businessman
Ecuador v Colombia ICJ case
Italian Brazilian speedboat case
National basketball team
Foreign-based seller of NY property
Potential claim by the Italian State on the ownership of a Roman marble relief
We acted for the trustees of an estate in advising on a potential claim by the Italian State to the ownership of a Roman era fragment marble relief. The relief was purchased in the 1960s in Switzerland and passed to the state following the death of the purchaser. Having been put up for sale by the trustees, it was spotted at an art fair as being linked to a number of other reliefs that had been seized by the Italian authorities having been illegally excavated in the early 2000s. Withers assisted the trustees in bringing about the restitution of the relief to Italy.
Saudi Arabian contemporary artist in a claim against an auction house and a Dubai based gallery
We represented one of Saudi Arabia's leading contemporary artists in a multi-jurisdictional claim against an auction house and a Dubai based gallery. The claim derived from the unauthorized selling of one of the artist's own artworks by the Dubai gallery at an auction. The matter was successfully settled.
Television content distribution rights and contracts
Outside general counsel for luxury brand
The return of artworks to the estate of a renowned European artist
Global enforcement of a £450million English court judgment
Leading the global enforcement strategy on behalf of Mrs Akhmedova for the enforcement of a financial order of the English family court worth £450 million over various luxury assets and bank accounts located around the world, including Marshall Island, Dubai, Isle of Man, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Russia and England.
Acting in recognition and enforcement proceedings in the DIFC and Dubai local courts
Piercing the corporate veil of a Liechtenstein corporate cipher
Dispute resolution between shareholders of an Italian wine consortium
Assisted an Italian wine consortium established to protect and help the producers of a local wine in proceedings brought by a number of shareholders challenging the alleged unlawfulness of a decision made by the shareholders' meeting. We also assisted the consortium in interim proceedings brought by a shareholder to have a shareholders' decision stayed until the final decision in the merits. The assistance has been challenging since consortia are only lightly regulated under Italian Law and case-law is very limited.
Assistance in appeal proceedings
Assisted a longstanding client of the firm active in the field of infrastructure, technological systems and services in the appeal proceedings brought by two parties against a decision made by the Court of Venice on the alleged liability of the client with respect to an accident occurred at a tramway in the Venice area in 2012. The proceedings involve several other parties, all of which were engaged in the construction stage of the tramway.
Unlawful termination of a contract
Interim measure proceedings in relation to alleged unfair competition activity
Heritage Travel and Tourism Limited
In this complex case involving questions over economic duress and penalty issues, we successfully obtained a €172 million judgment on behalf of our client against the businessman, Lars Windhorst, and the Tennor Group. The judgment stemmed from a debt that arose out of Repo Transactions and a settlement agreement, the terms of which the Defendants failed to honour.
Declaratory relief proceedings against the Vatican
We are instructed by Raffaele Mincione, WRM CapInvest Ltd and WRM S.a.r.l. to bring declaratory relief proceedings against the Secretariat of State of the Holy See (the Vatican), a case which has now spawned separate defamation claims against the Italian press. The team's expertise in high profile litigation, coupled with their Italian-speaking capabilities, has been invaluable in conducting this matter.
Tamara Ecclestone
Representing Tamara Ecclestone and an associated company in a dispute with the former brand manager for her salon and beauty business. The case involves defending a claim brought for alleged unpaid fees and counterclaiming for an account of moneys received, as well as a disputed allegation of forgery of key contractual documents.
Family business dispute involving fraud and professional negligence
We successfully represented a UK company over a complex and highly litigious dispute arising out of a family business. Spanning over many years, there were findings of professional negligence against our client's former solicitors and findings of forgery against one of the respondents. Various teams across our firm worked on this case including corporate, trusts and litigation to fully service our clients needs under one roof.
The Government of the Virgin Islands (BVI)
We are instructed by The Government of the Virgin Islands to provide advice and representation in relation to a Commission of Inquiry launched by the then Governor of the BVI to establish whether corruption or abuse of office may have taken place in the BVI in recent years and to make recommendations on good governance issues. In Autumn 2021, we completed 52 days of hearings, most of which took place as public live streams and the case is ongoing.
Hacking claim
Statements about a rival business
Breach of settlement agreement and failure to pay outstanding invoices
Assisted a longstanding client of the firm active in the field of infrastructure, technological systems and services in three proceedings brought against a company within the construction/infrastructure industry, for the breach of a settlement agreement and failure to pay a number of outstanding invoices.
Claim against seller of an Italian property
Alleged unfair competition
Assisted the retail and wholesale companies of a well-known fashion group in proceedings for alleged unfair competition brought before the Court of Milan by an Italian company which owns numerous multi-brands stores in Italy and acted as a wholesaler in Italy for various products of the fashion group we assist.
Alleged unfair competition
Assisted the retail and wholesale companies of a well-known fashion group in proceedings for alleged unfair competition brought before the Court of Milan by an Italian company which owns numerous multi-brands stores in Italy and acted as a wholesaler in Italy for various products of the fashion group we assist.
Genesis Technology Limited
Acting for a majority shareholder and creditor in a joint venture company established to develop a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease and spinal chord injury. The matter involved a contentious administration, against the background of entrenched shareholder disputes, which we persuaded the Court to terminate, allowing our creditor client to assert contractual rights which had been stayed by the administration.
Shareholder dispute
Two private individuals in the BVI
Heritage Travel and Tourism Limited
In this complex case involving questions over economic duress and penalty issues, we successfully obtained a €172 million judgment on behalf of our client against the businessman, Lars Windhorst, and the Tennor Group. The judgment stemmed from a debt that arose out of Repo Transactions and a settlement agreement, the terms of which the Defendants failed to honour.
Heritage Travel and Tourism Limited
In this complex case involving questions over economic duress and penalty issues, we successfully obtained a €172 million judgment on behalf of our client against the businessman, Lars Windhorst, and the Tennor Group. The judgment stemmed from a debt that arose out of Repo Transactions and a settlement agreement, the terms of which the Defendants failed to honour.
Genesis Technology Limited
Acting for a majority shareholder and creditor in a joint venture company established to develop a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease and spinal chord injury. The matter involved a contentious administration, against the background of entrenched shareholder disputes, which we persuaded the Court to terminate, allowing our creditor client to assert contractual rights which had been stayed by the administration.
Genesis Technology Limited
Acting for a majority shareholder and creditor in a joint venture company established to develop a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease and spinal chord injury. The matter involved a contentious administration, against the background of entrenched shareholder disputes, which we persuaded the Court to terminate, allowing our creditor client to assert contractual rights which had been stayed by the administration.
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