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Roberto is a partner in the litigation and arbitration team.
He is experienced in dealing with commercial litigation and arbitration involving international and domestic disputes, fraud and asset tracing, loan recoveries and debt collection. He leads the insolvency team, advising insolvency practitioners and directors of distressed companies, as well as creditors.Roberto is experienced in High Court pre-action strategy, such as applying for and defending applications for worldwide freezing orders, through to enforcing judgments in the UK and abroad. His clients include Aston Martin Racing, Tamara Ecclestone-Rutland, Novak Djokovic, Duferco Participations, Elite World Group, Diesel and Liu Jo. He also acted for Renault Sport SAS in the High Court litigation brought by HMRC against the Lotus F1 Team Limited, the successful conclusion of which allowed the acquisition of Lotus F1 Team Limited by Renault F1, and for Mirakhmedov and Kim in their successful jurisdiction challenge in the Alimov/Genesis Digital Assets litigation.
In terms of arbitration, Roberto has arbitrated cases both in the UK and abroad for international clients, including pursuant to the rules of the ICC, LCIA, LMAA and UNCITRAL. He also has experience of enforcing arbitral awards in foreign jurisdictions pursuant to the New York Convention.
Roberto has experience assisting following collapses of tech businesses and other startups. He can also act during fire sales and administrations.
Roberto also has experience in advising in privacy and defamation matters. His cases include Elite Model Management (New York) & Elite Model Look (Paris) v BBC which at the time was the largest defamation action brought before the High Court in London. He negotiated the successful outcome of this action.
Recent recognition
Me in a minute
I enjoy getting to learn about clients' businesses
I specialise in commercial dispute resolution, whether through the ambit of High Court litigation or international arbitration. My work is varied and often involves working with foreign lawyers, which I enjoy.I particularly enjoy getting to learn about clients' businesses and seeking to work out at an early stage the best strategy aimed at protecting the client's interests, whether that lies in seeking an early settlement of the dispute, or where that proves not to be achievable, optimising its position in any ensuing litigation. Even then, the overwhelming majority of my cases settle at some point and the key is to tee up the client to achieve the best possible outcome at the minimum risk and expense possible.
I have been fortunate over the years to have worked with interesting corporations such as Renault SAS, Renault Fomula1, Lotus F1 Team Limited, Queen's Park Rangers Football Club, State Bank of India, Elite Model Look SA (Paris), Vivienne Westwood Limited, Elite Model Management Limited (New York), the Duferco Group, Cipriani International SA but I also really enjoy working for small to medium enterprises as well as individuals. Indeed some of my most satisfying outcomes have involved achieving results for individuals, after having guided them through the rigours of dispute resolution.I am a trustee of Children of Fire International Limited which raises money to assist in the medical and educational needs of children who have been badly burned in shanty town fires in Africa.
Track record
Business management agents
Acting for Tamara Ecclestone-Rutland and SBD International Limited in litigation against their former business management agents.
Renault Sport SAS
Acting for Renault Sport SAS in opposing HMRC's application for an administration order against Lotus F1 Team Limited, the successful defence of which paved the way for Renault Group's acquisition of Lotus F1 Team Limited.
Contractual dispute in F1 sector
Renault Formula 1 v PVAXX / Renault Formula 1 v Jam Session Sri - which both involved a contractual dispute concerning the non-payment of sponsorship money.
Major litigation
Fortress Value Recovery Fund & Ors v Blue Skye & Ors - a case involving the implementation of a scheme to reorganise the structure by which investments in non-performing loans and receivables were held.
Property dispute
Logue & Ors v PGGL & Ors - a case involving a dispute arising out of the acquisition of a property at One Hyde Park.
Global freezing order
The Complete Retreats Liquidating Trust v Logue and others - a case which involved successfully setting aside a worldwide freezing order obtained against the defendants.
Investment scheme
Dominic Adams & Ors v Ford & Ors - a case involving a class action against our client arising out of the Keydata Technology investment scheme.
Fraudulent misrepresentation
Samuel Tak Lee v Florence Tsang - acting in relation to a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation and successfully challenging jurisdiction on behalf of the defendant.
Talks
Roberto has lectured in Switzerland and Italy, including at the Court of Appeal in Milan and at the British Council in Istanbul on behalf of The Law Society.
He has hosted and participated in seminars focusing on various aspects of English civil law and procedure, in particular tax avoidance schemes, forum shopping, enforcement of judgments, insolvency and arbitration.
Insight
External publications
He has co-authored a number of articles concerning the impact of the fallout of film partnership schemes on investors, in particular professional footballers and sportsmen. These have featured in a number of legal journals as well as the financial times.
Roberto was the author of 'Model Democracy' an article in 'Legal Week' about the evolvement of the law of privacy.
He has also been quoted on various issues ranging from mis-selling and insolvency to defamation in The Times, Telegraph and Financial Times.
Admissions
England and Wales, 1990
Education
University College, Cardiff, Law and Politics, 2:1 BSc Econ
Languages
- English
- Italian
Memberships
Association of Business Recovery Professionals
London Court of International Arbitration
British Italian Law Association
Key dates
- Year joined: 1990
- Year became partner: 1999