Expertise

Jean-Pierre specialises in complex cross-border disputes, with an emphasis on financial services, natural resources, contentious M&A, fraud and regulatory disputes.  He also has extensive experience advising on risk management issues and conducting corporate and regulatory investigations.

Clients describe Jean-Pierre as "one of the best commercial litigators about ... clear in his analysis and pragmatic in his advice ... he is a details man with a huge amount of skill" (Chambers UK Guide, 2008).

Experience

• Acting for a global bank in relation to a dispute with the general partner of and investment adviser to a private equity technology fund in the Cayman Islands and in associated proceedings in Singapore.
• Representing Marks and Spencer in the failed takeover bid by Philip Green and the Revival Consortium in which Freshfields were injuncted from acting on grounds of conflict of interest, a case that has had important implications for takeovers and City practice generally.
• Lead counsel for natural resources clients in relation to fraud and conspiracy claims in arbitration and court proceedings in England, Australia, Switzerland, Channel Islands, Bahamas and BVI, and in 28 USC 1782 proceedings in the US.
• Advising one of the leading fund houses in relation to the FSA's market timing investigation in the UK and in connection with the US time arbitrage prosecutions led by the then New York State Attorney-General, Eliot Spitzer.
• Defending a major PLC against single business enterprise claims made against it in US proceedings following the acquisition of a local corporation in an attempt to upstream substantial liabilities to the new parent, highlighting the need for defensive due diligence procedures in foreign acquisitions.
• Advising a Pan-European pharamceuticals group in relation to systems and controls issues following suspected procurement fraud and false accounting by senior employees and in making appropriate disclosures to its various regulators.
  

Professional

Allens Arthur Robinson Group 1991-1996 and 1998-2000
Slaughter and May 2000-2005
Dorsey & Whitney MNP 2005-2008
LG 2008 to date

Professional Memberships

Law Society of England and Wales
London Solicitors' Litigation Association
International Bar Association

Publications

• "Asset tracing", IQPC Advanced Strategies for Conducting Internal and Regulatory Investigations Conference, November 2007, London
• "Safeguarding Client Privilege for an In-House Counsel vis-a-vis Outside Counsel in Europe and the US", IBC In-House Counsel Conference, October 2007, Amsterdam
• "E-Disclosure - The Verdict a Year On", IQPC Information Management and E-Disclosure Conference, May 2007, London
• "Back to Basics - Legal Professional Privilege", Lexis Nexis Tax Journal, August 2007, Nos. 897-898 at 12 and 18
• "Avoiding Corporate Catastrophe - A Pro-Active Approach", Twilight Seminar Series, November 2006, London.