Andrew WanambwaPartner

I am admitted in England and Wales as both a barrister and a solicitor. I am also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and as a legal practitioner in the British Virgin Islands.

I have extensive experience advising major corporate clients, financial institutions and high net worth individuals and have acted for clients in a number of industries, including telecoms, accountancy, finance, insurance, mining, pharmaceuticals and transport.

I have particular expertise in fraud and economic tort claims, professional liability, shareholder and joint venture disputes, trust disputes, jurisdictional issues and asset-tracing/enforcement matters.

Dispute Resolution

I have advised on several large-scale disputes before the English High Court, including:

• Advising senior executives of a multinational corporation in a $1.5bn claim for conspiracy to injure;

• Advising a multinational telecoms company in a £100m+ claim involving breach of fiduciary duty;

• Advising an international bank on a £100m+ professional liability claim against its former legal advisers;

• Advising a large corporate entity on a high value application for the rectification of its pension trust deed.

In addition to my London-based work I have acted in litigation and arbitral matters involving emerging markets such as Zimbabwe and Pakistan. I have also worked in Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. While in Hong Kong I defended a $1.5 billion professional indemnity claim against one of the Big 4 accountancy firms. In the British Virgin Islands I advised on, among other matters, a $600 million economic tort claim involving Russian parties and off-shore corporate entities.

Technology

I am a member of the Technology sector group. I have advised Technology clients across a range of issues, including complex relationship or service agreements, shareholder disputes and breach of confidence. I have also undertaken secondments to two multinational telecom companies. Examples of my work include:

• Advising a leading telecom company in a contract dispute. The dispute was valued at £10m+ and centered on whether competing fiber networks were “equivalent” products
• Advising a leading telecom company on the termination of a service agreement and, in particular, whether the company had been induced to enter the agreement by reason of fraudulent misrepresentation
• Advising a technology company on claims for breach of confidence and fiduciary duty. The claim arose out of an ex-employee’s use of confidential code developed during the course of his employment by the relevant company

I also help my clients avoid formal disputes and have successfully settled a number of matters through mediation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Professional Services

I am a member of the Professional Services sector group. I have advised extensively on professional service disputes, particularly claims relating to professional liability. I have also undertaken a secondment with the Office of General Counsel at a Big 4 accounting firm, during which time my focus related to disputes involving business recovery and tax professionals.

Examples of my work include:

• Advising a Big 4 accountancy firm on a $1.5 billion audit negligence claim
• Advising numerous law firms on complex professional liability claims
• Advising on claims against surveyors, particularly claims involving property valuation issues in securitization transactions

I have also provided a number of talks and written articles on liability issues for professional clients.

Financial Services

I am also a member of the Financial Services sector group. I have advised banks, asset managers and investor clients across a range of issues. Examples of my work include:

• Advising a wealth management institution on professional liability claims arising out its investment advice
• Advising a bank on a £100m+ claim arising out of a liability management exercise
• Advising a bank in a dispute relating to “repo” finance transactions
• Advising on derivative mis-selling disputes.

While the disputes on which I advise are often complex I am constantly focused on delivering timely, practical and cost-effective results for my clients.