PCB Byrne

Managing Partner: Sara Teasdale

Senior Partner: Anthony Riem

Number of partners: 15

Number of assistant solicitors: 26

Number of other fee-earners: 5

Contacts:

Commercial Disputes: Anthony Riem, Trevor Mascarenhas

Criminal Litigation: Sara Teasdale

Regulatory Investigations: Michael Potts

THE FIRM

PCB Byrne LLP is a conflict-free specialist dispute resolution practice, handling complex multi-jurisdictional, high value, litigation, arbitration, financial crime and regulatory investigations over a wide variety of industry sectors. The firm advises on some of the largest and most high profile disputes in the UK, often cases at the cutting edge of the law providing clients with high-level partner attention and solutions that protect their reputations and businesses.

PCB Byrne was formed by the merger in April 2021 of two market leading disputes practices, Byrne and Partners and PCB Litigation. Both firms were ranked as leading fraud practices by all of the major legal directories and each featured as top 200 law firms in the UK in The Times newspaper in 2020 and 2021. Burford Capital, leaders in global litigation finance, hold a minority equity stake in PCB Byrne and provides the firm with a portfolio-financing arrangement. This novel structure enables Burford and PCB Byrne to work together to meet clients’ needs in a challenging legal and financial environment.

PRINCIPAL AREAS OF WORK

PCB Byrne comprises commercial disputes, white collar and regulatory teams and the firm’s practice areas include:

Claimant Fraud and Asset Recovery:

PCB Byrne is recognised by all the major directories as one of the world’s leading fraud and asset recovery firms. The firm’s strength lies in identifying and implementing effective strategies, often involving simultaneous freezing/receivership orders in multiple jurisdictions, combined with search orders or other disclosure orders.

Fraud Defence:

PCB Byrne is renowned for its expertise in defending clients faced with fraud allegations, including conspiracy, breach of fiduciary duty and other allegations of dishonesty, unjust conduct and unconscionability. Its lawyers have acted for clients facing claims in the billions who are subject to Freezing Orders and facing other interim relief and committal proceedings. Those defendants may have been put “on the back foot” early in the process, and PCB Byrne has the experience and knowledge to push back and take the fight to the Claimant.

White Collar Crime & Investigations:

Acting for multinational companies, international organisations, financial institutions, senior officers and directors, sovereign states and high-ranking public officials, and inhouse counsel, the firm works across jurisdictions advising on all areas connected with bribery and corruption, economic sanctions, money laundering, terrorist financing and fraud. The firm provides clients with strategic advice to address the legal, procedural, operational and reputational aspects of regulatory issues and investigations. It offers services in all areas of financial crime: anti-bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering, sanctions, investigations and fraud.

Regulatory and Disciplinary:

PCB Byrne acts in many financial regulator investigations (FCA, PRA and London Stock Exchange) and proceedings and also represent, in collaboration with overseas advisers, clients under investigation by foreign regulators in the US, Europe and Asia. The firm also regularly represents professionals in SRA, ICAEW, ACCA and medical regulator inquiries. PCB Byrne advises on professional regulation and discipline, as well as acting for companies and individuals undergoing investigations and any related criminal cases.

Banking Litigation:

Acting both for and against banks and other financial institutions, including investigating and bringing claims in respect of failed banks against former controllers, as well as handling claims against banks in respect of breaches of duty and regulatory requirements.

Commercial Litigation:

PCB Byrne has a wealth of experience in dealing with high-value, complex and heavily contested commercial litigation cases. A number of its cases have been selected over the years by The Lawyer as being in their top 20. Cases range from company and joint venture disputes to breach of contract and professional negligence claims, often involving substantial jurisdictional challenges.

Trust Litigation:

The firm has extensive experience of litigating international trust and inheritance disputes, advising trustees and beneficiaries, both in the UK and in offshore trust jurisdictions.

Insolvency:

Using the insolvency process to put parties into bankruptcy as well as dealing with cross-border recognition, the use of insolvency discovery powers and claims arising from insolvency, including for misfeasance and transactions to put assets beyond the reach of creditors.

International Arbitration:

Commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, ad hoc and under the major institutional rules, in London and overseas. The firm has particular expertise in dealing with injunctive relief in support of arbitration, enforcement and challenges to awards / resisting enforcement. In 2019, one of the firm’s partners received the Client Choice Award for arbitration and ADR.

CLIENTS

PCB Byrne’s clients range from large commercial organisations, hedge funds and sovereign states to individuals. The firm was instructed in the largest ever FCA criminal prosecution for insider dealing where its client was acquitted. Members of the civil team have acted in the worldwide defence of the Abacha family since 2000 and with the multi-jurisdictional enforcement of the UK’s largest ever divorce award. Recent successes include acting for a global pharmaceutical company in a high value fraud action and for a major insurance company in fraudulent misrepresentation claims against various rogue traders.

INTERNATIONAL

Although London based, the majority of PCB Byrne’s civil and white collar cases are multi-jurisdictional. The firm has extensive experience in foreign courts and works closely with a well-developed network of international law firms (including as part of ICC FraudNet).