Simon Orton
UK Guide 2025
Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory (Corporates) + 1 more ranking
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
020 7936 4000Share profile
Band 1
Band 2
About
Provided by Simon Orton
Practice Areas
Simon acts for clients on complex disputes and investigations, including regulatory enforcement action. Much of his work is with financial institutions (such as retail and investment banks, payment services providers and asset managers), though he also regularly works with financial sponsors and corporate clients.
He works on high-profile matters, and his cases often involve complex financial products or markets, large scale consumer issues, governance and controls (including in areas such as AML/ financial crime, sanctions, cyber-security controls and whistleblowing), or shareholder/ investor and M&A disputes.
Simon likes to work closely with clients facing acute problems to find the best route through their immediate issues and help them deal with the consequences. Typically, those consequences span a number of internal and external stakeholders – including senior management, regulators and customers. He often advises on related governance, management responsibility, culture and controls issues and, increasingly, sustainability including litigation and regulatory risks.
Career
Simon is the co-head of the firm's Financial Institutions Group. He joined Freshfields in 1993 and has been a partner in the dispute resolution practice based in London since 2003.
Publications
Simon was editor of Freshfields' book on UK regulatory investigations, 'Financial Services: Investigations; Enforcement' (third edition).
Chambers Review
UK
Simon Orton is global co-head of the Freshfields financial institutions group. He is regularly sought out by clients with global reach for his experience acting in regulatory proceedings.
Simon Orton has extensive expertise in domestic and international banking disputes. He routinely acts for investment banks in the defence of major cross-jurisdictional claims, as well as advising on contentious regulatory matters.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Simon is a star. He is really good with clients and has a long, deep knowledge of financial services."
"Simon is incredibly sharp and hard-working. He has lots of experience that he draws on to give helpful advice, and he is nice and personable."
"Simon is excellent to deal with, switched on and responsive."
"Simon is an astute litigator who covers all the angles, with impressive commercial acumen."
"Simon has excellent judgement, great intellect and is also very calm."
"Simon is an exceptionally clever lawyer. He is very able and someone who over the years has been a go-to person for banks when things get difficult."
"Simon is a star. He is really good with clients and has a long, deep knowledge of financial services."
"Simon is incredibly sharp and hard-working. He has lots of experience that he draws on to give helpful advice, and he is nice and personable."
"Simon is excellent to deal with, switched on and responsive."
"Simon is an astute litigator who covers all the angles, with impressive commercial acumen."
"Simon has excellent judgement, great intellect and is also very calm."
"Simon is an exceptionally clever lawyer. He is very able and someone who over the years has been a go-to person for banks when things get difficult."
Discover other Lawyers at
Freshfields
London (Firms)
