Jonathan is a Partner with expertise in banking and finance disputes, financial services regulatory investigations and enforcement, civil and criminal fraud, and financial crime. He frequently acts in complex high stakes and/or multi-party, multi-jurisdictional disputes which involve a combination of these complimentary areas of specialism. 

Jonathan is frequently called on to resolve disputes in the crypto sector and heads up our crypto disputes team which handles a wide range of disputes between crypto market counterparties, crypto enterprises and investors and to protect the interests of crypto enterprises and crypto entrepreneurs from interest by criminal and regulatory authorities.

His work in the financial crime sector involves protecting the interests of corporates and individuals in relation to investigations and prosecutions concerning money laundering, fraud, bribery and corruption, and international sanctions.

Featured Experience

• Acting for Gavin Black, former Deutsche Bank derivatives trader, from 2013 to 2022 ultimately securing his acquittal on criminal charges in the US in which it was alleged that he was a co-conspirator in a scheme to manipulate the LIBOR interest rate. Our instructions involved representing Mr Black through long running investigations by UK, German, and US regulatory and criminal authorities and acting in a co-counsel role with Levine Lee LLP in criminal proceedings in the US. Read the case report.

• Acting for Stuart Forsyth, former CEO of a mutual insurer, in successfully overturning, in the Upper Tribunal, a decision of the FCA and PRA to prohibit him from working in the regulated sector. The case was the first time the PRA had appeared in the Upper Tribunal. Both the FCA and PRA were heavily criticised for their disclosure failings and were required to remediate their processes. Read the case report.

• Acting for the owner and operator of a crypto wallet business in an s.994 unfair prejudice claim. The case involved a number of novel elements including the determination of the interaction between the unfair prejudice regime and derivative actions which was determined in the Court of Appeal. Read the case report.

Endorsements

• "Brilliant leader" - Legal 500 London, 2024 Edition, Financial services: Contentious