Counting domestic clearing banks and international financial institutions, challenger banks and alternative providers in the fintech sector among its key roster of clients, Addleshaw Goddard’s finance disputes practice is fully embedded in niche areas, including asset finance, regulated lending, and digital assets. Praised as an ‘outstanding operator’, Harold Brako leads the team and has demonstrable experience in banking, asset-based lending and receivables financing disputes, often involving cross-border elements. Legal director Helen Collinge is a ‘fantastic source of knowledge’ when advising on recovery, enforcement and fraud actions involving factoring, invoice discounting and asset finance, while managing associate Ashlee Simms is praised as a ‘star of the future’.

DLA Piper’s ‘versatile team’ has stellar experience advising on mandates concerning retail banking and payment services, spanning credit card processing, merchant acquiring and consumer credit for high-street banks, challenger banks, fintech payments providers and specialist consumer credit providers. Other key areas of expertise include asset and aviation finance. In Manchester, co-chair of the firm’s international payments group Stewart Plant, who is ‘a recognised name in the field’, jointly leads the practice alongside Liverpool-based John Gollaglee, who specialises in corporate investigations. Praised for his ‘strategic instincts’, senior associate Benjamin Fellows is another key contact in the Manchester office.

Praised for its ‘intellectual capacity to assess the most complex cases and the “street fighter” tenacity to drive a case through to a successful outcome’, TLT has ‘established itself as a go-to adviser for retail banking disputes’, with demonstrable experience advising on title rectification mandates. Other key areas of expertise include contentious FS investigations and secured litigation, in addition to contentious regulatory mandates. ‘King of title rectification’ James Chadwick leads the team and has considerable experience in retail banking litigation, as well as advising UK lenders on issues affecting their portfolios. Key contacts in the group include Roisin McGlinn, Chantal Peters, Steve Walpole and Sonjia Taylor, who is ‘an unsung, technical standout in secured lending’.

Praised as ‘responsive and supportive, offering valuable advice’, DWF boasts impressive experience in FCA-regulated motor vehicle recoveries matters, acting for leading motor finance providers, motor deals and credit intermediaries on mandates associated with the commission mis-selling wave. Other key areas of expertise include cyber and data privacy disputes in the financial services sector, in addition to asset finance litigation. Motor finance specialist John Perez jointly leads the team alongside Ritchie Irvine, who has experience in asset finance disputes, fraud cases and mis-selling actions. Senior associate Mahesh Vara is another key contact in the team, while Ben Johnson left to Squire Patton Boggs in March 2023.

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP houses a ‘strong banking litigation practice in the North West with experienced and capable lawyers offering a high-quality service’. Based in Manchester, the team regularly collaborates with the firm’s offices across the UK to advise on high-value, and often cross-border cases concerning retail finance, investment mis-selling, asset finance, professional negligence and invoice finance. Practice head James Southworth ‘offers commercially astute advice’ to major investment, corporate and retail banks, while principal associate Lindsey Roberts ‘provides strategic and valuable input’ when handling banking and financial services disputes.

Hill Dickinson LLP’s finance litigation practice excels in mandates concerning asset-back lending, including invoice discounting and receivables finance, with key clients including Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance, Bibby Financial Services and Mitsubishi HC Capital UK, among others. ‘Subject-matter expert’ Sharon Williamson leads the team and handles a broad range of finance disputes, in addition to litigation relating to fraudulent transactions. Other key contacts in the group include Iain Campbell, who focuses on CCA regulated matters, and senior associate John Quicler.

The financial services litigation practice at Squire Patton Boggs advises lenders in high-value professional negligence claims, in addition to acting for financial institutions in PPI and investment mis-selling disputes. Noted for its cross-border capability, the team is also well-placed to collaborate with the firm’s pensions group when representing trustees, employers and representative beneficiaries across a range of disputes. Following the retirement of Anthony Taylor in April 2022, directors Peter Lees and Mike Caird, who handle professional negligence claims, jointly lead the practice. Lee Norman and Ben Johnson joined the team from DWF in December 2022 and March 2023 respectively.