Charles Russell Speechlys continues international expansion with the hire of four new partners

Charles Russell Speechlys is delighted to announce the hire of four new partners across four of its offices.

Of the new partners, two will join the firm’s international dispute resolution team, a clear indication of the ongoing commitment to expanding the expertise in key areas of its international disputes practice, especially given the predicted increase in contentious work in the coming months and years due to the current economic challenges. Sara Sheffield joins the Dubai office, Pierre Bydzovsky joins the Geneva office and experienced litigator Ray Ng joins as a Registered Foreign Lawyer in the firm’s Hong Kong office. These hires come after the recent arrival of a new restructuring and insolvency partner, Dimitri Sonier, in Paris at the start of November.

Simon Ridpath, Managing Partner, Charles Russell Speechlys says:

“Despite a challenging year, the firm has navigated through the disruption caused by the pandemic and remains on track with our strategy and these five new hires will increase our capabilities in key growth areas across our international office network. We are delighted to welcome all five to the firm and look forward to working with them as we continue to guide our clients through the challenges that are still to come.”

Patrick Gearon, Head of Global Dispute Resolution group, Charles Russell Speechlys says:

“In the current climate and with an increase in disputes and insolvencies expected, this investment in our global disputes and regulatory capabilities will join up the dots internationally and add major credibility to our current offering as we look to continue to develop our reputation as an international disputes powerhouse. Our new hires will thread together and further develop our international fraud, asset recovery, restructuring, investigations and private wealth disputes expertise.”

Stewart Hey, Head of Fraud, Asset Recovery and Investigations, Charles Russell Speechlys says:

“We are excited to welcome Sara, Pierre, Ray and Dimitri to the firm, given their stellar reputations in our focused international growth areas of Asset Recovery, Fraud, Restructuring, Investigations and Private Wealth Disputes. Their arrivals will add further strength to our existing body of talent, enabling us to provide an enhanced service to our clients seeking seamless strategic disputes advice across a number of the world’s key wealth and financial centres.”

The three disputes hires are:

Sara Sheffield - Dispute Resolution - Dubai

Sara acts in international arbitration and complex litigation in the English High Court, the Dubai International Financial Centre Court and the Abu Dhabi Global Market Court often involving cross-border issues, with a particular focus on financial crime, fraud, asset tracing and recovery, and contentious insolvency. She is dual-qualified in England and Wales and Australia (Queensland) and is registered as a legal consultant in Dubai, the Dubai International Financial Centre and the Abu Dhabi Global Market.

Pierre Bydzovsky – Dispute Resolution - Geneva

Pierre is a banking and commercial litigation expert, with particular experience in white-collar crime cases, mutual assistance proceedings and sports law. He is also active in the areas of insolvency law, employment disputes and data protection. Pierre is President of the Military Court I (the competent court for French speaking Switzerland) and a member of the Swiss Basketball Executive Committee. He will join the firm on 4 January 2021.

Ray Ng - Dispute Resolution - Hong Kong

With over 30 years' experience of handling onshore and offshore disputes in a legal career spanning London, the Caribbean and Asia, Ray specialises in the resolution of complex high value multi-jurisdictional commercial disputes relating to shareholder rights, directors’ duties, corporate governance, cross-border restructuring and insolvency, trusts and commercial fraud. A native English speaker, he also speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and Bahasa and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

In addition to the arrival of the three disputes lawyers, our growth strategy sees the hire of:

Simon Weil - Trusts, Tax and Succession - London

Simon is a highly experienced private client lawyer. He specialises in tax planning, trusts, philanthropy and charities. His expertise also embraces the resolution of potentially contentious issues. These can arise, for both private clients and charities, out of wills, trusts and co-ownership of property. He regularly acts for families and charities with heritage assets and assists them to plan for a sustainable future.

Tobias Niehl – Investment Funds - Luxembourg

Tobias has over 20 years of experience in structuring, setting-up and re-organizing unregulated and regulated investment funds. He advises investment funds and their managers on regulatory topics and spent almost ten years at two Luxembourg management companies, heading the respective legal teams.

Charles Russell Speechlys has today also relaunched in Hong Kong as a foreign registered law firm. After three successful years advising on foreign law in Hong Kong since opening the Hong Kong office in 2017, the move will enable the firm to practise both Hong Kong law and the laws of England and Wales under the Charles Russell Speechlys name in the region. Internationally, the firm retains local practitioners to practice local law as well as English-qualified lawyers to advise on English Law.