Charles Russell Speechlys strengthens Middle East presence with strategic Partner appointment in Dubai

Charles Russell Speechlys today announces the appointment of Partner, Jonathan Huth, who joins the Firm’s Litigation team in Dubai. Jonathan joins from Howard Kennedy, where he led the Middle East practice, and his arrival marks the tenth international Partner to join the Firm this year.

Jonathan is an accomplished lawyer with a practice that focuses on cross-border investigations, disputes, judgment enforcement, asset recovery, financial crime and whistleblowing, and regulatory enforcement matters for clients based in the UK, Europe, and Africa. He has extensive knowledge of the financial sector, with experience in handling matters related to securities and financial fraud market manipulation, including foreign exchange, benchmark and Libor manipulation, bribery and corruption, money laundering and financial fraud. His professional background is varied – prior to his time in private practice, Jonathan was a senior in-house counsel at HSBC in London in the global investigations group and previously served as a Senior Trial Attorney for the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Jonathan’s clients include high net worth private clients, sovereign governments, corporations, well-known C-suite executives in East Africa and the Middle East, as well as individuals in the global financial services sector in the EU, UK and US often with a reputation management component.  He is uniquely positioned as a US-qualified lawyer to bridge a gap between US-facing regulatory and due diligence matters, investigations, and matters involving high risk jurisdictions in emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa.

Stewart Hey, Partner and Divisional Managing Partner of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution division, comments:

As our focus on international expansion continues to grow, particularly in the financial crime and investigations space, a hire of Jonathan’s calibre will serve to strengthen our global capabilities as a division around the world, including the US and the Middle East.

Patrick Gearon, Partner and Head of the Middle East practice, comments:

Jonathan’s arrival is a significant boost to our Middle East practice. His extensive network and expertise in the region will significantly deepen our engagement with UHNW individuals and multi-national corporations facing cross border disputes.

Jonathan Huth, Partner, adds:

Charles Russell Speechlys provides an exceptional platform for my practice, with a strong international reputation in areas and jurisdictions that align with my interests, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. I look forward to working with the Firm to leverage these synergies, expanding existing client relationships and strategically targeting complex disputes and investigations, reputation management, cross-border matters, asset recovery in sectors such as financial services, mining, and energy to provide creative solutions for corporations, sovereign governments, individuals, and private clients.

Jonathan is admitted to the Washington DC Bar and US federal courts.