About
Stewart specialises in complex, high value international disputes and investigations, often involving allegations of fraud, dishonesty and corruption across a wide range of sectors. His work regularly involves conflicts of law, urgent court action to protect assets and evidence, asset recovery and tracing, and contentious insolvency issues, across civil, criminal and regulatory proceedings and investigations.
He is a member of the International Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Experience
Stewart spearheads the Charles Russell Speechlys Fraud and Investigations Group. His specialist areas include:
- Complex and high value international fraud disputes in numerous geographies including the US.
- Investigations involving allegations across the spectrum of dishonesty including fraud, dishonesty and corruption for some of the largest corporations in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
- Leading a team advising Joint Official Liquidators in connection with the world’s largest Ponzi Scheme before the Cayman Courts (c.$330Bn) which also involves US bankruptcy Ch15 recognition and use of powers to gather evidence and recover assets for the benefit of creditors.
- Serving as an external administrator (now Liquidator) to Awal Bank BSC (formerly in Administration, now in Liquidation), as appointed by the Central Bank of Bahrain in a multi-billion dollar alleged fraudulent scheme of arrangement involving a large number of inter-related cases in various jurisdictions, where Stewart leads the teams dealing with US and Cayman issues.
- Leading a successful defence of individuals/entities in relation to a prosecution by the SFO relating to payments surrounding a multi-billion USD sales of defence equipment to the Middle East.
- Leading a team advising the Central Bank of Bahrain that forged new US Bankruptcy Ch11 law in the US against a backdrop of acting as External Administrator to a Middle Eastern Bank (in administration) and currently retaining US Ch15 recognition.
- Advising joint-venture entities involved in a dispute relating to a West African mining project valued at between $800m-$1.5Bn.
- Advising one of the world's largest pharmaceutical wholesalers in a complex multi-jurisdictional letter of credit fraud focussed on various jurisdictions in Europe, US and APAC.
- Advising a world famous academic institution in relation to an investigation relating to bribery and corruption in the Middle East.
- Advising international investors in relation to an investigation concerning corruption relating to a government contract for clearance of land mines in North Africa.
- Advising a large US Corporate purchaser of a UK business in relation to an associated fraud upon that UK company’s company pension scheme.
