Lord Goldsmith QC, Chair of Debevoise’s European and Asian Litigation practice, has been shortlisted for Barrister of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2013. His nomination follows his representation of Vincent Tchenguiz in relation to the high-profile SFO investigation into the property tycoon’s business dealings. The High Court handed down its judgment in July 2012, quashing the investigation. Vincent Tchenguiz has since filed a £200 million claim for damages from the SFO and Lord Goldsmith will remain involved in the case, due to be heard in 2014.
Lord Goldsmith’s position as Chair of a leading disputes practice is unique amongst practising barristers. The team in London has grown under his leadership since 2007, growing from one partner to now comprise five partners, two International Counsel and almost twenty associates. The practice spans the full spectrum of white collar crime and investigations, domestic and international litigation (including before overseas courts) and international arbitration. Since joining Debevoise, Lord Goldsmith has appeared before courts in London, Belize, Cayman, BVI, Bahamas, St Kitts & Nevis, Georgia, Gibraltar, Jersey as well as before ICC, LCIA, ICSID and UNCITRAL arbitration tribunals.
Lord Goldsmith joined Debevoise after holding the position of UK Attorney General from 2001–2007, prior to which he was in private practice as one of the country’s leading barristers at Fountain Court Chambers. During this time he was consistently ranked in the top tier of leading silks for commercial litigation and international arbitration. He became Queen’s Counsel in 1987 at the early age of 37 and has judicial experience as Crown Court Recorder and Deputy High Court Judge. He has appeared in many cases in the House of Lords, the Privy Council and the Court of Appeal as well as in courts of numerous other jurisdictions.
More recently, in May 2013 Lord Goldsmith appeared as advocate before the UK Supreme Court to argue a landmark arbitration appeal. In February 2013, he was also instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills on their high-profile Court of Appeal case for property developer Paddy McKillen against the Barclay brothers concerning the £1 billion Mayfair Group of hotels.
Lord Goldsmith has also made several appearances before the courts in Belize; in February 2013 Debevoise became the first non-Caribbean firm on record to argue a case in front of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the final Court of Appeal in the Caribbean, in proceedings for an anti-arbitration injunction initiated by the Government of Belize. More recently, in April 2013 Lord Goldsmith QC appeared in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (St Kitts and Nevis) for the Attorney-General of St Kitts and Nevis in constitutional proceedings brought against the Government by Members of Parliament seeking to carry a motion of no confidence in the Government. An application for an interim injunction was successfully resisted. An application to strike out the claim has been set down for hearing in July 2013.
Debevoise’s London office has one of the strongest and most diverse litigation and international arbitration practices in Europe, comprising experienced advocates with full rights of audience before the superior English courts and litigators qualified in the UK, Europe and the US. The firm assists clients with highly complex, and often multijurisdictional bet-the-company litigation. In addition to bringing and defending claims, Debevoise has litigated cases involving issues of injunctions, arbitration, challenges to jurisdiction and appeals to higher courts around the world.
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