Chris Webber
Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
T +44 20 7655 1655
chris.webber@squirepb.com
Chris Webber specialises in resolving complex business and finance disputes and regulatory investigations. He is a trusted adviser to clients including financial services firms, corporates, entrepreneurs and investors.
Chris is recommended in The Legal 500 UK for commercial litigation, banking litigation and contentious financial services matters. Clients have described Chris as “very smart, strategic and not intimidated by opponents”; “thoughtful, proactive and productive in finding solutions to complex challenges”; “technically smart, pragmatic and strategic”; “sensible, commercially minded and legally robust”; “he has an excellent understanding of FCA matters…approachable and user friendly. First- rate”; “a masterful technical lawyer who delivers consistently exceptional service” and is “organized, supportive, and intelligent”.
Representative Experience
Commercial Disputes
- Acting for a major multinational US food products manufacturer in the defence before the High Court and Court of Appeal of a €40 million contractual claim by a Netherlands-based competitor. Our team was shortlisted for Commercial/Corporate Litigation Team of the Year at the Legal Week Commercial Litigation and Arbitration Awards for its work on this groundbreaking case.
- Acting for a Middle Eastern public body in defence of a US$48 million claim involving parallel proceedings in the UK and New York courts in relation to a consulting services agreement with a US-based consulting firm.
- Acting for the founders of a claims management company in a professional negligence claim against former advisers in relation to a £30 million sale of the business to a UK private equity fund.
- Advising an Eastern European conglomerate in relation to complex multijurisdictional claims against its founder, auditors and various other parties arising from the discovery of €2 billion misstatements of the group’s accounts.
- Acting for an international renewable energy development company in defence of a €5 million claim by a technical advisory firm under a memorandum of understanding relating to the development of energy projects in Greece.
- Acting for an international sports advertising company based in the UK in pursuit of a £4 million claim and subsequent enforcement action arising from a breach of contract claim against a BVI and Singapore-based online betting company.
- Acting for a European art collector in defence of a claim for a multimillion-pound commission in relation to the US$250 million sale of a famous work of art.
Company and Shareholder Disputes
- Acting for a high-growth UK adtech company in high-stakes LCIA arbitration proceedings against a venture capital investor arising from a fund raising round and related consultancy services agreement.
- Acting for a co-founder and substantial minority shareholder in a software company in a circa £20 million complex cross-border derivative claim against the directors following a sale transaction to a related party at an undervalue.
- Acting for a major property developer in defence of a £18 million dispute arising from the expulsion of a member of a limited liability partnership established to develop a £75 million gross development value UK residential development site.
- Acting for a party to a shareholder dispute in relation to the management of a UK-based hedge fund and related enforcement of a US$5 million judgment of the Seychelles courts.
- Acting for an international flexible office space provider in defence of multiple investment mis-selling claims brought by shareholders in relation to investment activities totalling £15 million.
- Acting in defence of derivative claims brought by a Middle Eastern property investment firm in relation to an AIM-listed UK luxury property developer.
Financial Services Disputes
- Acting for a limited partner in a US$1.5 billion private equity fund in respect of US$200 million claims arising from the mismanagement of the fund.
- Acting for the founder of a care home group in defence of £30 million restitution claims brought by the FCA, involving allegations of operating unauthorized collective investment schemes and breaches of sections 89 and 90 of the Financial Services Act 2012.
- Acting for a commercial property development company borrower in a multimillion-pound dispute with its mezzanine lender following the declaration of a “material adverse change” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Acting for a major international broker dealer firm in a €130 million claim against another financial institution arising from the negligent close out of over €4 billion of derivative contracts.
- Acting for an FCA regulated alternative investment fund management firm in defence of several hundred mis-selling claims totalling circa £10 million by investors in a collapsed retail investment bond issuer.
- Acting for a global investment bank in a dispute with a Middle Eastern bank arising from a default under a US$1.2 billion credit default swap forming part of a restructured SIV.
- Acting for counterparties to derivative contracts in claims for more than US$40 million due on early termination following insolvency.
- Acting for a pension fund in obtaining and executing multiple freezing, search and passport confiscation orders in support of US$40 million civil fraud proceedings in Florida.
Regulatory Investigations
- Advising a wealth management firm and two of its senior executives in FCA enforcement investigations relating to its self-invested personal pensions management business.
- Advising an FCA regulated alternative investment fund management firm in relation to a substantial section 166 “skilled person” review and remediation project in relation to its systems and controls.
- Advising an international flexible office space provider in relation to an FCA investigation into its UK investment capital raising activities.
- Acting for an international debt advisory firm in relation to an Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) investigation into alleged frontrunning of an AU$10 billion swap transaction.
- Advising the UK branch of an EU-headquartered commercial bank on an internal investigation in response to FCA enquiries regarding potential anti-competitive conduct in the UK syndicated lending market.
- Acting for an AIM-listed renewable energy company in defence of an investigation into alleged breaches of AIM rules arising from multimillion-pound related party lending transactions.
- Advising an international broker dealer firm in relation to an FCA investigation into substantial alleged breaches of CASS (client money) rules.
- Acting as an FCA approved “skilled person” on two major past business review and redress programmes in respect of sales by a commercial bank of interest rate hedging products.
- Acting for a statutory body in a judicial review brought by more than 200 financial services firms challenging an exercise of its powers.
- Advising a large retail bank in relation to an FCA supervised past business review and redress programme for PPI products.
Recognitions
- Shortlisted as a Rising Star at the Legal Week Commercial Litigation & Arbitration Awards 2019
- Recommended in The Legal 500 UK for banking litigation – investment and retail; commercial litigation; and contentious financial services