London is Europe’s financial capital. So back in 2019, when Alston & Bird were looking to find a European hub where we could expand our finance practice, it was obvious that we would open an office in London. Our London office now serves clients throughout both the UK and the continent in a range of matters related to payments and fintech, capital markets, M&A deals, new market entry, restructuring, insolvency, bankruptcy, debt finance, real estate, and tax.
Our team of London-based attorneys, whose numbers have grown more than seven-fold since the office opened, have negotiated contracts across the payments ecosystem, assisted in the rollout of new payment products, negotiated payment service agreements, restructured finance receivership arrangements, defeated a takeover attempt in the securitisation market by a well-known corporate raider, and secured a resolution to a high-profile structured finance dispute.
Our London-based litigation practice has helped clients through dispute resolution, arbitration, mediation, and, when necessary, litigation. We have worked with clients in complex commercial and investment arbitration matters, negotiated fintech disputes, defended clients facing charges of flawed crypto algorithms, and represented clients accused of fraud. Our work has spanned such industries as oil and gas, telecom, mining, energy, and, of course, financial services. Many of these matters have been cross-border as well as cross-continent, involving cases in Asia and Africa. And not surprisingly, given the prominence of our clients and the landmark nature of the cases, many of these matters have received considerable press attention.
Many of the cases our UK team work revolve around developments in technology, from new electronic payment platforms to data protection, from custody services related to cryptocurrency assets to e-commerce payments, and from AI-related issues to blockchain-based loyalty programs.
And our work on these matters not only involves clients on both sides of the payment chain but also requires us to work closely alongside partners in other London-based firms as well as in jurisdictions across the continent and in the United States.
Alston & Bird’s London office remains a growing but niche practice within the overall firm—as it was intended to be. Focused primarily on corporate work, finance, and litigation, we’ve built a robust, dynamic, nimble, but focused team, with roots and connections not only in the UK but throughout Europe and the rest of the world.