Alexander Shirtcliff
Partner
Contact details
Alex Shirtcliff is a joy to work with.
Alex is a Partner in our London litigation group with extensive experience of domestic and international cases.
Main areas of practice
In the past five years he has conducted cases across seven jurisdictions with over US $9bn in contention. With a focus on pursuing or defending assets in complex civil fraud situations, Alex has pursued his clients’ interests in the UK, BVI, Cayman, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Gibraltar, France, Spain and multiple U.S. states. He has multi-case driven expertise in crypto asset litigation.
Clients
Alex has acted for energy majors, technology companies, African mineral resource investors, international law firms and individuals with enterprise-level disputes.
Expertise
- Civil Fraud and Asset Recovery
- Corporate & Shareholder Disputes
- Crypto Assets
- International Litigation
- Litigation & Dispute Resolution
- Privy Council
Career
Alex qualified in 2006 with Blake Morgan legacy business, Tarlo Lyons, and re-joined the firm after five years at global litigation firm, Kobre & Kim, in 2020. He was admitted in the BVI in 2017.
Contact details
Significant Experience
- Successfully resisting application to enforce Californian award in the UK on public policy grounds. The award, if enforced, would have stifled client's claim against global Crypto business, "Kraken" the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The claim against Kraken may now continue. Payward & others v Chechetkin [2023] EWHC 1780 (Comm).
- Acting for UK consumer in holding jurisdiction in Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (UK) case against global Crypto business, "Kraken". Chechetkin v Payward Ltd and others [2022] EWHC 3057 (Ch).
- Sophisticated crypto investor in asset recovery claim against operator of alleged Decentralised Autonomous Organisation.
- Global conglomerate in invoice fraud / business email compromise litigation.
- Energy major in defending against enforcement of fraudulently obtained US $9bn judgment.
- Ultra high net-worth individual in defence against unlawful business interference by high-profile aggressor.
- Global technology business in High Court litigation against part sovereign-owned commodities trading business. Appeal currently pending in the Supreme Court.
- Ultra high net-worth individual in pursuing lawyers for fraudulent misuse of client funds.
- Victim of joint venture >US$50m fraud concerning West African mineral rights business.
- Ultra high net-worth individual in defamation case against major U.S. based global publication.
- Liquidator of Asian sports broadcasting business in investigating company assets.
- Investment Bank in developing claims against opponent’s evasion of >US$50m Arbitration award.
- Trustee in bankruptcy in investigating Jersey trust assets.
- Defendants of Madoff “Ponzi” scheme BVI litigation in Privy Council appeal.
- Liquidators in Bermudian appeal to the Privy Council in Saad Investments / Singularis v PWC.
- Singaporean offshore oilrig warehousing business in multi-US$m asset finance claim.
- Private equity firm in multi-US$m aviation sector M&A dispute.
- Major London casino in multiple claims against delinquent gaming debtors, frequently involving recovery of international assets.
- Fast Moving Consumer Goods business in responding to anti-trust merger inquiry.
Quotes
Insights by Alexander
case-studies
Jurisdiction of the English Court held over important crypto asset case based on UK financial services legislation overriding a U.S. law and arbitration clause.
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In an ‘English legal first’, the High Court of England and Wales has granted permission to a claimant to serve proceedings on "Persons Unknown" by way of a Non-Fungible Token...
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The UK Supreme Court has confirmed, in the recent important decision of FS Cairo (Nile Plaza) LLC v Brownlie [2021] EWCA Civ 996 ("Brownlie 2"), that it will take an...
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