Lawrence is a widely experienced lawyer with expertise in complex national and multi-jurisdictional matters predominantly concerning the formation and performance of contracts, and, as required, dispute resolution and commercial litigation.
He has dealt with substantial matters in terms of value and complexity, including acting for major banks, corporations and high-net-worth individuals nationally and in various parts of the world, including in particular in Europe, the Middle East, South-East Asia and Africa.
Lawrence has achieved notable success in some of the largest contentious cases both in England and Wales and abroad.
Expertise
- Litigation
- Dispute resolution
- Commercial fraud
- Breach of fiduciary duty and dishonest assistance
- Professional negligence
- Contested trusts
- Contested wills
- Contested probate
- Inheritance disputes
- Domicile disputes
- Commercial contracts
- Complex negotiation and drafting
Experience
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
- Acted for defendants in their successful defence of claims of dishonesty brought against them by the London Borough of Lambeth in respect of substantial building works.
- Acted for Octav Botnar of Nissan UK in the settlement of major Inland Revenue claims.
- Successfully acted on the appeal of one of the defendants in the major case of Grupo Torras v Al-Sabah and others.
- Acted for 10 years on a retainer for FIFA and Seb Blatter.
- Acted for one of the defendants in the case of Otkritie International Bank v Georgy Urumov and others.
- Acted for the claimant in the major case of Rosserlane and Swinbrook v Credit Suisse.
- Acted for an oligarch defendant in a major arbitration concerning shares in the Russian company which became known as MegaFon Russia.
- Successfully acted for a defendant in defending a claim for fraud brought in France.
- Acted for a claimant property company in respect of breaches of fiduciary duty, dishonest assistance and undue influence by managing agents.
- Acted for various hotels claiming on negligence claims against brokers in respect of lack of or inadequate insurance cover for business interruption.
- Acted on various private client substantial claims concerning the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and associated matters.
- Acted on funding for SmartFlash technology Limited in respect of major claims to be brought by that company in the United States.
HNW Individuals and Family Offices
- Acted for defendants in their successful defence of claims of dishonesty brought against them by the London Borough of Lambeth in respect of substantial building works.
- Acted for Octav Botnar of Nissan UK in the settlement of major Inland Revenue claims.
- Successfully acted on the appeal of one of the defendants in the major case of Grupo Torras v Al-Sabah and others.
- Acted for 10 years on a retainer for FIFA and Seb Blatter.
- Acted for one of the defendants in the case of Otkritie International Bank v Georgy Urumov and others.
- Acted for the claimant in the major case of Rosserlane and Swinbrook v Credit Suisse.
- Acted for an oligarch defendant in a major arbitration concerning shares in the Russian company which became known as MegaFon Russia.
- Successfully acted for a defendant in defending a claim for fraud brought in France.
- Acted for a claimant property company in respect of breaches of fiduciary duty, dishonest assistance and undue influence by managing agents.
- Acted for various hotels claiming on negligence claims against brokers in respect of lack of or inadequate insurance cover for business interruption.
- Acted on various private client substantial claims concerning the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and associated matters.
- Acted on funding for SmartFlash technology Limited in respect of major claims to be brought by that company in the United States.
Hotels, Hospitality & Leisure
- Acted for a substantial London hotel group in respect of funding.
- Acted for a major US hotel seeking to expand into the UK and Europe.
- Acted in respect of the development of various hotels (including applications for planning permission).
- Substantial commercial drafting of contracts for dealers in art including with major art auction houses, such as Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Philip’s.
Financial Services
- Acted for defendants in their successful defence of claims of dishonesty brought against them by the London Borough of Lambeth in respect of substantial building works.
- Acted for Octav Botnar of Nissan UK in the settlement of major Inland Revenue claims.
- Successfully acted on the appeal of one of the defendants in the major case of Grupo Torras v Al-Sabah and others.
- Acted for 10 years on a retainer for FIFA and Seb Blatter.
- Acted for one of the defendants in the case of Otkritie International Bank v Georgy Urumov and others.
- Acted for the claimant in the major case of Rosserlane and Swinbrook v Credit Suisse.
- Acted for an oligarch defendant in a major arbitration concerning shares in the Russian company which became known as MegaFon Russia.
- Successfully acted for a defendant in defending a claim for fraud brought in France.
- Acted for a claimant property company in respect of breaches of fiduciary duty, dishonest assistance and undue influence by managing agents.
- Acted for various hotels claiming on negligence claims against brokers in respect of lack of or inadequate insurance cover for business interruption.
- Acted on various private client substantial claims concerning the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and associated matters.
- Acted on funding for SmartFlash technology Limited in respect of major claims to be brought by that company in the United States.
Middle East
- Acted for major water companies in Israel.
- Acted for major agricultural irrigation companies in Israel.
- Acted for a number of Kuwaiti clients on various commercial matters.
- Successfully acted on the appeal of one of the Kuwaiti defendants in the major case of Grupo Torras v Al-Sabah and others –widely reported in the press and other publications.
- Acted to secure Israeli funding for substantial art purchases.
Africa
- Acted for Finance Bank of Zambia until its sale to Atlas Mara.
- Acted for a substantial Zambian national in respect of matters arising in Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Acted for a substantial client in respect of oil and gas investment in Ghana.
- Acted for an Israeli company making investment in Ethiopia.
- Acted for clients regarding claims following their investment in a substantial development in Mombasa, Kenya, which failed.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Career
Lawrence qualified as a solicitor in 1972. Prior to joining Keystone Law, he worked at the following firms:
- Ince & Co
- Gordon Dadds LLP
- Cartier & Co
- Salter Cartier & Co