Allen & Overy

Managing litigation risk and providing the best dispute resolution solutions

It is no longer true that litigators are only called in when things go wrong.  The traditional role of dispute resolution is changing.  Businesses now need to identify potential areas for dispute at the earliest possible time, and put in place risk management strategies to protect their business and avoid conflict.  So in addition to helping fight their corner, whether in court litigation, international arbitration, regulatory enforcement or mediation, we work at a strategic level with our clients to identify potential issues and manage their litigation risk.  Our clients range from global financial institutions and major international corporates to governments, regulators and state bodies; part of our skill as litigators is carefully to match solutions to our client's particular situation. 

Our dispute resolution practice has an impressive track record of resolving the most complex and high profile disputes in the market.  As a trainee, you will have the opportunity to work on an incredibly broad range of matters.  In addition to our overall Litigation practice groups of Banking & Finance, Arbitration, Commercial or Intellectual Property, we have specialist areas such as fraud, insolvency, insurance and real estate litigation.  You will be researching points of law, drafting witness statements, attending trials at court or before arbitral tribunals and assisting in negotiating settlements between disputing parties.  Trainees are encouraged to manage small matters themselves, with guidance when necessary and may conduct their own advocacy at hearings, if appropriate.  Trainees can also become involved in pro bono work such as death row cases (namely working for Caribbean prisoners to try to get their sentences commuted), and working at the CAB and Battersea Legal Advice Centre.

• We are acting for HBOS in the proceedings brought by the OFT against it, six other banks and one building society in relation to the fairness and lawfulness of unarranged overdraft charges.  A judgement on certain preliminary issues was handed down by the English High Court in April 2008 with an appeal against this judgement scheduled for October 2008.
• We acted for Research in Motion (RIM), the company behind the BlackBerry device, on UK aspects of its worldwide patent dispute with Visto relating to email synchronisation technology, securing victory for the client in the High Court of 28 February 2008.
• We are acting for a Middle Eastern State entity in the second largest (in excess of $500m) international arbitration at the Dubai International Arbitration Centre.
• We are acting for the claimant investor in bringing the first ever Investor-State arbitration claims under the Energy Charter Treaty (and another bi-laterla investment treaty).

You can find more information about the Dispute Resolution practice area on the main Allen & Overy website.