+44 (0)20 7148 7800
2020 Legal 500 Rankings Reflect Breadth of Dispute Resolution Expertise at CYK
LinkedIn
Twitter
Email
Print“A raft of highly motivated and experienced litigators operating in a tight-knit, boutique firm”
“An ‘innovative firm that is known for taking on some of the toughest opponents and the hardest cases against the biggest City firms’.”
1 October 2019
The leading legal directory the Legal 500 has just published its guide to the UK legal profession for 2020 with enhanced rankings for CYK’s range of dispute resolutions services.
Receiving a broad range of positive comments, the guide reflects the evolution of CYK’s practice in recent years to offer a full range of dispute resolution expertise:
“While specialist disputes boutique Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP has built a strong reputation for acting against banks, the firm has looked to diversify its offering in recent years, with claims against banks now making up a much smaller part of its civil fraud practice. The firm has a track record of work for clients in sectors including financial services, mining, commodities IT and energy; areas of expertise include injunctive relief, including Norwich Pharmacal, search and seizure orders and freezing injunctions.”
All the firm’s partners receive praise from the Legal 500, and senior associates Arish Bharucha and Sam Roberts are mentioned for the first time as ‘key lawyers’.
Other comments from interviewees say that CYK “takes on complex, commercial litigation and gets excellent results without fuss or waste” and that it is “dedicated to achieving the correct result for the client, and it really works as a team”. The guide also says “clients also praise the high level of partner engagement at the City boutique that specialises in complex and high-value commercial and financial dispute resolution. It’s specialist focus means it is free from conflicts of interest.”
The firm’s rankings as a ‘leading firm’ are listed below, and can be seen on the Legal 500 website here.
LONDON: CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL
FINANCIAL SERVICES: CONTENTIOUS
Financial services: contentious – ranked: tier 4
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP
Boutique disputes firm Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP specialises in payments services issues and contentious broker work for institutional and retail clients. Stephen Elam is a key name in this area and has a particular focus on matters involving complex financial products. The firm has been acting for former Bank Julius Baer employee Yoshiki Ohmura in claims brought against him by UK fund manager FM Capital Partners, in connection with a portfolio of assets owned by a Libyan sovereign wealth fund.
Other key lawyers: Stephen Elam
TESTIMONIALS
‘Brilliant team at the absolute top of their game’
‘They are city quality with a more reasonable price tag and everyone who works there is highly personable’
‘A raft of highly motivated and experienced litigators operating in a tight-knit boutique firm, freed from the problems of client conflicts but with an absolute determination to deliver a first class service and at a reasonable cost’
‘Truly specialists in the area of taking on banks ‘
‘Stephen Elam is thoughtful and considered’
WORK HIGHLIGHTS
- Representing Grove Park Properties in a claim against RBS which includes allegations that RBS materially altered a loan agreement without Grove Park’s consent.
PARTNERSHIP
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP
Disputes boutique Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP handles the spectrum of contentious partnership work across a wide range of industries. In particular, the team has experience in matters relating to allegations of fraud against the partnership by members, misappropriation of partnership assets, breach and enforcement of restrictive covenants. Clients include partnerships, LLPs, LPs and their members. Lydia Danon leads on partnership-related work, and is supported by Sinead O’Callaghan, whose clients include a mixture of high-net-worth individuals and hedge funds.
Other key lawyers: Lydia Danon; Sinead O’Callaghan
TESTIMONIALS
‘They are direct and straight to the point; they are very perceptive and understand the strategic context of their advice rather than pure tactical points, making them more likely to achieve their outcomes.’
‘Sinead O’Callaghan is excellent as the partner. She offers sage advice and is very perceptive about the course of a dispute.’
‘Lydia Danon is an excellent technical lawyer with an understanding of what is important to her clients and likely to be achievable in a settlement.’
KEY CLIENTS
Infund LLP
Corplaw Management
Pearse Trust International
WORK HIGHLIGHTS
- Advised on a US$2bn dispute against one of the world’s richest men and Grupo Mexico, a Forbes-listed company.
- Act for one partner in a substantial £835m dispute involving allegations of fraudulent misappropriation of partnership assets by another partner.
- Representing clients in claims of more than £29m, based on breach of partnership fiduciary obligations and fraud, against a financial institution in liquidation.
- Act for a former senior level equity partner of a well-regarded LLP in the legal sector focusing on contentious work who was the respondent in an injunction application brought against him by the LLP after he gave notice of his intention to retire from the LLP.
LONDON: CRIME, FRAUD AND LICENSING
FRAUD: CIVIL
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP
While specialist disputes boutique Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP has built a strong reputation for acting against banks, the firm has looked to diversify its offering in recent years, with claims against banks now making up a much smaller part of its civil fraud practice. The firm has a track record of work for clients in sectors including financial services, mining, commodities IT and energy; areas of expertise include injunctive relief, including Norwich Pharmacal, search and seizure orders and freezing injunctions. Key partners include firm founders Philip Young and Marc Keidan, Daniel Burbeary, ‘real fighter’ Sinead O’Callaghan and Lydia Danon, who is praised for her ‘impeccable legal instincts’.
Other key lawyers: Marc Keidan; Philip Young; Lydia Danon; Daniel Burbeary; Stephen Elam; Sinead O’Callaghan; Arish Bharucha; Sam Roberts
TESTIMONIALS
‘Notable for a high level of partner engagement and truly excellent associates’.
‘Philip Young has an unerring eye for the real issues in a case and drives litigation forward in a lean and efficient manner to achieve excellent results’
‘Daniel Burbeary is measured, considered and effective’.
‘Sinead O’Callaghan is a real fighter; she takes a case by the scruff of the neck and shakes out the good points’.
‘Marc Keidan is excellent at the business of law and litigation’.
‘Sam Roberts is a brilliant and highly competent senior associate’.
‘Lydia Danon has impeccable legal instincts.’
‘Stephen Elam leaves no stone unturned’.
‘Philip Young has a huge intellect and is knowledgeable both about the law and the facts of the case’.
KEY CLIENTS
CMOC Sales & Marketing Limited (part of China Molybdenum mining conglomerate)
Infund LLP, Corplaw Management Ltd, Pearse Trust International Ltd and Hector Garcia
Mr Yoshiki Ohmura; a highly skilled designer of structured products and CEO of a Swiss financial services company
Mr Victor Baldorino, Mr Richard Bennett and Mr Julian Mantell
Grove Park Properties Ltd
WORK HIGHLIGHTS
- Represented CMOC in the High Court in a substantial cyber fraud case involving over 80 parties, 25 jurisdictions and at least 30 banks.
- Advised on a $2bn dispute against one of the world’s richest men and Grupo Mexico.
- Defending Yoshiki Ohmura in claims for fraud and bribery brought against him by FM Capital Partner, a UK fund manager for a Libyan capital investment fund, in complex Commercial Court proceedings seeking over $30m in total against the defendants.
- Acting for three individuals in defence of a claim for over £40m relating to their roles in a successful management buy-out of a company in 2009.
- Representing Grove Park Properties Ltd in a claim against RBS for more than £16m which includes allegations that RBS materially altered a loan agreement without Grove Park’s consent
LONDON: DISPUTE RESOLUTION
BANKING LITIGATION: INVESTMENT AND RETAIL
Banking litigation: investment and retail – ranked: tier 3
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP‘s ‘team comprises a raft of highly motivated and experienced litigators operating in a tight-knit, boutique firm’. The specialist disputes boutique is highly rated for financial dispute resolution and, free of conflicts of interest, it regularly acts against many financial institutions that other firms cannot act against. Philip Young focuses on substantial fraud-related cases, including those requiring urgent injunctive steps, and Marc Keidan is particularly focused on disputes in the financial sector. Also highly regarded are Sinead O’Callaghan, Stephen Elam, Daniel Burbeary and senior associate Sam Roberts.
Other key lawyers: Philip Young; Marc Keidan; Sinead O’Callaghan; Stephen Elam; Daniel Burbeary; Sam Roberts
TESTIMONIALS
‘Freed from the problems of client conflicts, which bedevil its city firm peers, but with an absolute determination to deliver a first-class service and at a more reasonable cost, the lawyers are also out-and-out specialists in taking on the banks in banking litigation mis-selling claims.’
‘Marc Keidan is a force of nature, who is irrepressibly energetic, absolutely determined to find the right strategic solution, and hugely client focused. He is also ever-sensitive to the client’s commercial – and cost – needs.’
‘Sinead O’Callaghan is calm, level-headed and hardworking.’
KEY CLIENTS
CMOC Sales & Marketing
Grove Park Properties
WORK HIGHLIGHTS
- Acted for Grove Park Properties (GP) in a claim against RBS, which included allegations that RBS materially altered a loan agreement without GP’s consent.
- Acted for CMOC Sales & Marketing in the High Court in a substantial cyber fraud case, which involved over 80 parties, 25 jurisdictions, and at least 30 banks.
COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
Commercial litigation – ranked: tier 3
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP ‘takes on complex, commercial litigation and gets excellent results without fuss or waste’. Clients also praise the high level of partner engagement at the City boutique that specialises in complex and high-value commercial and financial dispute resolution. It’s specialist focus means it is free from conflicts of interest. Philip Young is a specialist in dispute resolution involving commercial and corporate matters, fraud, banking, partnerships, and insurance; Marc Keidan is well known across the high-end commercial disputes market; and Sinead O’Callaghan is particularly focused on the financial sector. Stephen Elam, Daniel Burbeary and Lydia Danon are also key litigators, and Arish Bharucha is an experienced senior associate.
Other key lawyers: Philip Young; Marc Keidan; Sinead O’Callaghan; Stephen Elam; Daniel Burbeary; Lydia Danon; Arish Bharucha
TESTIMONIALS
‘Extremely efficient and good at mastering the facts and legal principles involved in the cases they act in. They are particularly good at assisting counsel in conducting trials’.
‘They are soon going to be too big to be called boutique! It is a full-service commercial disputes practice that stands out for its rigorous approach’.
‘Philip Young is one of the main engines of the practice; he is very strong on the facts and the law as well as on strategy, and he is always able to see the bigger picture’.
‘Marc Keidan shows a particularly proactive approach and has a wealth of experience. He is great at producing creative ways to address unusual procedural situations and has a great instinct for what approach is most likely to succeed at hearings’.
‘Sinead O’Callaghan is a superb litigator, with a focus on delivering the commercial outcome required by clients’.
‘Lydia Danon is very impressive; she breeds confidence with her intelligence, eye for detail and excellent commercial awareness, and she has a determination and work effort that she puts on the line for clients’.
‘Senior associate Arish Bharucha is a standout’.
KEY CLIENTS
CMOC Sales & Marketing
Grove Park Properties
Eastern European Engineering
India Infrastructure Finance UK
SWP Group
WORK HIGHLIGHTS
- Acted for CMOC Sales & Marketing in the High Court in a substantial cyber fraud case involving over 80 parties, 25 jurisdictions and approximately 30 banks.
INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION
International arbitration – ranked: tier 6
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP is ‘an impressive disputes boutique with some excellent up-and-coming arbitration practitioners making a name for themselves in complex international disputes against much bigger opponents’. It specialises in commercial and financial disputes, and the practice is generally free of conflicts of interest. Daniel Burbeary is particularly noted for matters involving China, Russia and the CIS region, and Marc Keidan and Sinead O’Callaghan are also active practitioners. Arish Bharucha is an experienced senior associate.
Other key lawyers: Daniel Burbeary; Marc Keidan; Sinead O’Callaghan; Arish Bharucha
TESTIMONIALS
‘It is an absolutely client-oriented firm’.
‘Daniel Burbeary is a future international arbitration leader, who works closely with clients to identify the optimal legal and commercial strategy’.
‘Marc Keidan is friendly but on the ball, and always resources matters appropriately’.
‘Senior associate Arish Bharucha is an excellent technical lawyer, who makes a real contribution to the team’.
KEY CLIENTS
Eastern European Engineering
India Infrastructure Finance Company (UK)
LONDON: INSURANCE
PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE
Professional negligence – ranked: tier 5
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP
Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP is ‘dedicated to achieving the correct result for the client, and it really works as a team’; it has a ‘raft of highly-motivated and experienced litigators operating in a tight knit, boutique firm’; and it is an ‘innovative firm that is known for taking on some of the toughest opponents and the hardest cases against the biggest City firms’. The team is increasingly involved in high-value and complex disputes involving bankers, other financial sector professionals, accountants and architects. The team represented two high-net-worth individuals in a £3.5m professional negligence claim against their former financial advisors. The team is ‘not afraid of thinking outside the box and pushing the boundaries of the law, if this is in the client’s interest’.
Practice head(s): Marc Keidan
Other key lawyers: Sinead O’Callaghan; Stephen Elam
TESTIMONIALS
‘Marc Keidan is a real team player, very pleasant to work with, is bright and wholly committed to getting the right result for the client.’
‘Marc Keidan is excellent and goes the extra mile.’
‘Sinead O’Callaghan is very good with clients.’
‘The key strength of this team would seem to be the leadership of Marc Keidan; he is a confident litigator with sound judgement, and the quality and degree of his engagement and the supervision of his team makes him stand out.’
‘Marc Keidan is adept at tailoring the approach to the case to the client’s needs and requests.’
‘Marc Keidan is a force of nature; he is irrepressibly energetic, absolutely determined to find the right strategic solution, hugely client focused and ever sensitive to the client’s commercial needs.’
‘Lydia Danon is a superb litigator; extremely diligent, responsive and client focused, she is someone you want on your side.’
‘Sam Roberts handles extremely complex work with ease.’
WORK HIGHLIGHTS
- Representing a client in relation to individual and proposed collective actions in relation to selected retail CFD brokerage firms.
- Acted for property developers on a substantial interest rate swaps mis-selling matter against a major Swedish Bank
- Represented a claimant suing Bank of Scotland for the mis-selling of a complex financial derivative product.
- Acted for a commodities and FX broker on a claim by a former customer arising out of the client’s close-out of the customer’s trades and termination of its user agreement.
- The team is instructed by an AIM-listed natural resources company in a seven-figure professional negligence claim against international insurance broker.
