LONDON (August 19, 2008) – Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP has strengthened its London litigation practice with the addition of three new partners with substantial experience in handling major cross-border litigation.  Solicitors Jonathan Wheeler, Alan Owens, and Kevin Roberts handle cases that touch a broad range of law, both within the UK and internationally – including fraud, insolvency, financial and regulatory matters, antitrust, and civil and criminal investigations.

Steven M. Kaufmann, chair of Morrison & Foerster’s 500-lawyer Litigation Department, said, “As our practice continues to evolve internationally Jonathan, Alan, and Kevin bring impressive cross-border experience in a number of key areas of litigation that mirror our strengths in the U.S., Asia, and on the European continent.  They will bolster our greater European presence and provide us with even greater ability to succeed in complex multi-jurisdictional matters.”

Mr. Wheeler has particular experience handling cases involving international fraud and asset tracing, as well as insolvency and international trust litigation.  He has worked on a number of high-profile fraud and offshore trust cases involving hedge funds, timeshares, and securities trading. Among a long list of cross-border representations, he acted for a member of the Kuwaiti Royal Family in defense of trust assets relating to a complex fraud dating from Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, ultimately leading to the largest fraud case adjudicated by British courts.

Mr. Roberts, a regulatory and white collar crime specialist,represented a pharmaceutical executive in the largest price-fixing case ever brought against British companies by the government’s Serious Fraud Office.  A judge recently threw out the charges against five pharmaceutical companies and their executives.  He also advises clients on the UK’s recently passed Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act, which opens up prosecution and civil damages against companies whose negligence or poor safety standards are alleged to be responsible for any occurrence of loss of life.

Alan Owens is a commercial litigation partner with extensive experience across a wide range of contentious matters, often with a focus on antitrust and financial claims.  He has particular expertise in the area of multi-party litigation.  His recent experience includes acting in a landmark claim for a series of major food producers in pursuit of their claims arising out of cartel pricing; assisting a U.S. hedge fund in bond default claims in Malaysia; acting in a number of important pension fund disputes; acting for a major aviation fuel joint venture in tax-related claims against their transactional advisers; and advising on claims against the European Commission concerning change of import tax tariffs.

Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Roberts are Higher Court Advocates, licensed to argue in all UK courts, including the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords.

“Morrison & Foerster’s strong international presence and in particular the global reach of its litigation practice were obviously strong factors in our decision to join the firm,” said Mr. Wheeler. “We also see an opportunity to help the firm develop its litigation brand here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. Joining a firm of this stature and being in a position to further develop its London practice going forward is an exciting prospect.”

Mr. Wheeler received his B.A. from Exeter University in 1990 and qualified as a solicitor in 1994.  The Chambers 2008guide to attorneys and law firms lauds Mr. Wheeler as being “steeped in expertise in acting for both claimants and defendants.” 

Mr. Owens received his LL.B. from Birmingham University in 1994 and qualified as a solicitor in 1997.  He is a member of the Civil Justice Council, and the advisory group to the Civil Procedure Rules Committee in the UK, and a contributing author to two noteworthy litigation texts, Blackstone’s Civil Practice and Civil Court Service. 

Mr. Roberts received his B.A. from Bristol University in 1990 and qualified as a solicitor in 1995.  He lectures regularly on money laundering, asset recovery, and confiscation issues.  He serves as corporate counsel liaison officer for the International Bar Association’s Business Crime Committee, and treasurer of the European Criminal Bar Association.  Mr. Roberts is a contributing author to the noted legal text Smith, Owen and Bodnar on Asset Recovery.

 All three were previously partners in the London office of British law firm Irwin Mitchell.