Humphries Kerstetter LLP

The firm

Managing Partner:Joanna Pearson

Senior Partner: Kristopher Kerstetter

Number of partners:6

Number of consultants:2

Number of assistant solicitors:11

Number of other fee-earners:3

Humphries Kerstetter was established in 2009. HK is a heavyweight specialist dispute resolution firm known for its expertise in high-stakes commercial disputes and international arbitration, offering magic circle quality in a boutique setting. The firm has a reputation for handling complex, high-value cases across a range of sectors including financial services, technology, and infrastructure. The team is composed of experienced litigators who offer a strategic and pragmatic approach to dispute resolution. The firm represents both claimants and defendants, providing personalised and high-quality legal services. Its partners are frequently praised for their client-focused solutions, deep industry knowledge. HK has an excellent track record in achieving favourable outcomes for our clients.

Main areas of practice

Commercial Litigation

We have vast experience of court litigation in all levels of the English higher courts. We are also often instructed to manage court litigation relating to international disputes taking place in off-shore or other foreign jurisdictions.

We work closely with our clients in pursuing their commercial objectives in many types of disputes that are subject to court litigation including those that concern:

• Banking and financial services.
• Companies (including shareholders and directors).
• Commercial contracts.
• Competition (private enforcement actions) and group action
• Fraud and corruption.
• IT and technology.
• Pharmaceuticals.
• Licensing and distribution.
• International trade.
• Shipping.
• Insurance and reinsurance.
• Mergers and acquisitions (including claims relating to completion accounts and warranties).
• Funds and private equity.
• Private international law.
• Professional negligence (particularly accountants and lawyers).
• Senior executive compensation and poaching.

International Arbitration

We have extensive expertise in acting for clients in arbitrations under all the major international sets of arbitration rules and involving multiple systems of law or even general principles of international law. We develop global strategies and assemble case-specific teams of sophisticated international lawyers in all relevant jurisdictions to handle the most complex cross-border cases. We also act both for and in opposition to sovereign states. We cover all aspects of international disputes including the enforcement of awards wherever counterparties have their assets.

Our expertise includes advising in relation to:

• Mergers and acquisitions (including completion accounts and warranties).
• Complex sale, licencing and distribution agreements.
• Joint ventures.
• Investment treaty disputes.
• Industrial projects.
• Government contracts.
• Financial instruments.
• International trade.

This experience spans numerous industry sectors including:

• Oil and gas.
• Mining and minerals.
• Defence.
• Pharmaceuticals.
• Shipping.
• Media and telecommunications.
• Financial services.
• International services and consultancy contracts.
• Construction.

Our partners also accept appointments to act as arbitrators in domestic or international commercial disputes.

Collective Redress

HK is a leading London law firm active in ‘class action’ work. Our mandates are typically for businesses and other organisations as claimants against other businesses (although as a firm we remain generally open to acting for claimants and defendants). We work with litigation funders and ATE insurers as appropriate to meet our clients’ requirements and are familiar with market norms for documentation and pricing.

We are currently instructed on behalf of the claimants/proposed class representative in actions concerningGoogleandBlackmore Bond and are actively engaged in a number of further class actions in technology, data and financial services.

HK has an established reputation in this field, being particularly well-known for acting for and ultimately settling the claims of a large group of 700 merchants, local authorities and others in the interchange fees litigation against Mastercard and Visa. The firm has also worked on the investigation or pursuit of class actions involving a range of fraudulent and reckless investment schemes, failed SIPP and property investments, data breaches, failed tax schemes and ‘stock drop’ claims, amongst other work.

We have the legal knowledge, the funding and insurance connections, and the team strength to handle class actions effectively. This means our clients do not need to pay unless and until recoveries are made and only pay out of those recoveries for our fees and all necessary disbursements. We prepare cases to fight to trial but aim to reach earlier settlements in the interests of all concerned.

Investigations

We have performed many internal investigations for clients in a number of sectors. We have advised and represented clients in regulatory investigations and disciplinary and enforcement proceedings such as before the Financial Conduct Authority, the Upper Tribunal and the Financial Reporting Council. We have acted for individuals and institutions in relation to high profile international regulatory investigations including interest rate, FX and overseas corrupt payments.