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Andrew Smith

Partner
Andrew is highly responsive, tenacious and has strong technical and communication skills.
— Chambers and Partners 2024
LondonManchester
About
Leading litigation and arbitration lawyer advising on major corporate and commercial disputes, including defending clients against group actions, with a particular emphasis on M&A/transactional claims and joint venture/shareholder disputes.

Andrew is co-head of DLA Piper's International Corporate Disputes group, and has over 20 years’ experience of working closely with clients to resolve difficult issues within complex corporate structures. His work spans several sectors, with a particular emphasis on Real Estate and Private Equity, but also including Energy, Life Sciences, Manufacturing/Industrials and Retail.

Based in London and Manchester, Andrew also heads up the North West Litigation & Regulatory team across the Manchester and Liverpool offices. Although based in the UK, the outstanding global platform offered by DLA Piper means that many clients and mandates are international. 
Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and InvestigationsReal EstatePrivate EquityCorporate and Securities DisputesEnergy and Natural ResourcesConsumer Goods, Food and Retail

EXPERIENCE

  • Acting for a private equity client and its directors on a highly involved and complex GBP100m shareholder dispute involving claims of unfair prejudice, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud.
  • Representing a global Real Estate management firm in a substantial dispute with its joint venture partner.
  • Working with a big six energy supplier for over 15 years, dealing with a full range of contractual and commercial disputes, including defending a potential group action valued by claimant law firms at over GBP2bn.
  • Acting for a leading private equity and property manager for over 10 years on multiple post-transaction claims for breach of warranty/covenant, earn-out disputes, misrepresentation and fraud.
  • Representing a US-based shareholder in parallel court and arbitration proceedings in the UK and US in connection with an acrimonious company law dispute.

Education

    Prior Experience

    • Corporate and transactional disputes, including helping to resolve complex issues between investors, shareholders and joint venture partners
    • Electricity and gas supplier disputes
    • Commercial litigation and arbitration in relation to breaches of warranty/contract, fraud and other torts (including defamation)
    • Advising on and enforcement of corporate restrictive covenants
    • Obtaining and enforcing injunctions and freezing orders

    My latest insights

    Publication

    Unfair prejudice: a powerful but remote remedy

    17 April 2023 .4 minute read

    Publication

    Johnson v Eastlight: Another important judgment on de minimis threshold in data protection...

    17 November 2021 .12 minute read

    Publication

    High Court criticises claimant law firm for seeking to load a compensation claim for a...

    1 August 2021 .6 minute read

    View All

    Connect

    Phone

    +44 (0)7968 559 315
    (Work, London)
    +44 (0) 333 207 7690
    (Work, Manchester)
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