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Morrison Foerster Recognized in The Legal 500 UK 2025

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Morrison Foerster has once again been named a leading law firm by The Legal 500 UK in its newly released 2025 edition. MoFo’s...

About Morrison Foerster

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Morrison Foerster has once again been named a leading law firm by The Legal 500 UK in its newly released 2025 edition. MoFo’s London office received 15 practice rankings and 43 lawyer recommendations across various practice areas. The Legal 500 UK ranks and recommends law firms and lawyers in the UK based on feedback from in‑house clients and The Legal 500’s independent research.The firm was again recognized across the following practice areas:<ul><li>Corporate and Commercial: Corporate tax</li><li>Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+</li><li>Crime, Fraud and Licensing: Fraud: civil</li><li>Dispute Resolution: Banking litigation: investment and retail</li><li>Dispute Resolution: Commercial litigation: premium</li><li>Dispute Resolution: International arbitration</li><li>Employment: Employers</li><li>Finance: Acquisition finance</li><li>Finance: Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans</li><li>Finance: Debt capital markets</li><li>Risk Advisory: Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity</li><li>Risk Advisory: Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)</li><li>TMT (Technology, Media and Telecoms): Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design</li><li>TMT (Technology, Media and Telecoms): IT and telecoms</li></ul>Additionally, Morrison Foerster gained two new practice area rankings in the latest edition:<ul><li>TMT (Technology, Media and Telecoms): Media: Digital content & social</li><li>Industry Focus: TMT</li></ul>Among the 43 lawyer recognitions by The Legal 500, Jonathan Wheeler and Ben Summerfield were recognized as Leading Partners for Dispute Resolution: Commercial litigation: premium, while Chiraag Shah was named a Leading Partner for Dispute Resolution: International arbitration. Oliver Spratt was recognized as a Next Generation Partner in the Employment: Employers category. Partner Hayley Ichilcik also earned a Next Generation Partner ranking in Risk Advisory: Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates), while of counsel Mercedes Samavi was named a Leading Associate for Technology, Media and Telecoms: IT and telecoms.As a preeminent global law firm, Morrison Foerster’s London group boasts both UK- and U.S.-qualified lawyers who work with clients on complex, cross-border transactions and help them resolve some of the biggest disputes across multiple jurisdictions. With deep roots in the tech sector, the group advises multiple dynamic tech companies on strategic matters that are shaping the future of technology. Working alongside colleagues in the United States and Asia, the London group is able to draw on cultural, jurisdictional, and market knowledge to deliver the best-tailored advice and client service with a global approach.To view the complete list of Morrison Foerster’s rankings in the 2024 edition of The Legal 500 UK, please visit <a href="https://www.legal500.com/c/london/" target="_blank">the publication’s website</a>.

Morrison Foerster Recognized in The Legal 500 UK 2025

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Jonathan’s focus is on complex cross–border disputes. He has conducted court proceedings, arbitrations, and mediations on behalf of many international clients, and his experience includes general commercial disputes, international fraud and asset tracing, investigations, international trust litigation, and contentious insolvency. He is a Higher Court Advocate in England.Recognised as a leading individual in the Legal 500 UK 2024, Jonathan is described as “exceptional,” with “[…] a superb sense of tactics.” “He is a litigator at the top of his game, focused, available, and respected by clients and counsel alike.”

Jonathan Edward Wheeler

Partner

Ben Summerfield is a partner and Litigation Office Head for our London office.Ben advises clients on complex, high-value, cross-border commercial disputes. He represents clients in major litigation before the English courts and regularly manages the strategic coordination of litigation in other jurisdictions. Ben also regularly acts as lead counsel in international arbitrations.“[A] high-class litigator,” an “excellent tactician and strategist,” and “a powerhouse of a lawyer,”. Ben has been ranked as a Leading Individual for Commercial Litigation for five consecutive years in the Legal 500 UK. He “controls matters at a strategic level with good commercial judgement and creative thinking, while always finding time to be on top of the detail of the legal and factual issues. An all-round star performer who inspires trust and confidence in clients and barristers alike.”Ben is considered to be “an extremely knowledgeable, dynamic litigator” and “he does not miss a trick. He has a lot of insight and is someone you really want as part of a team.”In addition, clients say that “Ben is an exceptional partner [who is] extremely bright and quick thinking with good judgement. While he has a good instinct, he backs that up with detailed research and careful thought. He is a good strategist and tirelessly promotes the interests of his clients going above and beyond in order to deliver a premium service.” Ben has also been described in the Legal 500 and Chambers directories as “very switched-on,” “wise beyond his years,” “bright, responsive and keen to get into the detail,” and “manages his team well, so as to bring out the best in everyone and ensure that the task at hand is completed efficiently. He is very determined in finding solutions and is a very versatile and strategic thinker. He is also good fun to work with, which is essential in difficult and intensive situations.".Before joining Morrison Foerster, Ben was a partner and co-chair of the commercial disputes group of another global law firm.Ben is qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales.

Ben Summerfield

Chiraag Shah is an international disputes partner in the London office of Morrison Foerster. He has over 2 decades of experience representing clients in domestic and cross-border disputes including commercial and investor-state arbitrations around the world. Chiraag also has significant experience of cross-border multi-jurisdictional commercial litigation and sanctions related disputes.Recognised in the Arbitration Powerlist: UK, Chambers UK and as a leading individual in the Legal 500 UK, Chiraag is ‘commended for his ability to handle disputes involving the engineering and technology sectors. Recent work includes advising on proceedings related to arbitral awards, as well as ICC and SIAC arbitrations.’. Clients describe him as “breathtakingly hard-working and as a result provides exceptional results for his clients. He always has a good sense of what is best to do. He has dealt with so many arbitrations he knows exactly how it works.” “He is very responsive and provides excellent guidance and advice… is very conscientious and a pleasure to work with.” “He is cool, calm and collected... and in control all of the time.”Chiraag is dual-qualified (Kenya and England and Wales) and has represented clients in disputes in Africa and the Middle East across a range of sectors. His ‘on-the-ground experience both in Kenya (and other African jurisdictions) and the UK make him an ideal choice for disputes straddling both jurisdictions. Very well networked.’.<h4 dir="ltr">Select Experience:</h4>Arbitration<ul><li>Advising a European client in ICC Arbitration proceedings relating to sanctions compliance issues. English law applied, venue: London</li><li>Advising a Singapore headquartered commodities trader in ICC Arbitration proceedings against one of its suppliers. English law applied, venue: London</li><li>Advising a Mauritian consortium in relation to an LCIA arbitration and subsequent court proceedings in England relating to the acquisition of a Madagascan power company.</li><li>Advising a Middle Eastern entity in a SIAC arbitration relating to a joint venture project involving a telecommunications investment in Myanmar. Singapore law applied, venue: Singapore.</li><li>Advising an Israeli listed company in an ICDR Arbitration against a global distributor of medical devices regarding the distribution of high dependency units in the United States. Delaware law applied, venue: London.</li><li>Advising a Hong Kong based investment and brokerage firm in an ICC arbitration relating to post-acquisition indemnity claims arising out of the acquisition of a brokerage business. Hong Kong law applied, venue: Amsterdam.</li><li>Advising an Indonesian power company in connection with a SIAC arbitration relating to a joint venture agreement with a foreign investor, including related regulatory proceedings in Singapore. Singapore law applied, venue: Singapore.</li><li>Advising a North American Pension Fund in relation to ICC and HKIAC arbitration proceedings against Chinese entities regarding breaches of a shareholders agreement.</li><li>Advising a Chinese investor in ICSID arbitration proceedings against a European state relating to the expropriation/nationalization of assets during the economic crisis.</li><li>Advising a Middle Eastern company in an ICSID investment treaty arbitration against an Asian state relating to treaty breaches and the expropriation of investments.</li></ul> Commercial Litigation<ul><li>Advising one of the world’s leading internet streaming providers in English High Court proceedings against an AI Bot service provider</li><li>Advising a client in a multi-faceted cross-border dispute spanning numerous jurisdictions arising out of an East Asian telecoms project</li><li>Advising the bondholder creditor committee in relation to various disputes in respect of the Steinhoff Group of companies.</li><li>Advising a Qatari investor in relation to expert determination proceedings in respect of a hotel development project in Egypt.</li><li>Advising a Middle Eastern entity in relation to a customs automation project and related disputes in a West African state.</li><li>Advising an Asian consortium in relation to investment claims and boundary disputes arising out of an infrastructure project in South America.</li><li>Advising a German based manufacturer in relation to ADR and court proceedings arising out of the supply of aeronautical components to an East African based airline company.</li></ul>

Chiraag Shah

Oliver Spratt is Of Counsel based in the London office of Morrison Foerster. He advises domestic and international clients on the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious employment law issues. Oliver works with clients across a range of industry sectors on employer/employee issues arising throughout the employment lifecycle from recruitment to termination. Described by clients as "exceptional: extremely responsive, commercial and pragmatic, he quickly became a trusted advisor".He regularly works alongside colleagues in the corporate, TTG and finance teams where he advises clients that are undertaking complex corporate transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and business restructuring, on employment issues, as well as advising companies on the employment aspects arising out of major initiatives, such as global outsourcing projects, restructurings and global policy changes.Much of Oliver’s work involves advising international clients on cross-border employment matters, and he has significant experience working with local employment counsel to deliver commercial and pragmatic solutions to a broad range of multi-jurisdictional employment law issues.On the contentious side of his practice, he has experience of representing employers in the Employment Tribunal, defending sensitive, high-value claims, such as unfair dismissal, discrimination, and breach of contract. In February 2019 Oliver represented the respondent care home in the matter of Shannon (Appellant) v Rampersad and another (T/A Clifton House Residential Home) (Respondents), which was heard before the UK Supreme Court. Oliver has advised clients on matters involving the misappropriation of confidential information by current and former employees and breaches of restrictive covenants.In the past, Oliver has been seconded to two multinational businesses – one in the oil and gas sector and another in the technology sector.Oliver has produced and delivered training on various employment law issues and has had articles published in the Employment Law Journal. In August 2020 he was a member of the UK Employment Lawyers’ Association working party responding to the recent government consultation on the potential changes to the law surrounding support for victims of domestic abuse in the workplace. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oliver has provided strategic advice and training to a number of clients on the employment law challenges faced by employers across the globe. Oliver has an extensive pro bono practice, and he sits on the Royal Courts of Justice Citizens Advice Bureau’s Service Delivery Committee.Oliver is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales.<h4>Representative Experience </h4><h5>Non-Contentious</h5><ul><li>Acting as principal employment law adviser to a global manufacturing client on employment aspects of its acquisition of another global business. The acquisition impacted 1,300 employees across 13 jurisdictions, and involved the automatic transfer of employees pursuant to the Acquired Rights Directive and equivalent laws outside the EU. </li><li>Advising a Fortune 500 manufacturing client on the employment aspects of two global outsourcing projects valuing in excess of $600m. </li><li>Advising a global manufacturing company on the enforceability of a ‘global’ IP and non-complete agreement across 47 different jurisdictions. </li><li>Advising a global insurance company on a complex collective redundancy process, including advising on the process for the election of employee representatives and drafting communications with employees and representatives. </li></ul><h5>Contentious</h5><ul><li>Acting for the respondent care home in the matter of Shannon (Appellant) v Rampersad and another (T/A Clifton House Residential Home) (Respondents), which was heard before the UK Supreme Court in February 2019. The decision of the Supreme Court, which was handed down on 19th March 2021, finding in the respondent’s favour, is the leading authority regarding the application of the National Minimum Wage legislation to employees who are permitted to sleep while at work.</li><li>Advising a global bank on its successful defense of a complex, high-value and highly sensitive whistleblowing claim in the UK Employment Tribunal. </li><li>Advising a global oil and gas company on the successful mediation of claims of sex and maternity discrimination, which had been brought by an employee in the UK Employment Tribunal. </li><li>Advising a medical software company on the protection of sensitive and confidential information unlawfully taken by a former employee for the purposes of aiding a competitor. </li><li>Advising a global digital payments company on a sensitive investigation following allegations of race and age discrimination by a former employee.</li><li>Advising a number of well-known employers on senior employee exits.</li></ul>

Oliver Spratt

Of Counsel

Hayley specializes in representing financial institutions, corporate clients and senior individuals in highly sensitive litigation, regulatory enforcement matters and internal investigations. She is Head of Morrison Foerster’s European Compliance Practice and regularly advises clients in relation to their compliance program and diligence of third parties.Hayley has advised clients facing parallel enforcement actions in multiple jurisdictions and those facing parallel criminal, regulatory and civil litigation. Hayley has advised clients on diverse matters across Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa in the banking/financial services, energy, chemicals, construction/engineering, manufacturing and technology industries. She is also a member of our global ESG + Sustainability steering committee.In addition, Hayley has an active sanctions practice and frequently guides clients through complex UK financial sanctions and export control issues, including making license applications and interfacing with the Office of Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development office (FCDO).Hayley has been recognized as a Next Generation Partner and described in the Legal 500 UK as “…massively experienced with an enormous breadth of knowledge when dealing with the most complex cross-border regulatory investigations. She combines an excellent intellect with really practical application. Top quality.” “She’s a very able lawyer whose commercial practice covers a wide range of areas, and she’s adept at each of them; she’s clever, tough, charming and a delight to work with. Clients love her, as does her legal team: she provides encouragement, reassurance and adept handling of the most difficult case. First-rate.”Hayley is also recognized in Chambers UK, with clients commenting on her ability to “combine strong communication skills with excellent legal expertise. She is a strong collaborative partner to work with… she is ridiculously hard-working and has great judgement on how to cut through everything. She is a great person to have on your side.” Hayley was named by Global Investigations Review (GIR) to its list of Women in Investigations in 2021.Hayley was formerly an Investigative Lawyer at the Serious Fraud Office in the UK.

Hayley Ichilcik

Mercedes Samavi is a member of both the Technology Transactions Group and the Global Privacy Group.She advises domestic and international clients in relation to commercial contracts, tech licensing, digital regulatory compliance, outsourcing, and M&A and investment deals. As part of her privacy work, Mercedes advises clients on a spectrum of complex privacy compliance matters, ranging from developing global and pan-European privacy programmes and strategies, responding to regulatory requests and investigations and implementing data protection contractual arrangements. In the words of her clients, “Mercedes Samavi is incredibly responsive and a dream to work with. Nothing is ever too much trouble, she will always go the extra mile to ensure the client’s needs are met, and her legal expertise is exceptional and her advice always delivered in a practical, realistic way for the client.” (Legal 500 UK).In addition, Mercedes is involved with the firm's extensive pro bono practice and has worked for a variety of clients, including UK and international charities, third sector organisations and social impact businesses. Her pro bono work has been recognized by Morrison Foerster, which awarded her the 2019 Kathi Pugh Award for Pro Bono Service.She has also spent six months in each of the firm's Singapore and DC offices, as well as providing support on multiple client secondments across a a wide variety of sectors.﻿Mercedes is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales. She is fluent in Farsi.

Mercedes Samavi

United Kingdom