Adam Greaves

Partner

• agreaves@steptoe.com
• vCard
• London Office

Adam Greaves is a partner in the London office of Steptoe & Johnson, and a member of the litigation practice within the International Dispute Resolution group. He was previously an associate in one of London’s premier litigation practices.

Adam specialises in commercial litigation where he focuses on complex heavy-weight cases, particularly fraud and corruption cases, and multi-jurisdictional disputes principally in the English Commercial Court, including bringing, or defending freezing orders and pursuing asset tracing remedies. The UK Legal 500 and Chambers UK directories both recommend the London fraud practice.

Having recently completed a US$100m London based reinsurance arbitration with colleagues in the firm’s Washington, DC office, Adam is currently dealing with high value shareholders' and trust disputes, warranty claims, professional negligence and property disputes.  He is also assisting colleagues in the US on a multi-national client’s response to a Securities and Exchange Commission subpoena for documents as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption.

Russian dispute work is a significant area of his practice and he continues to advise on a US$50 million arbitration and litigation claims arising out of a dispute within the aluminium industry. With a significant and growing number of Russian contacts and clients, he is also working on Russian investment disputes in several offshore jurisdictions.  The international scope of his practice means that he frequently advises on conflicts of laws and choice of forum.

Adam has twenty years' experience in project management of large multi-jurisdictional disputes, which frequently involve making or defending worldwide freezing injunctions which are then enforced in other jurisdictions, involving teams of lawyers in many countries around the world. Adam has had a particular interest in the Middle East over many years and also more recently Russia and he is a member of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce and the Middle East Association. Other jurisdictions outside the UK with which he is currently working include the USA, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon, Brazil, Switzerland and various off-shore tax havens.  In addition to the insurance/reinsurance industry, he has worked within other industries including telecoms, aluminium, diamonds, construction, Islamic banking, media, information technology, shipbuilding, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, recruitment, investment, property development and accountancy.

Adam is the partner for ethics and conflicts in the London office, and is also the Trainee Solicitor Partner. 

Representative Matters

• Intermet FZCO and others v. ANSOL and others (US$50 million claims for fraud, deceit, breach of trust, dishonest assistance),
• Outhwaite II ( Lloyd's Names litigation), defending claim against Managing Agents by Lloyd’s Names,  
• The Estate of Kamel Abdul Rahman,  a US$125 million  inheritance dispute in Jersey, Channel Islands,  
• Prince Mohamad Bin Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz al Saud v. Said Ayas (alleged fraud of US$220 million)   
• Islamic Investment Company of the Gulf v. Symphony Gems NV and others.  (Islamic finance),
• Dallah Albaraka v. Symphony Gems & Beautiful Diamonds Ltd.(Islamic finance),   
• James McNaughton Paper Industries v. Hicks Anderson (scope of accountants duties),
• Joel v. Langley & Partners (accountants negligence),    
• Chandler v. Brown & Kumar (shareholders/trust dispute),   
• Motorola Credit Corporation v. Uzan (fraud/asset tracing/recovery),  
• Eckersley v. Binnie & Partners (The Abbeystead Explosion),   
• Charterhouse v. Sharp (acted for  insurers in a bankers blanket bond claim),   
• Lonhro v. Fayed (conspiracy),   
• Youell v Bland Welch and Others (“Superhulls”) (insurance brokers duties), and Chrysler Pension Trustees v. Stoltzenberg & Ors. (fraud).
  

Select News & Events

• Adam Greaves on BBC Radio 4
• Question of Privilege

Publications

• Litigation v. Arbitration
  An Update on the Comparative Advantages and Disadvantages
  December 12, 2005, Mealey's International Arbitration Report
• Restatement of the Principle of Remoteness of Loss in Claims for Damages by the House of Lords in Jackson and Another -v- Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  February 4, 2005
• Governing Law Clauses in Morabaha and Ijarah Agreements
  The Court of Appeal's Decision in Shamil Bank of Bahrain Ec -v- Beximco Pharaceuticals Limited and Others [2004] EWCA Civ 19
  2005
• House of Lords Decision on Legal Privilege
  December 22, 2004

Professional Affiliations

• International Bar Association
• Arab-British Chamber of Commerce
• Middle East Association
• Russo-British Chamber of Commerce
• London Solicitors Litigation Association
• Commercial Litigators’ Forum