Stewarts Law is noted for its expertise in high-value international and domestic commercial litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. The firm is a conflict-free litigation only practice and therefore, is trusted by major City, US and other international law firms to act for their clients.

Stewarts Law has significant expertise in pursuing and defending substantial multi-jurisdictional and domestic claims where emergency injunctions have been sought or defended, including:

Asset-freezing injunctions (pre and post judgment)
Search orders
Disclosure orders (including against third parties such as banks)
Delivery up orders
Gagging orders
Computer searches
Delivery up of passports orders
Breach of confidence injunctions

The firm has a wealth of experience acting as Supervising Solicitors in the execution of search and doorstep delivery up orders. Stewarts Law's Partner, Clive Zietman, leads the Supervising Solicitor team alongside Partners Jane Colston and Sean Upson, both formerly of the "highly rated" litigation boutique, Masseys LLP.

The firm has offices in London and Leeds and its search team consists of eight experienced solicitors. Members of the team are accustomed to dealing with multi-site searches across the UK and at short notice. A female member of a search team is often required by the Courts and Stewarts Law can field a mixed team of female and male solicitors who are experienced in acting effectively as Supervising Solicitors and executing search orders.

To speak with a member of the team, or to seek advice in relation to applying for or defending a search order, please call or email one of the Partners via their contact details below.

Clive Zietman
Partner
Direct Dial: +44 (0)20 7822 8075
Email: czietman@stewartslaw.com

"Stewarts Law LLP is becoming an increasingly strong presence in general commercial litigation. Its expanding practice was significantly bolstered by the arrival of Clive Zietman ..." The Legal 500

Clive Zietman is head of the Commercial Litigation department at Stewarts Law. Clive deals with heavyweight commercial litigation often involving fraud and banking and usually with an international dimension. He has supervised and executed over 40 search orders. These have involved a very broad range of disputes including employment, copyright and fraud issues and Clive has been appointed by both the large City firms as well as smaller practices.

Clive has acted in two very high profile search and seizure cases. He supervised the search order in the Formula 1 stolen secrets action instigated by Ferrari against McLaren and also supervised a five day search order obtained by Elton John following the theft of personal documents and information concerning his financial affairs. Clive is noted for taking a very forthright and practical approach to search orders and, together with his team, has had to face and deal with some extremely challenging situations over the years.

Jane Colston
Partner and Solicitor-Advocate
Direct Dial: +44 (0)20 7822 8186
Email: jcolston@stewartslaw.com

"noted for.. the expertise of the 'tenacious and 'analytical' Jane Colston" The Legal 500

The "tenacious and analytical" Jane Colston has a wide-ranging domestic and international litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution practice which includes banking disputes, company, joint venture and partnership disputes, breach of directors' duties, and commercial fraud. All of her commercial litigation is in the High and Appellate Courts. Many of her cases have been large, even by Commercial Court standards, and many have been reported.

Jane has acted for numerous corporate victims of fraud and has extensive experience of forensic investigations most of which have involved working with teams of investigators and accountants, as well as coordinating lawyers in multiple jurisdictions to trace and freeze assets. She has acted in numerous major business-related disputes, many involving interlocutory applications for freezing, disclosure, and delivery up injunctions.

Jane has been appointed to act as Supervising Solicitor in numerous search orders and is accustomed to dealing with multi-site searches in substantial fraud claims. She has recently supervised a 16 day long search order on premises including domestic and business premises, which involved the seizure of a significant amount of documentation and computer imaging in relation to a £100m mortgage fraud case.

Sean Upson
Partner and Solicitor-Advocate
Direct Dial: +44 (0)20 7822 8187
Email: supson@stewartslaw.com

"Clients consider Sean...to be outstanding" The Legal 500
"Hot 100 2008" The Lawyer

The Legal 500 has described Sean Upson as a "rising star" and commented that "clients consider [him] to be outstanding" and that "he is highly praised for the quality of his work on high value matters". He was also named by The Lawyer as one of the "Hot 100 2008" lawyers. This annual review highlights 100 "lawyers who have had excellent years and who look set to continue their run of form."

Sean specialises in domestic and international disputes including banking, contract, tort and insolvency litigation. He has significant expertise in pursuing and defending large multi-jurisdictional and domestic commercial fraud claims, including claims in deceit, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, directors' misfeasance, and breach of trust. Sean has considerable experience of forensic investigations, most of which have involved working with teams of investigators and accountants, and co-ordinating lawyers in multiple jurisdictions to trace and freeze assets. Sean is part of the search team at Stewarts Law and is experienced in handling and executing search orders.

Jonathan Sinclair
Partner
Direct Dial: +44 (0)113 222 0029
Email: jsinclair@stewartslaw.com



Jonathan heads the Commercial Litigation team in Leeds. He has been consistently recognised as a leading practitioner in the field and has more than 25 years experience in dealing with a wide range of complex disputes. Before joining Stewarts Law, Jonathan was firmwide head of Commercial Litigation at Eversheds. He has acted for many leading companies on major matters including banking disputes, warranty claims, commercial fraud cases and competition investigations. Many of these have had an international dimension.

Jonathan acted on the first dawn raids under the Competition Act 1998 and subsequently led the defence team for Akzo Nobel's subsidiary Akros Chemicals. The disputes over the status of documents in this case are the subject of the current high profile case in the European Court of Justice concerning legal privilege for in-house lawyers. The Court of First Instance (now the General Court) criticised the European Commission for the approach and procedures it adopted on the raid. Jonathan is part of the search team at Stewarts Law and is experienced in handling and executing search orders.