Expertise

Alex has experience acting for a wide range of clients, including insolvency practitioners, corporates, individuals, family offices, financial institutions as well as governments and public bodies. Alex has led a number of successful cases on behalf of his clients in a wide variety of sectors, securing the recovery of many millions in the process.

Recognition

Alex is recognised in Chambers Global and described as “experienced in complex asset tracing and recovery in insolvency matters. He often acts for liquidators in high-value fraud investigations.”

“Alex is very user-friendly, approachable and engaging.” – Chambers Global Litigation Support

“Alex has a keen ability to remain unflappable in a crisis. I have seen him handle extremely sensitive instructions with imperturbable ease. He’s adept at finding common ground and delivering solutions.” – Chambers Global Litigation Support

“Alex Jay is excellent both in terms of law and client management. A well respected presence on the international insolvency and asset tracing market.” – The Legal 500

“The intelligent and practical Alex Jay brings a calm and methodical approach to complex issues.” – The Legal 500

“Alex is a key player in international fraud. Completely unflappable, marshals his team and liaises very well with counsel and the expert investigators.” – The Legal 500

Alex is also recognised as a Global Elite Thought Leader for Asset Recovery by Who’s Who Legal, who describe him as “an excellent and uber-experienced lawyer” and “a fraud and insolvency litigation expert, and a qualified fraud examiner.” – Who’s Who Legal

Experience

Alex’s recent experience includes acting for:

• liquidators in a claim for over $450m against an offshore bank and high net worth individual, relating to a widespread VAT carousel fraud operation
• bondholders with debt of over $1 billion, in a corporate group that collapsed because of alleged fraudulent business activity
• liquidators of a BVI company, seeking to recover over $800m of investor funds dissipated in a multi-jurisdictional Ponzi scheme
• asset managers with significant holdings worth in excess of £100m, held by a party placed into special administration following an FCA investigation
• a major multinational, defending a claim by liquidators for over £100m relating to a group restructuring and disposal of a lease on landmark London premises
• liquidators of Stanford International Bank, in connection with the second largest Ponzi scheme in history, with creditor-victims of over $7bn
• a sovereign island state, and a major African state, in both cases investigating wide scale corruption and misappropriation of state assets
• a major UAE retail and distribution company in connection with misappropriation of monies and assets within a corporate group
• a variety of Brazilian corporates and insolvency officeholders on asset recovery actions relating to substantial corporate asset stripping, corruption and fraud
• liquidators of UAE entities incorporated in the Dubai International Financial Centre, including obtaining one of the first disclosure orders against former advisers in that jurisdiction

Career

Alex started his career with Eversheds Sutherland in 2004, before joining what is now Gowling WLG in 2008, and becoming a partner of that firm in 2014. He joined Stewarts in 2021.

Alex is also qualified separately as a Certified Fraud Examiner, through global anti-fraud body, the ACFE.

Personal

Alex enjoys most sporting activities, recently tennis and running. He also plays the guitar.

Accreditations and Memberships

• R3: Association of Business Recovery Professionals
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, sitting as a member of the UK board since 2015
• Fraud Advisory Panel
• UK Cabinet Office adviser for fraud on cross-sector advisory group
• The International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators Fellow