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Adam Rizzo

Partner

London

Adam Rizzo is a lawyer in the Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution group. He focuses on commercial disputes, internal investigations and contentious regulatory matters.

Adam is a disputes lawyer with a focus on high-stakes litigation and regulatory enforcement. He handles commercial disputes, internal investigations and regulatory enforcement matters. 

Adam has acted on disputes for a wide range of commercial clients including financial institutions, professional services firms, shipping and technology companies. He has pursued and defended claims (including in arbitration) for clients for breach of contract, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duties, negligence, breach of warranty, breach of confidence and fraud. Adam's cases are international in nature and often arise in an insolvency context in which he regularly assists clients with bringing and defending interim applications, and launching recovery and enforcement actions. 

Adam also conducts internal investigations for companies and boards of directors and has represented companies, firms and individuals in regulatory inquiries and enforcement actions including those brought by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the Insolvency Service and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).  Adam has particular expertise in dealing with internal investigations and regulatory matters which relate to financial reporting, but has also acted in matters in the fintech, invoice finance and asset-based lending sectors. As part of his wider regulatory practice, Adam advises clients on the UK financial sanctions and export controls regime. 

Recognised by Legal 500 as a recommended individual, Adam is described as “efficient and highly personable... excellent at running cases on a day-to-day basis”.

  • Acting for major accounting firms in regulatory investigations and enforcement actions commenced by the FRC.

    Bringing a claim for conspiracy to defraud on behalf of a manufacturing company against its former officers and employees.

    Conducting an internal investigation for a board of directors into the loss of customer digital assets.

    Bringing a claim for specific performance of a contract relating to the purchase and vesting of cryptocurrency assets.

    Defending a claim of breach of contract on behalf of a technology company relating to the creation and development of a securities trading platform.

    Bringing a claim for breach of contract on behalf of a data provider concerning the licensing of information under a data acquisition agreement. 

    Responding to inquiries from and investigations conducted by the SFO (including at the request of the Department of Justice), FCA (including at the request of the Securities and Exchange Commission), Insolvency Service, and the Pensions Regulator on behalf of professional and financial services firms.

    Notable cases include:

    Labrador Marine Corporation -v- Petroserv Marine Inc (CL-2002-000283) defending a claim for payment under a note instrument which was entered into as part of a financial restructuring 

    Carillion plc (in liquidation) -v- (1) KPMG LLP (2) KPMG Audit plc [2020] EWHC 1416 (Comm) in which an application for pre-action disclosure by the Official Receiver was dismissed in its entirety in favour of the client (KPMG).

    Cunningham v Ellis & Others [2018] EWHC 3188 (Comm) in which a £39m claim for conspiracy to defraud was struck out and summary judgment given in favour of the client  (Ernst & Young (EY)) who was appointed by creditors to conduct an Independent Business Review.

    Rentokil Initial 1927 plc v Goodman Derrick LLP [2014] EWHC 2994 (Ch) in which a negligence claim relating to the drafting of a contract for sale of a commercial premises was dismissed on behalf of the client (Goodman Derrick).

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