Adam Rizzo

Partner

London

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

Adam is a disputes lawyer with a focus on high-stakes litigation and regulatory enforcement. He represents clients in investigations and enforcement proceedings brought by various regulators including the Financial Reporting Council, Financial Conduct Authority, Serious Fraud Office and the Insolvency Service. Adam also conducts internal investigations for companies and boards of directors and advises clients in the technology, energy and finance sectors on the UK financial sanctions regime. As part of his wider commercial disputes practice, Adam acts on disputes for professional services firms, financial institutions and technology companies.

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”.

  • Responding to inquiries from 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.

    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.

    Notable cases include:

    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 the shareholders of an engineering company was struck out and summary judgment given in favour of the client (Ernst & Young (EY)).

    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).