Crowell & Moring’s London Office Gains Three Senior Lawyers

WASHINGTON - Corporate Partner Timothy Leeson Returns to Crowell & Moring

Crowell & Moring LLP has added three senior lawyers to its London office, expanding its corporate practice and boosting its regulatory and corporate crime capability. Timothy Leeson, who is a former Crowell & Moring counsel, rejoins the firm from Lawrence Graham LLP to become a partner in the Corporate Group. The new hires also include senior counsel Anne Davies and counsel Fiona Simpson, who join from the law firm Vizards Wyeth and will strengthen the office’s international regulatory, fraud, and corporate crime practice.

“The additions of Tim, Anne, and Fiona demonstrate Crowell & Moring’s ongoing commitment to the UK market and our belief that London will play an important role in assisting many of our international clients through these challenging times. We are very pleased that Tim chose to return to Crowell & Moring, where he has outstanding relationships with many of our transatlantic clients. Additionally, the additions of Anne and Fiona will boost our regulatory and corporate crime practice to a powerhouse team that is already involved in high-profile cases throughout the UK,” said Crowell & Moring chairman Kent A. Gardiner.

Leeson’s practice involves the full range of M&A work, more recently focusing on corporate finance, investment and restructuring work and acting for private investment firms. As to sector experience Leeson has for many years acted in the TMT and defence sectors, and is well-known in those fields.

His previous experience also encompassed four years at an internationally-recognised New York firm specialising in high-profile private equity work. He acted as co-lead EMEA corporate counsel on the WorldCom Chapter 11 proceedings and also on the restructurings of Global Crossing and British Energy.

“Crowell & Moring offers my clients a premier international brand, together with a talented Corporate Group from which we can provide consistently high quality legal services with the efficiency and value that are particularly important in tough market conditions,” said Leeson.

Davies and Simpson will join the firm’s White Collar & Securities Litigation Group, where they add depth to the extensive regulatory expertise at the London office. Davies advises companies on health and safety, product liability, environmental and corporate governance matters relating to safety. She has particular experience in construction; agriculture and food sectors and also in sports and leisure claims. She defends both companies and individuals on health and safety work prosecutions, as well as prosecutions for gross negligent manslaughter following accidents at work.

Davies also advises both companies and individual directors on their civil and criminal liabilities arising out of investigations by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Food Standards Agency, and other regulatory bodies. Her client work includes representing McDonald’s in the “Hot Drinks” litigation in Sam Bogle & Others v McDonald’s Restaurants (2002). Davies received her LL.B from University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. In addition to White Collar & Securities Litigation, Davies will also be a member of the firm’s Product Risk Management (PRM) practice. This will enable clients to benefit from UK, US and European experience in areas such as product and food liability where the reach of the US authorities is increasingly affecting UK businesses.

Simpson’s practice focuses on commercial dispute resolution, with a specific emphasis on civil fraud and professional discipline. She advises corporations, financial institutions, and individuals on commercial litigation matters and has particular experience in resolving contractual, shareholder and partnership disputes in many jurisdictions; bringing professional indemnity claims for and against surveyors, solicitors, accountants and insurance brokers; advising on corporate and personal insolvency; acting on lease and trade finance disputes and intellectual property litigation. She also advises on Financial Services Authority (FSA) and The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) regulations and the requirements imposed on organizations by the Money Laundering legislation. In addition, she has mediation experience and is a member of the Law Society’s Panel of Intervention Agents. Simpson received her Common Professional Examination and Law Society Finals from The College of Law in Chester.

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with more than 450 lawyers practicing in litigation, antitrust, government contracts, health care, corporate, intellectual property and a variety of other practice areas. More than two-thirds of the firm’s attorneys regularly litigate disputes on behalf of domestic and international corporations, start-up businesses, and individuals. Crowell & Moring’s extensive client work ranges from advising on one of the world’s largest telecommunications mergers to representing governments and corporations on international arbitration matters. Based in Washington, D.C., the firm also has offices in New York, London, Brussels, Los Angeles, and Orange County, CA. Visit Crowell & Moring online at www.crowell.com.

Source: Crowell & Moring LLP

Jessica O’Neil of Crowell & Moring LLP, +1-202-508-8750, joneil at crowell.com