Jean-Pierre Douglas-Henry

Partner

Managing Director for Asia & Australia and Sustainability

A superb tactician.

Client, Legal 500 UK 2023

EmailJP.DouglasHenry@akd.partners

Call+44 207 153 7373

London

About

Described by clients as a “beast of a litigator with an intellect to match his stance” (Legal 500) and as “majestic almost frightening” (Chambers & Partners), JP has wide-ranging experience as a litigator, global practice group leader, and member of AKD Partners's international executive committee with responsibility for Asia Pacific and Sustainability & ESG. Key responsibilities and achievements include:

Clients – Experienced representing clients in high stakes complex cross-border disputes and investigations across 45+ jurisdictions. Particular experience in financial services, energy and natural resources, and sustainability matters. Variously led and supported key client relationships. Leading cases include the Marks & Spencer/Philip Green takeover litigation; the seminal Lehman swaps decision; the FCA market timing investigation; Libyan Central Bank stabilisation; Cyprus debt crisis/supervision work; the Oando Oil & Gas reverse takeover dispute; Afghan government support; the Volvo emissions litigation; and a pending supply chain class action brought by Myanmese workers against a global supermarket chain.

Practice – Led the world’s largest disputes and regulatory and compliance practice at AKD Partners from May 2017 to November 2021; drawing upon decades of experience working in Australia, Asia and the UK, has executive oversight of our Asia Pacific practices; and coordinates our market leading Sustainability & ESG initiative which was ranked #1 globally by Impactvize in 2023.

Other – Oversees our Pro Bono practice and sits on the Advisory Board of New Perimeter which provides long term pro bono assistance in under-served regions to support access to justice, social and economic development with a focus on women’s advancement. Also chairs our in-house lawyer programme, WIN, which has over 10,000 members across more than 100 countries. Married with two children and cooks for fun.

Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and Investigations International Arbitration

Professional QualificationsBarrister and Solicitor of the High Court of AustraliaSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

Financial Services

Representing a global bank in USD150m fraud and conspiracy claims in the English and Hong Kong courts against their former Head of Private Equity in Asia and tracing assets and freezing them in a number of offshore jurisdictions.
Advising multiple Australian investors in swaps issued by various Lehman entities in proceedings brought by them in England and the US following Lehman’s bankruptcy.
Acting for a PE owned high frequency trading house in proceedings brought against former employees in Hong Kong, UK and Switzerland to recover damages and trade secrets stolen following their departure to set up a competitive business in breach of covenant.
Representing a number of Australian building societies in relation to their claims for financial assistance under a government backed liquidity support scheme following extensive bushfires significantly impacting the value of their rural lending portfolios.

Energy & Natural Resources

Representing an Australian mining group in relation to compensation claims resulting from the Bougainville copper tailings landslide in Papua New Guinea and advising on the resulting community based settlement and remediation plan.
Counsel for a US and NZ owned copper and gold mining group in litigation and arbitration proceedings in multiple jurisdictions relating to ownership a USD350m Central Asian AIM listed gold mining company, including proceedings in UK, Kazakhstan, NSW, NZ, Switzerland, BVI and Cayman.
Advising a US investor group in relation to USD200m misrepresentation claims against the sellers of the forestry arm of an Indonesian conglomerate.
Acting for a UK/European chemicals conglomerate in relation to a price fixing investigation by competition authorities in multiple jurisdictions and related follow-on damages proceedings in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore.

ESG

Principal lawyers to the Afghan Government during Ashraf Ghani’s presidency advising on legislative and regulatory reform to support inward investment to rebuild essential infrastructure following the US invasion and acting in associated tenacious and multiple litigations and arbitrations.
Advising a global financial services group on climate litigation strategy and greenwashing risk in key jurisdictions including UK, Europe, US, Canada and Australia.
Representing a global automotive manufacturer in class actions brought against them in the UK, Germany and Austria for allegedly falsifying emissions.
Counsel in English class action litigation and associated Thai court proceedings brought by employees claiming greenwashing and human rights abuses in the defendants’ garment manufacturing supply chain.

Languages

Awards and recognition