Chris Harvey

He/himPartner

Chris Harvey is very quick and intelligent. He will have got to the bottom of a problem in a case before some solicitors would have noticed the problem.

Legal 500 2022

Emailchris.harvey@akd.partners

Call+44 (0)20 7349 0296

Leeds

About

Chris Harvey is a Disputes Partner in the UK Litigation and Arbitration Group. Chris's clients include UK clearing and investment banks, commercial lenders, offshore banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, bridging financiers, accountants and multi-national and multi-sector conglomerates.

Chris is recognised as a "Next Generation Partner", a "calm, robust and effective litigator", "exceptional in terms of responsiveness" and someone who "will get to the bottom of a problem in a case before some solicitors have noticed the problem" (Legal 500 2022).

Chris's most recent mandates have included acting for a Big4 accounting firm and UK clearing banks facing claims of conspiracy and fraud, lenders defending class/group actions, derivatives mis-selling and LIBOR manipulation claims, push payment fraud claims (advising both remitting and receiving banks), trade finance disputes, covid-lending claims and claims arising from cryptocurrency transactions.

Chris has a keen interest in ESG disputes, including climate litigation, and cryptocurrency litigation and regulation. He regularly litigates against parties represented by law firms acting under conditional fee agreements who are backed by litigation funders and in claims which attract press attention.

Chris has completed a 7 month secondment in the commercial banking litigation team of a UK clearing bank in a senior lawyer role.

EXPERIENCE

Acted for an American asset based lender client on a complex multimillion-GBP claim against English solicitors arising out of defects in German law security documents together with the associated recovery action in Germany and England.
Acted for PwC in Premier Motorauctions -v- PwC & another, a GBP50m claim brought against PwC by the liquidators of two companies operating a car auction business in which it was alleged that PwC colluded with a UK clearing bank to bring about the companies' insolvency and provided negligent advice to the companies. The case was selected as one of the Lawyer s Top 20 Cases of 2018 , and produced the leading Court of Appeal authority on the interrelationship between After The Event insurance policies and security for costs.
Acting for a global cryptocurrency exchange in defending and/or pursuing claims arising out of transactions conducted on its platform in the UK and Europe.
Acted for a UK bank in a GBP70m misrepresentation and fraud claim arising out of the alleged mis-sale of interest rate derivatives and misconduct by its Restructuring division.
Acted for an AsiaPac bank in injunction proceedings restraining payment under a multi-million performance bond issued in respect of a major development in London.
Acted for a number of UK banks in defending claims arising out of the alleged mis-selling of hedging products, alleged manipulation of LIBOR and alleged misconduct by the banks recoveries and turnaround divisions.
Acted for a sub-prime lender in defending a claim brought under the Data Protection Act 1998 in which 22 former employees were seeking substantial damages and compensation arising out of the loss by the lender of personal data.
Acted for an offshore division of a major high street bank in managing the bank s portfolio of non-performing Spanish and Singapore law loans, and related possession actions.

Awards

Ranked as Tier 1 for Banking Litigation in The UK Legal 500 2020 and Tier 1 and a Next Generation Partner in The UK Legal 500 2021:
- Chris Harvey is an exceptionally bright and hard-working individual (Legal 500, 2021)
- Chris Harvey is a smart and pragmatic lawyer. He always manages to provide advice in a client focused commercial manner as opposed to lawyer speak (Legal 500, 2020)