Mahmood Awan is an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and a leading asset recovery lawyer based in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Mahmood founded a boutique law firm specializing exclusively in civil fraud and private international law after receiving his LL.M in Banking and Finance at King”s College London in 2001. He has co-founded four law firms focusing primarily on white collar crimes, asset recovery and cybercrimes in Pakistan. He is currently the senior partner at Mahmood Awan & Partners in Islamabad and Awan Seerat Tirmizi in Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan.

Mahmood has extensive experience in enforcement of foreign judgments and has acted as primary Counsel for the liquidators of Bank of Credit and Commerce International in multi-jurisdictional legal proceedings to recover misappropriated funds. He has advised Stock Exchanges or investors on several cases of fraud by brokerage firms since 2001. He has advised the country’s largest E&P company among other clients including Pakistan LNG Terminals Limited.

Mahmood has been advising energy sector clients since 2002 and has represented Oil and Gas Development Company Limited as its primary Counsel in several highly complex litigated matters before all five High Courts in Pakistan. He acts as an arbitrator and has also advised and represented clients on matters before regulatory authorities.

Leading teams of lawyers in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, Mahmood is recognized for his expertise in design and delivery of efficient solutions to complex litigation in a jurisdiction popularly perceived as highly unpredictable in matters of scheduling trials and other proceedings.

Mahmood has appeared as an expert witness before Senate Standing Committee on Finance, advised the Board of Islamabad Stock Exchange, been a Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan nominee on the Governing Board of the then Lahore Stock Exchange and has worked extensively on prevention of fraud in capital market operations since 1995.

Jonathan Wild has extensive experience in obtaining interlocutory relief including freezing and disclosure orders and in relation to the appointment of Receivers to safeguard recoverable assets.

The Dispute Resolution Department is also experianeced in co-ordinating multijurisdictional applications and working with foreign Counsel in relation to the timing and structure of such multijurisdictional tracing claims.

Jonathan has also advised Court appointed Receivers and is experienced in applying to the Court in relation to the appointment of Receivers to investigate allegations of fraud and asset tracing. Jonathan currently represents a party involved in a major international telecoms dispute including allegations of fraud and a US$415 million injunction – the case involves multiple jurisdictions and an interlocutory matter has already been heard by the Privy Council Bitel v Kyrgyz Mobil & Ors. Jonathan also currently represents the Receivers in the case of LM Moore Investments v SV Company & Ors which concerns a US$100million dispute involving a major vodka and brandy global distributor.

Jonathan also advised the local Regulator, the Financial Supervision Commission, and represented them on a number of occasions, notably in connection with Financial Supervision Commission v Law Investments Limited & Ors regarding multiple forced liquidations further to an alleged US$250million fraud.

Jonathan is also experienced in advising both local and multinational companies in relation to internal fraud and crime and dealing with both the asset recovery implications and the regulatory implications. Of interest he is also acting for a party in a significant European Law case which has implications concerning the extent and application of European Law on the Island.

Callin Wild can trace its partnership roots back well over 100 years and employs in excess of 40 staff. It offers a full service practice on the Island focusing on fraud and asset recovery and commercial multijurisdictional disputes. It also has a strong corporate and commercial department which provides services to many local and international corporate clients.

Callin Wild offers both contentious and non contentious advice to trustees and beneficiaries. We operate in a jurisdiction which has sophisticated regulation affecting the provision of business services including modern Trust legislation which includes mandatory licensing for tho persons and companies offering trustee services.

Callin Wild also has considerable experience in working in larger teams in multinational disputes and is instructed in the many of the larger complex contentious disputes currently before the Isle of Man Courts.

Dispute Resolution – Regulatory Advisory.

Mr. De Guzman specializes in labor and employment law. He advises his clients on the labor impact of mergers and acquisitions, the preparation and audit of outsourcing agreements, employee pension plans and rules, and the conciliation, mediation and arbitration of labor and employment disputes.

Mr. De Guzman handled the labor aspect of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Privatization which brought about the successful transition of thousands of employees from government service to private employment. He successfully litigated a number of suits involving employers where the Supreme Court upheld the exercise of management prerogatives, including the enforcement of Company rules, the administration of compensation schemes, the resolution of wage distortions, and the resort to outsourcing arrangements.

Mr. De Guzman authored the Philippine chapters of:

● “Handbook on Global Recruiting, Screening, Testing and Interviewing Criteria”, published by Kluwer Law International/International Bar Association;
● “Guide to International Labor and Employment Law”, published by Lexis Nexis/Littler Mendelson Global; and,
● “Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets in Employment Law”, published by the American Bar Association.Mr. de Guzman regularly conducts lectures on labor and employment law, and is frequently requested to conduct in-house seminars and lectures on labor issues. He is also a regular lecturer of the Center for Human Resource Management of the People Management Association of the Philippines.

Mr. De Guzman delivered the following talks:

● “Notes on Philippine Employment and Productivity”, held at the 47th Annual Conference of the People Management Association of the Philippines, in Cebu City (2010);
● “Emerging Challenges for People Managers in Call Centers”, held at the International Contact Center Conference in Manila (2010);
● “Current Issues on Philippine Employment Law”, held at the Seminar on Essentials of Employment Law in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2008);
● “Employment Law in the Philippines”, held at the Seminar on Asian Employment in Singapore (2007); and,
● “Enforcement of Restrictive Covenants”, held at the Asialaw Intellectual Property Forum in Hongkong (2006).Mr. de Guzman served as one of the Employer Representatives to the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council in 2011. He also holds key positions in various institutions such as the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and the Human Resources Working Group of the National Competitive Council.

In 2018, Mr. de Guzman was recognized as one of the Leading Lawyers in the field of Employment by the Legal 500 Asia Pacific. He was also considered as a Band 1 Lawyer in the field of Employment by the Chambers Asia-Pacific and Chambers & Partners in 2018. Similarly, he was considered as a Leading Lawyer in the field of Employment by the Asia Law Profiles in 2018. He was also awarded as the Best Labor and Employment Lawyer of the Year by the Legal 100 Asia Awards in 2018. Mr. de Guzman was recognized by the Asia Business Law Journal as among the Philippines’ Top 100 Lawyers in 2021.

Mr. de Guzman was recognized by Asialaw Profiles as a Distinguished Practitioner in the practice area of labor and employment in 2019.

In 2020, Mr. De Guzman was inducted to The Legal 500’s inaugural Asia Pacific Hall of Fame after having been recognized as a Leading Lawyer for Labor and Employment for 13 consecutive years.

He was identified in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021 Editorial as a recommended lawyer in the practice area of Labor and Employment.

Mr. De Guzman is a member, and was formerly a Director, of the IBP Makati Chapter. He was the President of the Personnel Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) in 2006, the Philippine Bar Association (PBA) in 2013-14, and is the Chair of the Legal Practice Committee, Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) and the Legal Counsel of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

Maria Costa Passarella is a founding partner of Costa Passarella & Accioly Advogados Associados. She is a Brazilian lawyer with 23 years of practice and with experience in the Brazilian’s Superior Courts and Supreme Court. She has been a lawyer for the largest Brazilian public company for 14 years. Maria is member of Legal Hackers Brasilia, a global movement born in 2012 in New York City, of lawyers, legislators, designers, technologists, and academics that explores and develops creative solutions around different issues that intersect law and technology. She is a Counselor of Casa Thomas Jefferson, a binational American-Brazilian cultural center in Brazil.

Babajide Ogundipe was called to the Nigeria Bar in July 1979. He co-founded Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgorein 1988, and the firm quickly became one the leading law firms in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria. He practices primarily as a commercial litigator and, as part of this practice, he has been required, since 1980, to conduct investigations into various different types of fraud and other misconduct on behalf of clients in the banking, insurance, petroleum, pharmaceutical and shipping industries. He has also acted on behalf of numerous clients to assist in the recovery of assets lost as a result of fraud and other misfeasance, most significantly the former majority shareholders of Banco Noroeste S.A., following that bank’s acquisition by Banco Santander Brasil. He has enormous experience acting for the victims of fraud, and has come to be recognised as one of Nigeria’s leading lawyers in the asset recovery field. He is a frequent speaker on arbitration, anti-corruption and asset recovery issues and on the regulation of the legal profession at international conferences and has served as an officer of the International Bar Association’s Anti-Corruption Committee and Vice-Chair for Africa on the IBA’s Regulation of Lawyers” Compliance Committee.

Arthur Cox is one of Ireland’s leading law firms. For 100 years, we have led the way in the legal field in Ireland. We are an “all-island” firm, with offices in Dublin and Belfast. We also have offices in London, New York and San Francisco.

With over 550 legal staff and a total headcount of over 800, we provide a comprehensive service to an international client base ranging from multinational organisations, banks and financial institutions and established global leaders to government agencies and new players in emerging industry sectors.

In recognition of our standing in the market Arthur Cox was named Ireland Law Firm of the Year 2020 at the Chambers Europe Awards. We were also named Ireland Law Firm of the Year 2020 at the IFLR Europe Awards.

Joanelle O’Cleirigh is a Partner in the Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigation Group at Arthur Cox. Joanelle has over twenty years experience in various litigious commercial matters and has an expertise in investigations and inquiries, fraud inquiries and cases, white collar crime matters, search warrants, cyber security issues and fraud and asset recovery cases.

Joanelle has advised many key clients in relation to national and global litigation concerning fraud and conspiracy allegations including obtaining mareva injunctions and other necessary interim relief to protect clients interests. She has conducted significant investigations for clients into alleged fraudulent activities and advised many clients on compliance issues including bribery and anti-corruption.

More recently she has advised clients in relation to COVID-19 related fraud and is a lead advisor of key clients in relation to their crisis management and reporting obligations.

Joanelle also has unrivalled expertise in investigations (statutory and non-statutory) and has advised clients both in the private and public sectors on crisis and incident management, reporting obligations, reviews and investigations. She has been involved in some of Ireland’s most significant Commissions of Investigations, Tribunals, Inquiries and hearings for example:

• The matter of the Commission of the Investigation Act 2004 and the Commission of Investigation (Irish Bank Resolution Corporation) Act 2014

• The Tribunal of Inquiry into protected disclosures made under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 and certain other matters following Resolutions passed by Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament) and Seanad Éireann (Senate) on 16 February 2017

• The Tribunal of Inquiry into the Infection with HIV and Hepatitis C of Persons with Haemophilia

• The Dunne Post Mortem Organ Retention Inquiry

• The Lourdes Hospital Inquiry into Peripartum Hysterectomies

• The Commission of Investigation into the Death of Gary Douch

• The Commission to Investigate in the Dublin Diocese

• The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse

• Review of action taken by An Garda Síochána relating to certain allegations made by Sergeant Maurice McCabe

• Independent Inquiry into Reports of Unlawful Surveillance of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission

• The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes

Joanelle is a lead partner in the Arthur Cox White Collar / Corporate Crime and Investigations Group and is the Irish Chapter Leader of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association which she founded in July 2018.