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Sohail Ali

Partner
A formidable intellect, exceptional strategist and an absolute pleasure to deal with.
— Head of legal, global fintech
London
About

Sohail Ali is a litigation and arbitration lawyer, with over 15 years’ experience advising a wide range of corporate clients on high value, premium banking and commercial disputes.

Sohail has particular expertise in advising on complex, cross-border disputes. He also leads the firm’s global Islamic Finance disputes practice.

Sohail has done a number of client secondments including at Goldman Sachs, Barclays Capital, Mars and Lloyds Banking Group and he understands the importance of providing clear, commercial and strategic advice to his clients.

Ranked as a rising star in the Legal 500 for 2022, Sohail has been described by clients as “sharp as a tack”, “peerless for his generation” and a “stand out individual in the litigation/arbitration team” with “exceptional client handling skills”.

Areas of FocusFinancial ServicesLitigation, Arbitration and Investigations

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising a global bank in relation to the enforcement of a GBP 1 billion loan facility.
  • Advising a leading US listed NASDAQ company in relation to a complex multi-million pound fraud and asset tracing dispute arising out of frauds perpetrated by former employees of the company.
  • Advising a global bank in relation to a GBP 425 million Worldwide Freezing Order served against the bank accounts of a leading Russian oil supplier.
  • Advising a multi-national corporation in relation to a dispute with an offshore defendant over the development of a 5 star hotel.
  • Advising a global accommodation supplier to the travel industry in relation to a breach of warranty claim following the acquisition of a UAE based B2B accommodation supplier business.
  • Advising a real estate development company in relation to a GBP 50 million LCIA arbitration dispute arising out of a breach of a confidential settlement agreement with an Israeli counterparty.
  • Advising an international hotel group in relation to the applicability of EU/UK sanctions regime in relation to a contract with a Russian (potentially sanctioned) counterparty.
  • Advising a Korean company in relation to a KRW 38.5 billion dispute arising out of a loan agreement relating to the construction of a biomass power plant in the UK. Project value.
  • Advising a Middle Eastern client in relation to a USD 300 million dispute arising out of an Islamic Finance Murabaha facility.
  • Advising a Hong Kong based PE firm on the implications of a breach of banking covenants under a syndicated loan facility by one of their investments, which owned oil and gas assets off the Nigerian coast.
Languages
  • English
  • Urdu
Education
  • Harvard Business School, 2020
  • Oxford University, BA MA (Oxon), Jurisprudence, 2005

Awards

  • Sohail has been identified as a “Next Generation Partner” and a “stand out individual in the litigation/arbitration team. Very responsive, good attention to detail and excellent lawyer” (Legal 500, 2020).

Publications

  • "Exercising a Contractual Discretion", 26 January 2017
  • "Mis-selling - no duty to advise on onerous terms - Finch v Lloyds TSB Bank Plc", 12 July 2016
  • "A word of caution: does your prepayment indemnity clause work?", 19 January 2016

Prior Experience

Sohail originally qualified as an International Banking lawyer at a global law firm in London and Dubai. He has significant prior experience of advising on and structuring both conventional and Islamic Finance transactions.

My latest insights

Publication

ESG and the Industrials sector

29 October 2024 .2 minute read

Publication

MUR Shipping v RTI – The UK Supreme Court rules on limits of “reasonable endeavours” in a...

24 May 2024 .7 minute read

Publication

Energy and Natural Resources Case Law Update - Issue 9

19 April 2023 .2 minute read

View All

Connect

Phone

+44 (0) 333 207 7129
(Work, London)
+44 (0) 7885 261 777
(Work)
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