Alex Sciannaca
Partner Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment
Languages
English
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
Legal500 2015Named as a key adviser in the Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail area
Alex Sciannaca has extensive experience of litigating complex and high value commercial disputes and is ranked by both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. As a Partner in our Financial Services Litigation team, he has advised major financial institutions, government agencies and ultra-high net-worth individuals in proceedings in the UK and abroad, both as claimant and defendant. He has particular experience of complex contractual disputes, shareholder litigation, banking fraud, professional negligence and asset-tracing and recovery. Alex has a comprehensive knowledge of English freezing injunctions, search orders and third party disclosure orders.
Alex’s practice covers both UK and international disputes. He has a particular specialism in disputes arising out of the CIS and Ukraine, and has developed a network of legal and forensic contacts in offshore jurisdictions such as Cyprus, BVI and Cayman to assist with the cross-border elements that are typical of those claims. Alex advised BTA Bank of Kazakhstan in relation to its ground-breaking and successful US$6bn claims against its rogue former chairman, Mukhtar Ablyazov, which included victory in the Supreme Court regarding the scope of the English freezing order regime. He has advised other clients on asset recovery proceedings following similar issues involving the collapse of banks in circumstances where there are allegations of asset-stripping by the former shareholders.
Legal 500 2017Alex Sciannaca is ‘singled out for his great organisational skills in rapidly assembling and managing multi-jurisdictional teams for complex litigation’.
Representative experience
Acting for an international investment firm in a professional negligence claim involving a US$3bn M&A transaction.
Advising a major insurance group in relation to asset recovery proceedings in England, France and the BVI in relation to losses incurred by a collapsed Russian bank.
Acting for the London Metal Exchange in its defence of various proceedings brought by trading houses who claim losses suffered as a result of the closure of the nickel market in March 2022.
Acting for BTA Bank in relation to a US$6bn fraud claim against its former chairman, Mukhtar Ablyazov, and his associates.
Acting for an energy group in relation to various shareholder disputes in the gas production sector.
Acting for Ukrainian mining and steel producers in relation to a US$500m Facility Agreement dispute.
Acting for an international commodities trading house in relation to a loan default and subsequent enforcement in multiple jurisdictions including Brazil and the Cayman Islands.
Advising a major financial institution in relation to its defence of claims commenced in the overseas courts on the basis of documents that had been forged by the claimant.
Advising a major French bank in relation to a review of its submissions to various financial benchmarks.
Advising a fintech group in English court proceedings concerning a shareholder claim relating to a crypto start-up with connections to Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX.
Credentials
- B.A., University of Bristol
- Solicitor, England and Wales