Our Team

Alexander Unal

Associate

Alexander is a solicitor-advocate who specialises in fraud (civil and criminal), commercial and banking disputes.

Practice

Alexander has a broad practice spanning a wide range of complex cross-border disputes. Alexander has advised in disputes relating to fraudulent breaches of fiduciary duties and dishonest assistance, financial markets and regulation, asset recovery and tracing, civil bribery, digital assets and corporate crime. His experience includes arbitration as well as litigation.

Alexander has worked on a number of lengthy Commercial Court trials and arbitration hearings, as well as representing clients in applications for interim relief such as orders for disclosure as well as applications to strike-out and/or for summary judgment.

Alexander has a growing white collar and sanctions practice, where he advises large corporations and financial institutions on their regulatory obligations and compliance with the UK sanctions regime.

Alexander is fluent in French and has a good working knowledge of Spanish. He grew up in Switzerland and maintains close connections to the jurisdiction.


 

Notable Representations

Confidential arbitration

Alexander represents a former state-owned bank, the Respondent in an arbitration concerning a claim for USD 500 million purportedly owed under a subordinated loan agreement.

Hotel Portfolio II UK (in Liquidation) & anor v Andrew Joseph Ruhan & anor [2022]

EWHC 383 (Comm)

Alexander represented a company and its liquidator in a GBP 102m civil fraud claim against a former company director and their secret nominee in connection with three London hotel properties. Alexander secured judgment in favour of the Claimants following a three-week Commercial Court trial.

S&B Consultancy Services Limited v Robert Bourn & anor [2022]

EWHC 2359 (Comm)

Alexander acted for the Defendants in a dispute relating to a broker’s alleged entitlement to an introductory fee, successfully resisting the Claimant’s application for strike-out of and summary judgment on the part of the Defendants’ defence dealing with FSMA 2000 and the enforceability of the underlying contract.

Serious Fraud Office & ors v Hotel Portfolio II UK Limited & anor (in Liquidation) [2021]

EWHC 1273 (Comm)

Alexander represented the Respondent in a heavy application for strike-out and summary judgment, in which the Judge considered the availability of “backwards tracing” and the significance of an “equity’s darling” defence.

Serious Fraud Office & ors v Litigation Capital Limited & ors [2021]

EWHC 1272 (Comm)

Alexander acted on behalf of officeholders in restraint and confiscation proceedings arising out of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 involving 50 parties and an eight-week trial in the Commercial Court, which involved several competing proprietary claims to pools of assets located in multiple jurisdictions.

Education and Admissions

University of Kent, Canterbury

(Law and Economics BA)

BPP Law School, Holborn

(Legal Practice Course)

Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales

(2021)

Solicitor Advocate (Civil)

(2022)