Chris Warren-Smith represents clients in investigations and disputes matters, including corporate investigations, commercial and international litigation and arbitration and dispute resolution, and regulatory enforcement proceedings. Representing clients across all sectors, Chris has worked on many high-profile issues and crises that have arisen over the years. He serves as deputy chair of the firm’s white collar and corporate investigations practice and as a member of its global crisis management team.
Chris has for many years had a truly international and domestic practice which includes experience in the UK, US, Western and Eastern Europe, Canada, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and South America. He has broad banking and financial services practice, with an extensive background in representing financial institutions across all business lines. His experience covers a range of other sectors and industries, including energy, retail, life sciences, insurance, sports and fintech. Chris frequently works on compliance and regulatory issues including remediation and compliance programmes in areas including corruption, whistleblowing, financial crime, economic sanctions, crisis response, and fraud.
He represents clients in a wide range of investigations, including UK proceedings conducted by the Financial Conduct Authority, the Serious Fraud Office, and Lloyd's of London, and those involving regulators such as the US Department of Justice, US Securities and Exchange Commission, and US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as well as regulators and professional bodies in many other jurisdictions throughout the world. He also has experience representing clients in issues arising with a more diverse range of bodies in the UK such as the Treasury Select Committee and the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Chris has deep litigation experience over many years, including in class actions, collective actions, group litigation and litigation-funded disputes. He acted for the first third party funded Claimant to go to trial in the UK, as well as in a landmark third party funded group action.
Clients praise his “commercial awareness, technical knowledge and ability to tackle prospective problems before they arise,” his “reliable, sensible balanced advice,” and his “ability to dive into the detail and excellent communications skills.” Chris is described as “refreshingly personable and knowledgeable” while impressing with his “incisive analytical mind and rate of turnaround.”
Before joining Morgan Lewis, Chris served as the global head of investigations of another global law firm.
For over 15 years Chris has been ranked as a Leading Individual in directories and publications including:
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