• Commercial disputes and international arbitration
• Professional indemnity insurance          
• Personal Injury
• The regulatory environment
• Fraud, bribery and financial irregularities
• Intelligence
• DWF RADAR
• Financial risk and compliance

By focusing on the costs and likely outcomes of various legal strategies from the outset, we ensure that our clients are well placed to make appropriate decisions to mitigate business threats whilst recognising the importance of avoiding significant costs and diverted management time.

Our forensic team work closely with our lawyers and clients alike in the following key areas:

• Early identification of quantum evidence and the preparation of calculations in support of losses, arising from breach of contract, breach of warranties or contract termination.
• Quantification of losses in connection with shareholder disputes.
• Identifying, instructing and project managing the appointment of independent quantum experts, as and when required. 
• Analysing claims presented by third parties and the preparation of critiques which challenge any unreasonable heads of loss and expose areas which are evidentially unsound.
• Preparation of decision trees as a tool to facilitate the settlement process between parties in dispute, in particular during the course of mediations.
• Challenging claims for liquidated damages if there is doubt that such contractual clauses contain a genuine pre-estimate of loss.
• Preparation of independent expert reports on direct instructions from third parties.

Professional indemnity insurance

We support DWF's insurance business when our clients face claims under professional indemnity policies or business interruption.

Personal injury

Carolyn Plummer is our expert in loss of earning and pensions arising from personal injury, clinical negligence and fatal accident claims. Carolyn is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

The regulatory environment

In the event that it seems likely that one of our clients might fall foul of a regulatory fine, likely to be based upon business turnover, we help our clients identify and extract evidence to support a case to mitigate the impact of the anticipated fine, by focusing upon underlying financial performance and business drivers.

Through the use of decision analysis, we are also able to demonstrate to our clients the costs and outcomes of likely legal strategies.

Fraud, bribery and financial irregularities

In the event that an investigation is required, response time is critical. We react quickly to:

• Identify key people (witnesses and suspects where applicable)
• Obtain key electronic evidence (such as images of computer hard drives and server emails)
• Commission intelligence of key suspects and related parties
• Conduct investigative interviews
• Assist our specialist lawyers with civil recoveries
• Prepare investigation reports
• Present findings to senior management and the Board as necessary

Intelligence

Identifying and analysing related parties, whether businesses or individuals, is an essential component of any investigation into suspected fraud, bribery or other financial irregularity.

Our intelligence team comprises 16 intelligence analysts and is headed by Lisa Sanzeri, a former Police Strategic Analyst. In addition to public records, specialist industry databases and social media, our team has developed its own, unique, intelligence database, Dcypher.

DWF Radar

The preservation of business reputation is high on the agenda of any Board, professional or business owner.

Our bespoke due diligence reports (RADAR) enable our lawyers and clients to make better, risk based decisions when:

• Entering new stakeholder relationships with customers, suppliers or investors
• Prior to the appointment of key employees, in particular those charged with governance or fiduciary duties
• Tracing assets
• Considering new markets or jurisdictions
• Conducting internal investigations

Our intelligence team follows the National Intelligence Model and all our RADAR reports are Data Protection Act compliant, confidential and privileged.

Financial risk and compliance

Jacky Cattini is our head of financial risk. Jacky specialises in fraud prevention strategies, UK Bribery Act compliance and the evaluation of Risk Control Assessments with particular expertise within the financial services and insurance sectors. Prior to joining the team at DWF, Jacky's career spanned the Metropolitan Police, the Insurance Fraud Bureau, Barclays and a Global Fraud Prevention role at HSBC.