Euan McMahon

Euan is a Legal Director in the Dispute Resolution department. He specialises in commercial fraud, injunctions and asset-tracing cases and investigations, usually as part of complex multi-jurisdictional disputes. He regularly obtains injunctive relief in support of these actions, including worldwide freezing orders, search and imaging orders, delivery up orders and other interim remedies.

Euan's cases often involve serious allegations of dishonesty, conspiracy and breach of fiduciary duty. He has acted for both individual and corporate clients across a wide range of disputes, including breach of contract, misappropriation and misuse of confidential information, shareholder disputes, misrepresentation, conspiracy, breach of restrictive covenants and data theft.

Euan has considerable experience in dealing with cases funded by third party litigation funders (which has included drafting bespoke litigation funding arrangements for clients), and of contempt of court proceedings for breaches of the court's orders.

He sits on the firm's Investigations Steering Committee, and is a member of the Fraud Lawyers Association (FLA).

Key Experience

• Acting in a multi-billion pound dispute for high-net worth individuals in a global fraud and estate matter across numerous jurisdictions, including England, USA, Monaco, Panama, Latvia, Switzerland and Cyprus (Bourlakova v Bourlakov).
• Acting for Ocado Group PLC in committal proceedings against a solicitor and senior partner, Raymond McKeeve, for criminal contempt of court. Successfully sought and obtained a conviction for interference in the administration of justice, for having ordered the destruction of documents upon notification of a Search Order obtained in a fraud claim against the solicitor's clients (Ocado & Anr v Raymond McKeeve [2022] EWHC 2079 (Ch)). In the process obtained "unprecedented" order to compel two individuals to attend the trial and be cross-examined by both sides (Ocado Group Plc & Anor v McKeeve [2021] EWHC 3542 (Ch)).
• Acting for Ocado Group PLC against founder Jonathan Faiman, former employee Jonathan Hillary and their start-up grocery delivery services business 'T0day' for breach of confidence, unlawful means conspiracy and breaches of contractual and fiduciary duties owed by Mr Hillary (Ocado Group PLC & Anr v Jonathan Faiman, Project Today Holdings Limited & Jonathan Hillary).
• Advising a HNW client in relation to insolvency and enforcement proceedings in England and Ukraine, and successfully petitioning for a debtor's bankruptcy in England as secondary proceedings, with Ukrainian bankruptcy proceedings being recognised as foreign main proceedings (Panasovskyi v Tyshchenko [2021] EWHC 2634 (Pat)).
• Enforcement of a multi-million dollar US judgment, including obtaining coordinated freezing orders in England, the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Belize, attachment orders in Curacao, and the appointment of an interim receiver in Anguilla (Bostani & Ors v Pieper & Anr).
• Advising in relation to global enforcement strategy for a multi-billion pound judgment.
• Acting for the Claimants, and successfully obtaining judgment, in a 12 week fraud trial (Group Seven Limited & Anr v Ali Nasir & Ors), concerning the recovery of sums lost in a €100 million investment scam.
• Acting for Defendants in defence of a claim relating to bareboat charter agreements operating in Nigerian waters, and an application to release funds from a worldwide freezing injunctions to pay for legal advice, and the discharge of an order for contempt of court (Tidewater Marine International Inc v Phoenixtide Offshore Nigeria Ltd and others [2018] EWHC 3923 (Comm) (21 December 2018)).
• Acting for a Guernsey-based entity in respect of a multi-million euro fraud perpetuated against it, centring around the artificial inflation of the purchase price of a shopping centre in Bulgaria. The case included obtaining a freezing order and resisting an attempted discharge in the Isle of Man (where the defendant was based) in support of arbitration proceedings.
• Advised a number of clients on claims against former employees and competitors for theft of confidential information and trade secrets. Obtained search, computer imaging and delivery up orders to secure the return of this information, and restraining injunctions to prevent further misuse.
• Obtaining third party disclosure orders from banks and internet service providers, to assist in locating assets and tracing wrongdoers.

Career History

Legal Director, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Trainee Solicitor, Mishcon de Reya LLP
BPP Law School, Legal Practice Course (Distinction)
BPP Law School, Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction)
University of Bristol, MA English Language and Literature (Distinction)
University of Bristol, MA English Literature and Philosophy (First Class)