Hannah is a Managing Associate in the Commercial Litigation team. Hannah has a broad commercial litigation practice, covering the spectrum of high-value and complex disputes including multijurisdictional group actions. She acts for private individuals, corporates, multinational organisations, banks, financial institutions and private equity houses with business interests across a range of sectors.
Prior to Mishcon, Hannah worked at a silver circle firm in London, where she acted on a complex and high-value fraud dispute, in relation to claims amounting to US$5 billion in what was the largest fraud claim ever levelled at individuals in the English Courts. She also acted on novel and large-scale tort claims, including parent company liability claims, involving international and foreign law elements. Hannah has experience in complex international investigations, insolvency disputes, and international arbitrations.
Hannah has particular expertise acting for clients (facing or bringing) reputationally sensitive litigation and advising clients in relation to corporate risk management including business and human rights issues and ESG-related risk.
Before moving to the UK, Hannah gained experience working as a solicitor at a leading commercial law firm in New Zealand, as well as spending two years as a barrister to a King's Counsel. She has appeared as counsel at all levels of the New Zealand courts, including before the Supreme Court of New Zealand and was counsel in New Zealand's first insider trading case.
Hannah also regularly advises on pro bono matters at Mishcon and is a member of the firm's Pride Steering Committee and Pride Network.
Key Experience
- Acting for Claimants in the largest fraud claim ever levelled at individuals in the English Court. The fraud claims amounted to US$5 billion, with parallel criminal proceedings in the US, arising out of a US$11 billion acquisition.
- Acting for Defendant in two separate sets of proceedings against a UK domiciled English parent company and two of its subsidiaries involving novel parent company liability claims concerning alleged human rights abuses in the operations of two overseas subsidiaries.
- Advising on the establishment of an Operational-Level Grievance Mechanism consistent with UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- Acting for Nominees in relation to a high-profile challenge to a household coffee chain and its company voluntary arrangement.
- Acting for global pharmaceutical company in conducting investigation into alleged director misconduct across multiple jurisdictions.
- Acting for international takeaway chain in an arbitration related to a franchisor/franchisee dispute with foreign law elements.
- Acting for Defendant charged with alleged money laundering and misleading financial reporting offences.
- Acting for Defendant charged with alleged evasion of tax (in excess of $15m).
- Acting for Claimant in its arrest and sale of an industrial vessel.
- Acting for global telecommunications company in a complex international contractual dispute with foreign law elements.
- Acting for Defendant in New Zealand’s first criminal insider trading case.
- Acting for Receivers of a former NZX listed retailer.
- Acting for Claimant in relation to claim against an investment fund for breach of a sale & purchase agreement (transaction value $200m).
Articles & Publications
Career History
Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Senior Associate, Travers Smith LLP
Associate, Travers Smith LLP
Employed barrister, for David Jones KC
Solicitor, Russell McVeagh