Shona is a Partner in Mishcon Private.
Shona is an experienced commercial litigator, with a background in corporate disputes and civil fraud. She is skilled in pursuing and defending complex, high value and multi-jurisdictional claims, which frequently involve alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, secret commissions, bribes, dishonest assistance and the diversion of business opportunities. Her work often involves seeking or resisting injunctions.
Shona has particular expertise in company disputes, acting for corporate and individual directors and shareholders in relation to unfair prejudice of shareholders’ interests, breaches of directors’ duties, breaches of shareholders’ agreements, deadlocks on decision-making under a company’s constitution and enforcing rights on an exit, including disputes over Good and Bad Leaver provisions.
She is a member of the Fraud Lawyers Association
Key Experience
- Representing Weiss Technik G.M.B.H in a claim against former employees for breach of confidence, confidentiality, contract and conspiracy.
- Acting for MAD International in a claim for fraud and breach of contact committed by its minority shareholder, Michelin-Star chef, Axel Manes.
- Acting for a joint venture partner, and franchisee, in a dispute over the terms of exit from a joint venture with an international restaurant chain, involving issues of contractual interpretation of valuation mechanisms in a joint venture agreement.
- Acting for a global betting and gaming company defending a claim brought by a minority shareholder for breach of pre-emption rights.
- Acting for a litigation funder in multi-jurisdictional enforcement proceedings, involving applying for and obtaining freezing orders in England, the BVI, Anguilla, Curacao and Belize and receivership orders in Anguilla.
- Representing an international recruitment agency in a share sale dispute, involving applying for and obtaining an interim injunction restraining the former owners from presenting a winding up petition.
- Advising a private equity fund in its investigations into the extent of a fraud committed by the former owner and CEO of an acquired business.
- Acting for the intermediary defending a multi-billion dollar claim brought by the Libyan Investment Authority against Société Générale and others. The case involved issues of bribery and corruption, state litigation and privilege against self-incrimination.
- Acting for a Saudi prince in substantial and high-profile shareholder dispute, involving cross unfair prejudice petitions and the assertion of sovereign immunity.
- Representing high net worth individuals in a multi-jurisdictional shareholder dispute over a Cayman investment fund which involved the setting aside of a worldwide freezing order and proprietary injunction, in part on the basis that the claims were likely to be barred by the "no reflective loss" principle.
- Acting for an international shipping company in a corporate dispute following the attempted 'hijacking' of the company's register at Companies House.
Career History
Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Solicitor, Mishcon de Reya
Qualified, Mishcon de Reya
Kings' College London, MSc International Management