Shona Coffer

Shona is a Partner in Mishcon Private with expertise in commercial litigation, specialising in corporate disputes and civil fraud. Her practice centres on corporate and business disputes, acting for international and domestic corporates, individual shareholders/directors, entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals. She has expertise in High Court and international arbitral trials, as well as expert determination and alternative dispute resolution.

Shona's practice covers M&A disputes (arising both pre- and post-acquisition), unfair prejudice of shareholders’ interests, breaches of directors’ duties, and breaches of shareholders’ agreements and joint venture agreements. Shona works closely with the corporate team advising on deal risk issues and disputes arising out of transactions.

She also advises on directors' duties and employment issues with respect to senior officers, team moves and breaches of confidence.

She is a member of the Fraud Lawyers Association.

Key Experience

• Representing the petitioner through to the trial of an unfair prejudice petition arising from the transfer of a company's sole asset into a new structure owned and controlled by the respondent.
• Representing a defendant to an unlawful means conspiracy, dishonest assistance and unjust enrichment claim brought by a competitor.
• 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 its 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.

Career History

Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Solicitor, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Qualified, Mishcon de Reya LLP
King's College, London, MSc International Management