Leading law firm appoints new Partner in Banking & Finance Litigation Team

Rob joins the team from Gately Legal where he was also a Partner specialising in financial services disputes. He is experienced in advising clients on a wide range of contentious issues such as managed exit advice in distressed lending, operational disputes and enforcement of, and challenges to, secured lending – always with a focus on the commercial objectives of his client base.

Chambers & Partners UK this year described Rob as “highly experienced, forensic in his approach and has a commercial understanding of banking law“.

Having practiced exclusively in the financial services disputes field for over 20 years, Rob has worked with most major financial institutions, and regularly leads client relationships. He also has further expertise in wider portfolio risk assessment and dispute prevention advice together with the management of reputational issues.

With experience across the full spectrum of financial services litigation, including high value disputes, Rob has been involved in many large fraud matters including obtaining a £14m judgment at trial against a company director in a claim involving allegations of deceit and conspiracy.

Speaking about his appointment, Rob Payne, said:

“I love to get ‘under the skin’ of organisations to understand their strategic priorities, values, customer base and products. That way the team can deliver truly tailored advice. The diversity of clients in the financial services sector and the evolving regulatory environment means nothing ever stands still. It keeps us agile and focussed on the clients’ objectives in managing disputes and operational risk. Walker Morris’s excellent reputation and breadth of expertise in financial services disputes give it a real distinctive edge. I am extremely excited to be joining one of the UK’s best independent law firms outside of the City and adding to the growth of such a high calibre team.”

The Walker Morris Banking & Finance Litigation Team is Tier 2 ranked by The Legal 500 for Banking Litigation in Yorkshire and is regarded by clients as one of the leading multi-jurisdiction providers of specialist litigation and dispute resolution to those operating in the financial services sector.

Commenting on Rob Payne’s appointment Richard Sandford, Partner at Walker Morris said:

“Attracting and retaining excellent lawyers is at the heart of our strategy at Walker Morris, and we are so pleased to welcome our new Partner, Rob, on board. He brings with him over two decades of experience and has a wealth of knowledge in the sector, supporting us in expanding our practice and specialist capabilities.”

 “Rob joins us at a time when financial institutions are continuing to work with customers that have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and instances of fraud in financial services transactions have significantly increased. Rob possesses the specialised skill set to support clients with these matters while complementing the expertise of our broader banking and finance teams.”

Walker Morris has followed a strategy of investing in the full spectrum of commercial legal expertise including specialist practice areas such as competition law, financial services, and consumer finance which, typically, are reserved for City firms. While Walker Morris works with a number of Yorkshire clients, it also works with national and international clients, with a fifth of its clients headquartered overseas.

Find out more about Walker Morris’ Banking & Finance Litigation team here: Banking & Finance Litigation – Walker Morris