Robert Weekes

Robert Weekes is a highly experienced partner in the Global Litigation and Financial Services practices at Crowell & Moring, and serves as the managing partner of the firm's London office. Clients retain Robert to provide advice on a wide range of financial litigation, investigations, and international dispute matters. He serves corporations, banks, other financial institutions, multinational and U.K.-based entities, and individuals on a wide range of complex commercial disputes, including fraud investigations and asset tracing and recovery. He frequently handles banking and investment disputes, fraud and asset recovery litigation, guarantee and indemnity claims, and advises insurance companies on complex disputed claims.

Robert has considerable experience in advising overseas companies facing contentious/litigation issues in the U.K. courts providing guidance on the rules of disclosure and evidence in the U.K. He works with leading specialists ranging from the best Queen’s Counsel to the experts that are required to undertake forensic digital investigations. 

Robert has just completed a ten-day High Court trial for a large U.S. corporate company involved in a commercial dispute in London. The case went to the heart of the company's viability and was simply a “must win” case for the client.  

Robert has also been advising a leading bank in dealing with a significant data breach issue that impacted on its duties of confidentiality to its customers; the matter also involved constant liaison with the bank's regulator.  

As the most senior litigator in his previous firm, Robert was also heavily involved in setting the initial strategy on arguably the most prominent case that has hit the radar of the U.K. regulator in relation to the misuse of personal data.   

As a frequent lecturer, Robert talks on issues such as fraud prevention, asset recovery, litigation strategy, and dealings with regulators. He has appeared on ITV News at Ten commenting on commercial fraud. 

Robert has been recommended in The Legal 500 UK and recognized for the following practice areas – crime, fraud and licensing: fraud – civil (2017), dispute resolution: banking litigation – investment and retail (2015, 2017), dispute resolution: commercial litigation (2017), and finance: asset based lending (2015).

Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Robert was for 10 years the managing partner of the London office of an international firm.

Representative Matters

• Advising a U.S. corporate in relation to a commercial dispute that was critical to its business in Europe.
• Advising a Middle Eastern business on an £800 million bond dispute in London and the Middle East. 
• Acting for a U.K. corporate selling a portfolio of businesses across Europe devising a litigation strategy to support the enforced completion of the sale. 
• Acting for a global corporate in a procurement dispute against the Ministry of Defence.
  
• Acting for a major bank against directors of a commodity trading business that perpetrated a significant trading fraud.
• Advising a bank on its response to a £15 million fraud including obtaining wide-ranging injunctive orders. Reaching a commercial settlement.
• Acting for a credit insurer in dealing with a £15 million claim under the policy arising from a more than £100 million commercial fraud.
• Advising a financier on a fictitious invoicing fraud; tracing monies overseas and obtaining a worldwide freezing order and making a full recovery.
• Advising an Irish bank in relation to a £20 million fraud claim against the directors of a customer to whom the financier provided a stock and invoice finance facility.
• Advising an investor who had financed a magazine business in relation to the fraudulent activities of directors.
• Advising overseas investors in relation to a dispute with an investment bank involving a Russian share scheme.

Affiliations

Admitted to practice: England and Wales