Zahler Bryan

Zahler has significant experience in high value international and domestic civil fraud matters and regularly acts both led and unled in cases involving the misappropriation of funds.

Recent Cases

•  İşbilen v Hanson Asset Management Ltd [2023-ongoing]: acts with Matthew Morrison KC for a financial services provider in relation to an alleged fraud arising from the removal of assets from Turkey. Related high profile proceedings are also brought against Mr Turk in relation to the same alleged fraud, with the proceedings set for a conjoined trial towards the end of 2026.
• Mozambique v Credit Suisse & Ors; VTBC & Ors v Mozambique [2024] EWHC 1957; [2024] EWHC 3188: acted with Jonathan Adkin KC for the Republic of Mozambique in its successful multi-billion dollar claim against a number of financial institutions and the Privinvest group, arising from an international fraud relating to the obtaining of sovereign guarantees for a series of loans in what became known as the ‘tuna bonds scandal’. This case was one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2023.
• Acted for the principal beneficiary of a trust bringing a claim for fraudulent breach of trust and dishonest assistance in relation to the misappropriation of property held by the trust.
• Instructed by a high net worth individual to seek specific performance of an agreement concerning the ownership of very valuable shareholdings.
• Glenn v Watson; Novatrust Limited v Kea Investments Ltd: acted for the successful claimants in long-running proceedings brought by New Zealand businessman Sir Owen Glenn against Eric Watson for deceit, bribery and breach of fiduciary duty, led by Elizabeth Jones KC and instructed by Farrer & Co LLP. Following the multi-million damages award achieved by the claimants at trial, the subsequent enforcement action involved multiple dimensions including a 4 week committal application.
• Khalifeh v Blom Bank [2021] EWHC 3399 (QB): acted for the claimant who sought the return of monies held in a Lebanese bank account at trial, following successfully defeating the Lebanese bank’s jurisdiction challenge by establishing that the claimant was a consumer for the purposes of the European rules of jurisdiction ([2020] EWHC 2427 (QB)).
• Satfinance Investment Ltd v Athena Art Finance Corp [2019-2020]: acted with Philip Shepherd KC for the defendant speciality lender resisting a claim brought by Satfinance Investment asserting ownership of a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting,  arising from agreements made with Inigo Philbrick. Athena Art Finance successfully set aside the permission granted to Satfinance to serve proceedings out of the jurisdiction, a decision upheld on appeal ([2020] EWHC 3527 (Ch)).
• Ang v Reliantco Investments Ltd [2019] 3 WLR 161: acted for the claimant, who had invested in Bitcoin futures through a cryptocurrency trading platform provided by a Cypriot company, led by Jonathan Harris KC (Hon.) and instructed by SCA ONTIER LLP. The claimant issued proceedings in England after her account was terminated and no monies returned. The claimant defeated the defendant’s jurisdiction challenge by successfully arguing that an investor in Bitcoin futures was a consumer for the purposes of the European rules of jurisdiction.
• Mahdavi v Sterling Avram: acted for the successful claimants in this dispute arising from a multi-million pound property fraud carried out by a consultant engaged by a solicitors’ firm, led by Daniel Lightman KC and instructed by Shakespeare Martineau LLP. The proceedings raised novel questions about (i) the legal protection available against property fraud where the fraudster operates within a solicitors’ firm and (ii) the availability of relief under section 61 of the Trustee Act 1925 to solicitors who have paid away client monies in breach of trust.
• Akhmedova v Akhmedov: assisted Dakis Hagen KC, instructed by Payne Hicks Beach, in relation to a substantial asset tracing exercise following one of the highest divorce awards ever made in the English courts.
• Business Energy Solutions v Scrivener & Ors: acted for the claimant company, led by Philip Marshall KC, in an unlawful means conspiracy claim against defendants who are alleged to have induced the company’s customers to breach their contractual obligations. Zahler also acted in a related breach of confidence claim against one of the company’s former employees.