Robin Pickworth is a commercial litigator and head of Armstrong Teasdale’s U.K. Civil Fraud practice with extensive experience of international fraud and private client disputes. His practice is quite diverse, having worked across a number of industries from financial services and banking to natural resources. His experience includes handling several multibillion-pound disputes, as well as claims involving sovereign wealth funds and governments. Robin is ranked in the directories and has been described as: “the perfect all-round litigator. Very good on the law, attentive, great with clients and excellent on strategy. A thoroughly nice guy and very easy to work with, I have recommended him to a number of colleagues and clients”; “Really stand-out. One of the best solicitors I have worked with. Engaged; hard-working; commercial and very bright”; “tough as nails”; “excellent”; “highly skilled”;  “impressive”;  and “gets on very well with clients.”

Commercial Fraud
Robin has acted in ultra-high value alleged frauds in the banking, pharmaceutical, natural resources and public sectors, usually in the Commercial Court. His cases routinely involve worldwide freezing injunctions. His recent experience includes obtaining urgent injunctions to restrain and recover assets arising out of the purchase of PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shareholder and Company Disputes
Robin has extensive experience with shareholder disputes, including unfair prejudice petitions, as well as partnership and joint venture disputes.

Finance and Banking
Robin acted in several financial disputes including achieving what is understood to be one of the largest ever judgments in the Gulf Region (worth over $700 million), in respect of financial derivative product. Robin has also been seconded to a private equity house.

Insolvency
Robin has acted across insolvency issues, including as an external administrator of a foreign bank in a multibillion-dollar alleged fraudulent scheme which involved multi-jurisdictional litigation over several years.

Arbitration
Acting in both litigation and arbitration, Robin’s arbitral experience includes an ultra-high value professional negligence dispute in the accountancy industry.

Commodity Disputes
Having acted in many international commodities disputes, usually in the energy and natural resources sector, Robin has experience advising on termination rights, hardship clauses and the enforcement of restrictive covenants in the mining industry.

Private Client and Trusts Issues
His experience includes a multibillion-dollar offshore trust dispute and advising on asset protection strategies. Robin often acts for high-net-worth individuals, and his experience ranges from defending an alleged multimillion-pound unpaid gambling debt in the Commercial Court, to various ultra-high value auction disputes.

Middle East
Robin has spent a considerable part of his career acting on disputes in Middle Eastern and African jurisdictions and routinely manages cross-border disputes.

Robin is a recognised lawyer for Commercial Litigation work in the 2021 edition of the Legal 500, in which one practitioner commented, “I have worked closely with Robin Pickworth. We were adverse to each other in a very hostile and volatile situation. Normally I end up despising the lawyer on the other side but although he was tough as nails, he won my respect as an excellent lawyer – he is also unflappable and a pleasure to deal with."