Holly has a broad practice including commercial, competition and banking litigation and contentious regulatory and criminal investigations. Holly advises clients including major corporate entities and financial institutions across a range of sectors.
Holly has cross-jurisdictional investigation experience involving both regulatory and prosecuting authorities, including those relating to bribery and corruption, market abuse and money laundering.
In addition to her commercial litigation work, Holly has experience of competition litigation in the High Court, Competition Appeal Tribunal and before the European Court of Justice. Holly’s competition litigation practice includes follow-on damages claims, standalone claims and judicial review proceedings.
Highlights include advising:
- John Wood Group on an investigation by the SFO into alleged bribery at certain AMEC Foster Wheeler companies it acquired in 2017 and strategic advice on parallel international investigations by the US, Brazilian and Scottish authorities. A Deferred Prosecution Agreement was successfully negotiated with the SFO, announced in July 2021.
- A FTSE 100 company in relation to an FCA investigation into alleged breaches of the Market Abuse Regulation and the Listing Rules and Disclosure and Transparency Rules.
- Deutsche Bank in relation to the settlement of extensive regulatory investigations into various interbank offer rates (including LIBOR) in multiple jurisdictions, including both the regulatory investigation conducted by the FCA into the bank and the investigation undertaken by the SFO.
- An international banking group in relation to a criminal investigation by the FCA into potential breaches of anti-money laundering rules and legislation.
- Bupa Insurance Services Limited on the immediate and long-term challenges arising from unauthorised access and theft of data by a rogue employee, including obtaining urgent court orders and obligations arising in respect of the FCA, PRA and ICO.
- MAN SE on multi-billion pound damages group and class actions in the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the High Court following the European Commission’s truck cartel investigation.
- British Airways in the multi-jurisdictional airfreight services cartel litigation in the High Court, following the air cargo cartel investigations by multiple authorities across the globe.
- American Express Services Europe before the European Court of Justice in proceedings regarding the Interchange Fees Regulation.
- A leading multinational energy company in relation to a major arbitration in Singapore (under the SIAC rules) worth in excess of US$5 billion arising out of a sale of oil and gas assets.
- A public body with regulatory responsibilities in relation to its investigations protocol.
Holly is recognised as a Next Generation Partner in each of Financial Services: Contentious, Competition Litigation and Commercial Litigation in Legal 500 2024. Holly is also listed in Who’s Who Legal Competition Future Leaders – Partners 2023 publication and as a Future Leader – Partner in Who’s Who Legal for Commercial Litigation 2023. Holly is also listed in the WWL: Competition 2023 guide.
Holly is a contributing author to GIR’s The Practitioner’s Guide to Global Investigations, (Fourth Edition).
Sources remark that Holly “stands out for her impeccable judgement and sangfroid” which makes her a “deadly opponent”. Legal 500 2024, Competition Litigation. Another commentator adds that Holly is “razor-sharp”, a “meticulous lawyer with a wonderful eye for detail” and “someone you’d want as part of your team” Legal 500 2024, Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime.