Patrick Swain Joins Debevoise as a Partner in the Commercial Litigation Group

1 November 2021

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP announced today that Patrick Swain has joined the firm’s London office as a partner in the Commercial Litigation Group.

Mr. Swain is one of the leading litigators in the UK. He is a Band 1 ranked lawyer by Chambers & Partners UK, and an established leader in commercial and corporate disputes, having guided clients through high profile disputes and claims involving M&A-related and other shareholder disputes, commercial fraud claims, professional negligence litigation and contentious insolvency. He has practiced in London, New York and Hong Kong.

In his new role, Mr. Swain will add to the firm’s deep experience in UK commercial litigation and bring his distinctly international perspective to bear for the firm’s clients.

Michael Blair, Presiding Partner, comments: “Our litigation practice in the UK has long worked at the highest level of the market, achieving a series of high profile wins in the country’s most senior courts. Patrick fits that mould perfectly, having a proven track record of working with sophisticated clients on their most business critical litigation matters. We are confident that he will become a key member of the group and will quickly establish himself as part of the leadership team in our London office.”

Lord Goldsmith KC, chair of European and Asian litigation at Debevoise, comments: “Patrick’s reputation in the market is second to none. He is a formidable lawyer who has achieved notable success over a number of years. His ability to create effective litigation strategies in the most difficult of scenarios will be of significant benefit to our clients. Having previously worked with Patrick many years ago, I’m looking forward to welcoming him to the team and working alongside him again.”

Patrick Swain comments: “Debevoise’s reputation for deep collaboration, excellent lawyering and strong client relationships is a powerful draw. In Lord Goldsmith KC, the practice already has one of the most established litigators in the market. I look forward to working with him and to joining the global Debevoise community.”

The Debevoise Commercial Litigation practice is one of the strongest in the industry, consistently delivering outstanding results for its clients. In the UK, the practice’s recent successes include high profile wins in the High Court for Tethyan Copper Company, Sberbank and Petro Poroshenko (the former Ukrainian President), as well as a multijurisdictional dispute for a Chinese private investment vehicle resulting in asset recoveries in excess of $1.7 billion.