Tory peer Lord Edward Garnier is joining US law firm Pillsbury as senior counsel, as it continues its expansion into the City, City AM can reveal.
Lord Garnier KC, currently a member of the House of Lords, served as Solicitor General under David Cameron. He was MP for Harborough from 1992 to 2017.
The barrister, specialising in libel, who is currently practising from 4 Pump Court, was notably the driving force behind the UK’s adoption of the US’s Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA).
He led the legal teams in four of the twelve UK DPAs ever negotiated, two on behalf of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Pillsbury chair David Dekker stated, “[Lord Garnier] has unsurpassed experience navigating the intricacies of investigations, from both government and private practice perspectives.”
The senior silk was hired to bolster the firm’s new corporate investigations and white collar practice.
“Edward Garnier is among the UK’s most influential figures in financial crime and investigations,” said Pillsbury global head of litigation Deborah Baum. “To have him working closely with our many outstanding practitioners in London and the United States is both an honour and of enormous benefit to our international clientele.”
The firm expanded its corporate investigations and white collar defence practice in London last year after hiring former SFO prosecutor Audrey Koh, who will work closely with Lord Garnier.
“We’re pleased to be growing our London white-collar practice, which has always been a strong point for the US team,” said Koh.
The SFO recently gained additional power after the Failure to Prevent Fraud offence came into effect in September, which can see large companies held criminally liable if employees commit fraud to benefit the company and the company lacks adequate prevention procedures in place.
“The extra-territorial nature of the corporate failure to prevent regime in the UK makes London a vital hub for cross-border investigations, so our expansion feels both natural and timely,” she added.
Speaking on his new role, Lord Garnier said he is delighted to be working with the expanding Pillsbury team.
“Having brought DPAs from America to England, I know there is a huge amount we British lawyers can learn from our US counterparts about how to solve clients’ problems in the world of international and cross-border disputes, and I hope that I can bring plenty to the party in return, not least in relation to the British regime covering corporate failure to prevent bribery, tax evasion and fraud offences,” he added.
Firm on selective hiring spear in London
The US firm relocated its office in London last year to accommodate more space at 100 Bishopsgate.
“The London office has grown by over 30 per cent in the last twelve months, which shows the real importance of Pillsbury’s place in being part of the London and broader UK legal market,” Dekker explained.
The firm has hired seven new senior lawyers in London in the past 18 months, including Koh; emerging companies and venture capital partner Sarah Melaney; partner Daphne Higgs, who serves as Bay Area and London chair of technology transactions and AI; restructuring partner Natasha Atkinson; and Laurence Lieberman, a cross-border disputes partner embedded in the Indian and Israeli markets.
They’ve also snapped up Hamid Yunis, a corporate and M&A partner, who joined from McDermott where he was the London office managing partner for over five years.
The London office serves as a hub for Pillsbury’s Middle East practice, alongside its offices in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as the firm focuses on growth in the region.