Veteran barrister opens litigation boutique in London

Veteran barrister opens litigation boutique in London

Seamus Andrew, the founding partner of Ontier, has launched Velitor Law to focus on hedge fund disputes

Seamus Andrew, the former barrister, is launching his law firm Velitor Law with a team of five others.

Velitor Law would quintessentially be a litigation boutique that intends to focus on corporate claimant work and hedge fund disputes.

Andrew was one of the founding partners of the law firm SCA Ontier which was rebranded as Ontier earlier this year following Andrew's retirement from the partnership.

"The firm has a singular focus on claimants which gives us a real sense of purpose, backed by a level of experience of handling high-profile cases," Andrew said.

Besides targeting corporate claimant work, Velitor Law would be acting on a conflict-free basis and deploying technology to allow for agile and flexible working.

He is being joined by senior associate Liam Spender, associates Jason Rose and Inês Santos, and two paralegals.

Andrew has said that he aims to bring a different dynamic to disputes by enforcing rights, with determination and resilience.

The Velitor Law team has expertise in financial services, particularly disputes involving hedge funds, and will also handle mainstream commercial claims.

"We think there's room here to liberate our clients from the complexities of the big commercial cases and cut to the chase. We aim to be the choice for firms which are conflicted because of their size, but need to make sure that their clients are looked after. With us you get the highly-crafted counsel of a boutique," Andrew explained.

"This is a market dominated by sabre-rattling. We know that being effective in a dispute is more nuanced. Compelling thinking, rather than brute strength, combined with a good dose of emotional intelligence, can make all the difference. I've always felt that litigation isn't an on/off switch. It's about all balance," the Velitor Law founder said.

Qualified in England & Wales, Andrew is also called to the Bar in the British Virgin Islands and has practised in the Cayman Islands. His associates have UK, Australian and Hong Kong practice experience.

He founded the litigation boutique SC Andrew in 2004. During the earlier part of his legal career, Andrew had stints at Clifford Chance, Walkers and leading Manchester commercial set Deans Court Chambers.