Mishcon de Reya strengthens its investigations practice

Mishcon de Reya strengthens its investigations practice

Alison Geary joins the London firm as a partner from WilmerHale

One of the top 30 law firms in London, Mishcon de Reya has reinforced its white-collar and investigations practice in London. It has added Alison Geary as a partner from WilmerHale.

Mishcon had earlier lost its practice head Jo Rickhards to Greenberg Traurig along with five of the firm's defence and business disputes partners. This happened ahead of its planned listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

Johanna Walsh, the partner in Mishcon's white-collar crime and investigations group, described Geary as "an impressive practitioner" well-known for her "dynamism, ambition and breadth of expertise." She added that the firm was "thrilled to welcome her to the team and had no doubt she would make a strong contribution."

Geary had spent nine years at WilmerHale, having joined as an associate from Taylor Wessing in 2012. She was promoted to counsel in 2017. She handles white-collar and corporate crime matters on behalf of individuals and corporations concerning fraud, bribery, corruption, cartels, market abuse and money laundering.

Geary has considerable experience of acting in investigations by the UK and overseas investigators and prosecutors, including the UK Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Conduct Authority and the US Department of Justice.

There had been a flurry of movement around Mishcon since its plan to list on the LSE gained traction when it brought in J P Morgan to advise on the matter. The firm had confirmed it was set to go public after the move was approved by at least three-quarters of the firm's partnership.

It, subsequently, emerged that Mishcon's head of international arbitration, Karel Daele, was leaving the firm to join Taylor Wessing after nine years. Later, the fraud defense and business partners and competition partner Rob Murray and private client partner Madalina Dumitrescu too left the firm.

Geary has made strategic expansion moves in the last few months, announcing a "combination" with tech-focused legal and advisory business partner Taylor Winters. This was done in a bid to extend its reach into the innovation economy and grow its presence in Asia through a tie-up with the Hong Kong-based firm Karas.