Our People ^[1] > Bernard O’Sullivan

Bernard O’Sullivan, Senior Partner

+44 (0) 20 7842 1652

bernard.osullivan@byrneandpartners.com ^[2]

“…commended for his ability to ‘see the bigger picture – he knows that it’s not just about the litigation, but about achieving a settlement”
- Chambers UK 2010 Edition

“…has ‘excellent judgement, and is measured and very professional’.”
- The Legal 500 2010 Edition

Expertise

Bernard O’Sullivan is the senior partner of Byrne and Partners. He specialises in regulatory investigations and commercial litigation, frequently acting for claimants and defendants in large civil fraud investigations with multi-jurisdictional elements. Bernard regularly advises on investigations by a wide variety of bodies in the UK and overseas, covering such matters as market abuse and money laundering. He also has a substantial practice dealing with international mutual legal assistance requests.Bernard is a Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Courts Criminal and Civil Proceedings).

Notable experience

• Obtaining a £425 million freezing order against Russian state oil company Rosneft, in support of attempts by a former subsidiary of Yukos Oil to enforce arbitration awards in England and Wales. Bernard also worked with lawyers in other jurisdictions to obtain mirror orders. All orders were ultimately discharged on the provision of security by Rosneft
• Acting for an oil distribution company in proceedings against its former managers to recover US$60 million worth of expropriated assets and business where Bernard led a team of international lawyers to obtain freezing injunctions and receivership orders in the BVI, Cyprus and Singapore and took the matter to trial in Singapore before it settled on terms favourable to the claimant
• Acting for a key defendant in the high profile TadAZ prosecution, brought by the Government of Tajikistan in the English High Court
• Since 2000, coordinating the worldwide defence of the Abacha family in respect of claims worth billions of dollars made by the Nigerian Government.

Background

Bernard formerly led the civil investigations team at Dechert, before leaving with fellow partners to establish Byrne and Partners in 2003. Bernard is recommended by both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners guides to the profession. The latter commends his “ability to see the bigger picture” and skills in achieving settlement.