Melanie Ryan represents clients in commercial litigation and disputes, corporate and regulatory investigations, and related enforcement proceedings. She advises clients across a range of areas with a particular focus on the banking, financial services, and energy sectors. Melanie is head of the firm's disputes practice group in London.
Melanie has represented clients in commercial disputes and litigation arising from some of the most high-profile issues of recent years in Europe, the United States, Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. Her recent litigation work includes representing financial institutions in claims arising from investments in various synthetic instruments (including collateralised debt obligations), acting for financial institutions in connection with multimillion pound losses in Switzerland arising from the Madoff fraud, and representing an international financial services provider in High Court and overseas proceedings on complex financial instruments.
Melanie advises corporates, financial institutions, and professionals on a broad range of investigations and regulatory enforcement issues, including financial crime, fraud, and corruption. Her key recent matters include representing clients in multijurisdictional Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations on the alleged manipulation of Forex, advising an energy sector client in significant Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigations brought by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) into conduct in West Africa, acting for a large independent stockbroking firm in connection with a multi-million pound fraud perpetrated by one of its brokers, and advising a global financial institution on cross-border investigations in relation to activity in Latin America.
Melanie also has extensive experience in dealing with Section 166 investigations under the UK Financial Services & Markets Act (FSMA), past business reviews, large scale customer redress exercises, remediation programmes and FCA Enforcement proceedings. In addition to her FCA work, Melanie has advised clients in proceedings involving the Serious Fraud Office, Channel Islands regulators, the Treasury Select Committee, the Financial Ombudsman Service, and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. She also represents clients in proceedings involving the DOJ and the SEC. Melanie is also an active member of the firm’s crisis management practice.
Melanie is a fluent French speaker.