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Biography

Francesca Gibbons
Francesca Gibbons Harneys front portrait image

Hard-working and diligent with a solicitor’s experience, organisation and skills.

Legal 500

Francesca Gibbons

Partner | Dispute Resolution | London
Mobile +44 20 3752 3625 francesca.gibbons@harneys.com
Biography

Francesca Gibbons is a partner in our Litigation and Insolvency practice in London, practising BVI and Bermuda law, having over 16 years’ experience of complex and high-value international commercial and trust litigation and asset recovery in a range of industries including oil, mining, shipping and telecoms.

Francesca acts for a wide range of clients, including global and boutique law firms, IPs, trustees, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals from around the world.

Much of Francesca’s work includes coordinating strategy in large-scale cross-border disputes, with specialist expertise in Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden and the Middl

...

Francesca Gibbons is a partner in our Litigation and Insolvency practice in London, practising BVI and Bermuda law, having over 16 years’ experience of complex and high-value international commercial and trust litigation and asset recovery in a range of industries including oil, mining, shipping and telecoms.

Francesca acts for a wide range of clients, including global and boutique law firms, IPs, trustees, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals from around the world.

Much of Francesca’s work includes coordinating strategy in large-scale cross-border disputes, with specialist expertise in Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden and the Middle East.

Before joining us in 2015, Francesca was a banking and finance litigation solicitor onshore. In that role, she undertook three successful client secondments at Barclays Bank PLC in London and has a unique insight into the client experience.

Alongside her commercial practice, Francesca is a trusts litigation expert and was a founding committee member of the Contentious Trusts Association (ConTrA) for six years. Other memberships include the ILA, CFLA, IWIRC, and RISA (associate member).

Francesca sits on Harneys’ global litigation blog editorial board and regularly contributes to articles and podcasts. Francesca has also been a member of the CSR committee since 2016.

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Recommendations

Francesca is recommended in the Asset Recovery guide.

Francesca is recommended in the Asset Recovery guide.

Sources say Francesca is “hard-working and diligent with a solicitor’s experience, organisation and skills. It’s clear that, throughout a matter’s life, Francesca keeps the client’s desired outcome very much in focus. Her promotion to partnership was well deserved as it seems that the London office has been reliant on her for a long time.”

Francesca is recognised as a global leader in the Asset Recovery guide.

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Commercial litigation

  • Acting as lead partner in US$2 billion Russian dispute spanning four BVI actions, including Court of Appeal and Privy Council proceedings.
  • Acting as lead partner in US$75 million Bermuda dispute defending allegations of trading at an undervalue.
  • Jointly running judicial review proceedings against the Attorney General in the BVI as part of a two-partner team.
  • Acting for household name investors in the US$1.45 billion Bernard Madoff litigation in the BVI.

Trust disputes

  • Lead partner acting for Swiss trustee in confidential proceedings attacking the veracity of a BVI trust, in tandem with Swiss, Swedish and Cyprus legal teams.
  • Lead acting for Swiss trustee in prosecuting BVI proceedings to trial against a fellow shareholder, including insolvency proceedings.
  • Advising beneficiaries on breaches of a BVI trust.

Shareholder and company disputes

  • Acting as lead in Iraqi telecoms shareholders’ dispute including managing a counterclaim of over US$100 million.
  • Acting as lead in retail shareholders’ dispute concerning a retail empire, with Middle East and India connections.

Asset recovery

  • Wealth of experience in recovering assets and enforcement, including interim measures such as Norwich Pharmacal Orders.

Bermuda
2025

British Virgin Islands
2015

England and Wales (not practising)
2009

College of Law (LPC)
2007

University of East Anglia and Lunds Universitet (LLB)
2005

Hard-working and diligent with a solicitor’s experience, organisation and skills.
Legal 500