Stephanie Lee

Stephanie Lee

Partner

Stephanie is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Department.

She is an experienced commercial litigator, acting for domestic and international clients across a broad range of contentious matters, often involving high-profile and complex claims of significant value.

Stephanie has particular expertise in the financial services sector – both in litigation and contentious regulatory investigations – in securities litigation, and in matters involving allegations of fraud. She also has a breadth of experience, having acted variously on post-M&A, insolvency, environmental, intellectual property and defamation disputes. Her cases frequently have a multi-jurisdictional element to them.

Stephanie is one of the partners who successfully represented Hewlett Packard in its highly publicised fraud claims arising out of the US$11 billion acquisition of Autonomy Corporation plc.  The case represents the first (and so far only) time that Section 90A / Schedule 10A FSMA has been fully tested by the English Courts. Hewlett-Packard prevailed in establishing liability in respect of its fraud claims in 2022 and received a quantum judgment in its favour, for approximately $1 billion, in July 2025.  Stephanie also led Hewlett Packard's successful defence of the $160 million counterclaim – in respect of certain public statements made by Hewlett-Packard – brought by the first defendant, Michael Lynch, in those proceedings.

Stephanie is ranked as a 'Leading Individual' for both Civil Fraud and Banking Litigation in The Legal 500 UK, and is also recommended for her contentious financial services work by the same publication.  In addition, she  is recognised in the 2025 edition of "Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom".

Throughout her career, Stephanie has played a significant role in Travers Smith's pro bono practice, including acting for survivors of domestic abuse and human trafficking.  Stephanie also acts as Co-head of Graduate Recruitment at Travers Smith, responsible for identifying and recruiting our next generation of lawyers.

WORK HIGHLIGHTS

Acting for Hewlett Packard group companies in their successful accounting fraud claims – in the "tech trial of the century" – arising out of the US$11 billion acquisition of Autonomy Corporation plc in 2011.

Representing a director in High Court proceedings relating to alleged misstatements and omissions in an IPO prospectus (claims brought pursuant to section 90 FSMA for approximately £300 million).

Leading the defence of two separate sets of proceedings against Camellia plc and two of its English subsidiaries involving novel "parent company liability" claims concerning alleged human rights abuses in the operations of two overseas subsidiaries of the Camellia group in Kenya and Malawi respectively.

Representing a private equity client in high-value and complex warranty and fraudulent misrepresentation claims (including advising on the W&I insurance interplay).

Representing both firms and individuals in relation to a variety of regulatory investigations and enforcement actions brought by regulators across numerous jurisdictions, including the FCA, the European Commission, the US Department of Justice and the US CFTC.

Acting for Merlin Entertainments in relation to civil proceedings for damages and an injunction for alleged noise nuisance at the Alton Towers theme park.

Representing Sebastian Holdings, Inc. in its multi-billion dollar claim in the Commercial Court against Deutsche Bank arising from a series of exotic derivatives transactions.

WHAT OTHERS SAY

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