Greg Standing

I am a partner in the Finance Insolvency Recoveries and Sales Team (FIRST), part of the Dispute Resolution group. I specialise in all aspects of finance litigation, but in particular in asset finance disputes.

Tel: +44 (0)121 210 5044

Email: greg_standing@wragge.com

Best brains in ...

Unravelling and resolving complex legal issues around the passing of title in goods.

Advising financial institutions who are the victims of fraud, both internal and external, and reacting quickly in order to maximise the recovery of losses flowing from the fraud.

Identifying and then exposing the weak points in my opponent's case early on and then exploiting those to the benefit of my client. This can be a particularly powerful way of forcing an early settlement of a case on commercially advantageous grounds.

Highlight of your career so far?

Every case, big or small, where the client is pleased with a good commercial outcome is satisfying for me. If I had to choose one case it would be the successful appeal in Fairfax Gerrard Holdings Ltd & Ors v Capital Bank PLC (2007) [2007] EWCA Civ 1226 which was the culmination of seven years hard work defending my client.

Most challenging job you've ever done?

Acting for a major Bank which was caught up in a large claim for damages by its customer following a decision by his home insurers (formally a group company of the Bank and independently represented), and where the Bank had introduced the customer, to refuse cover on a claim. There were some difficult legal and evidential issues to the case, but even more challenging were dealing sensitively but firmly with some inevitable political issues between the Bank and the insurer. I am pleased to say that a settlement was achieved in a mediation to the satisfaction of the Bank.

What about outside the UK?

I am currently acting for a major bank in a claim against an ex-employee for the recovery of bribes and receipt of secret commissions where money and assets are held overseas.

I was also part of the Wragge & Co team who obtained the first unchallenged English administration order over a German registered company in the Birmingham District Registry.

What's your definition of going the extra mile, and when have you done it?

Going the extra mile normally involves some sort of self-sacrifice, which will usually be working intensively and at unsociable hours to achieve a result for a client in a short and fixed time frame. This happens reasonably frequently! It is all part of the service and often the client will be unaware of it.

Best example of a creative legal solution?

We operate in a market where service delivery can and does differentiate us from our competitors. For one client we wrote some bespoke IT to enable that client to instruct us electronically via an internet portal using a tick box drop down menu. This saves the client valuable time and ensures new instructions are received and can be actioned by us almost instantly.

How do you get under the skin of a client's business?

You have to spend the time to get under the client's skin to understand what drives their part of the business. When you can align what you do, with how that helps the client achieve their objectives, then you won't be going far wrong and you will hopefully have a happy client.

I have spent my entire career acting for a variety of financial institutions including two spells being seconded to work in-house with clients. I believe I understand what makes their back-end functions tick, and more importantly what they need their lawyers to deliver for them.

Most importantly, I build relationships with my clients, empathise, and show that I care.

What's your single greatest contribution to Wragge & Co's corporate responsibility?

I carry out pro-bono work for the LawWorks Electronic Advice Scheme and the Birmingham Legal Advice Clinic.

What's been written or said about you that you're most proud of?

"The job was exceedingly well done and your personal support has been first class".