Zia Ullah once described himself as a “dirty crime lawyer.” But this understates his skills and following his stint as global head of sanctions at Barclays he is now co-global head of the corporate crime and investigations team at Eversheds Sutherland, with many a string to his bow.
Ullah has been at the forefront of the firm’s work that has come out of the Russia-Ukraine war. The specialist sanctions team has performed and grown in the face of significant pressures in the context of those sanctions, gaining stronger relationships with global financial institutions. Since February 2022, the team has advised over 70 clients on all aspects of the crisis – so watch out, magic circle firms – Ullah’s team is now frequently chosen to advise on this strategic work.
Last year, Ullah concluded a mammoth cross-border investigation worth tens of millions in fees, which looked into the potential violation of UK and US sanctions and involved over 100 lawyers and consultants across both jurisdictions. In an ultimate success for the client, a major financial services institution, the regulatory authorities took no further action.