LONDON, December 19, 2016
International dispute resolution funder Vannin Capital PCCis delighted to announce the appointment of The Hon. Sir Andrew Smith QC to its global Investment Committee. Sir Andrew will work with Vannin’s top-tier multi-disciplinary team to review complex international cases presented to the business for third party disputes investment and to make recommendations to Vannin’s board in respect of investing in such claims. He is the second member to join Vannin’s IC since July this year and is the company’s seventh hire in the past twelve months.
Sir Andrew retired in October 2016 from being a full-time Judge of the High Court (Queen’s Bench Division) after 16 years of full-time judiciary service. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1990 and called to the Bar in 1974. Among other senior positions, he will continue as a Deputy High Court Judge, is appointed as a Judge to Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts (ADGM Courts), and will sit as an arbitrator.
Shortly after his appointment to the High Court, Sir Andrew was nominated by the Lord Chancellor to sit in the Admiralty Court and in the Commercial Court. He has sat in those two courts, in the Queen’s Bench and Chancery Divisions of the High Court, the Crown Courts and in the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal.
His skills and experience as a commercial judge were recognised when in 2008 he was appointed to be the Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court for an extended period, in order that he should supervise reforms to the Court’s new procedures that were introduced following the Report on Procedures for Long Trials.
“Vannin’s continued global advancement remains a core focus for the business in 2017,” said Nick Verardi, Director at Vannin. “This is reinforced by Sir Andrew’s appointment to the Investment Committee following a record number of international hires over the last year. His extraordinary career combined with his supreme reputation in legal markets across the world precedes him and we are delighted to welcome him to Vannin“.
