Patrick Doris is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Group of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher’s London office, where he specialises in global white-collar investigations and commercial litigation.

Mr. Doris’ practice covers a wide range of disputes, including white-collar crime, internal and regulatory investigations, contentious antitrust matters, multi-jurisdictional commercial litigation, administrative law challenges against governmental decision-making before the UK and EU courts, public international law and commercial human rights law matters.

In the field of investigations, Mr. Doris is particularly experienced in handling bribery and corruption matters, sanctions, money laundering, insider dealing, financial sector wrongdoing, accounting violations and major cross-border tax investigations.

Mr. Doris’ recent commercial disputes experience has extended to advising corporations, UK public and regulatory bodies and sovereign states in claims before a range of domestic courts and tribunals in the UK, the General Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights and international arbitral tribunals.

He is recognised by Legal 500 UK 2021 in the fields of Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime, Administrative and Public Law and Commercial Litigation, in which clients are noted as having described him as: “totally committed, a great manager and really goes the extra mile” and “outstanding, has tremendous judgment, works exceptionally hard and always gives the impression that he is 100% dedicated to and focused on your case”. He is also ranked for International Arbitration and Litigation (White Collar) in the Lawdragon 500 Global Litigation Lawyers guide 2021.

Before entering private practice, Mr. Doris taught law at the University of Warwick and worked in the Criminal Division of the Law Commission of England & Wales, the UK government’s primary law reform body.  Mr. Doris earned his LL. M. (first class) in European Law in 1996; and received his BA in Law in 1994 from Trinity Hall, Cambridge University.  Mr. Doris speaks English, Spanish, French and Catalan, with recent experience of conducting investigations in each of those languages.

Selected Experience*

Mr. Doris’ recent white collar investigations experience includes:

• Representing a major global investment bank in self-reporting potential Bribery Act 2010 and other corruption-related violations to the Serious Fraud Office and Financial Conduct Authority.
• Representing a leading figure in the field of broadcasting in connection with the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practice and ethics of the Press.
• Representing a leading global business services firm in a major cross-border tax investigation.
• Representing a U.S. investment bank in connection with criminal investigations brought simultaneously in the U.S. (Department of Justice) and UK (Financial Conduct Authority and National Crime Agency) in relation to suspicions of insider dealing.
• Advising a leading U.S. operator in the financial sector in connection with an investigation into suspected OFAC and EU sanctions violations by third parties using facilities provided by the operator.
• Representing a leading online gambling operator in an investigation by the UK Competition & Markets Authority into alleged breaches of consumer protection laws.

Mr. Doris’ recent antitrust experience includes:

• Representing a major global banking entity in connection with global investigations relating to LIBOR manipulation, in particular in relation to the company’s internal investigation, and in connection with its cooperation with antitrust and other authorities, including the Financial Conduct Authority, Serious Fraud Office and European Commission.
• Representing a major global banking entity in connection with global investigations relating to manipulation of currency exchange rates, in particular in dealings with the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities & Exchange Commission.
• Advising a UK industrial in an investigation and resulting multiple leniency applications in Europe (leading to a grant of immunity from fines by the European Commission) regarding price-fixing, market-partitioning and information-sharing cartel concerns in polyurethane foam.
• Advising a leading UK supermarket on its successful response to the OFT’s Statement of Objections on the retail pricing of tobacco products.

Mr. Doris’ recent commercial litigation experience includes:

• Representing a leading online gambling operator in its successful defence of contested administrative law proceedings before the High Court and Court of Appeal in London in connection with allegations that it was facilitating the avoidance of industry-specific levies and unregulated provision of gambling services by its customers.
• Representing a sovereign state in litigation relating to allegations of corruption against a former public official.
• Representing a sovereign state in its successful defence of a multi-billion dollar expropriation claim before the European Court of Human Rights.
• Representing a consortium of U.S. airlines in an administrative law challenge against the Department of Energy and Climate Change in connection with the extension of the EU emissions trading scheme to aviation, ultimately resulting in proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
• Representing a UK industrial in proceedings before the General Court of the EU in proceedings to recover overpaid EU agricultural levies.

*Includes matters handled by Mr. Doris prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.