Our Leadership & Counsel

Led by Senior Managing Partner Jonathan Vance, our London partners and counsel bring decades of distinguished commercial advisory, arbitration, and private client experience.

10 Attorneys & Partners

Sarah Williams, KC

Sarah Williams, KC

Senior Managing Partner

Corporate & Commercial Law · Civil & Commercial Litigation · Family & Matrimonial Law

Sarah Williams is a distinguished litigator with over 22 years of experience handling high-stakes corporate disputes and family matrimonial wealth division. Appointed King's Counsel, she leads the firm's complex litigation and family practice.

Jonathan Vance

Jonathan Vance

Senior Managing Partner

Corporate & Commercial Law · Civil & Commercial Litigation · Banking & Financial Disputes

Jonathan Vance is the Senior Managing Partner of Vance & Partners LLP and leads the firm's corporate and dispute resolution practices. With over two decades of experience advising domestic and international clients, Jonathan is renowned for his incisive judgement, meticulous preparation, and steady counsel in high-value, complex matters. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and regularly advises boards on their most consequential decisions.

James Ashford

James Ashford

Founding Partner & Head of Litigation

Civil & Commercial Litigation · Banking & Financial Disputes · Property & Real Estate Law

James Ashford specializes in property dispute resolution, cross-border commercial claims, and securities enforcement. Known for his tactical rigor and extensive appellate record across federal and state courts.

Eleanor Vance-Thornton, KC

Eleanor Vance-Thornton, KC

Partner & Head of Private Client & Wealth

Family & Matrimonial Law · Estate, Wills & Trust Planning

Eleanor leads the Private Client practice, advising high-net-worth families, international estates, and family offices on cross-border inheritance, trust structures, asset protection, and matrimonial wealth preservation.

Patricia Duhn

Patricia Duhn

Partner, Corporate & Employment

Corporate & Commercial Law · Banking & Financial Disputes · Employment & Labor Law

Patricia Okonkwo leads executive employment agreements, venture financings, and cross-border commercial transactions. She acts as trusted general counsel to Fortune 500 enterprises and high-growth fintechs.

Alistair Sterling

Alistair Sterling

Partner, Commercial Litigation & Arbitration

Civil & Commercial Litigation · Banking & Financial Disputes · Property & Real Estate Law

Alistair specializes in high-stakes commercial litigation, fraud asset recovery, and London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) proceedings. He has represented Fortune 500 multinationals and London financial institutions.

Michael Sterling

Michael Sterling

Partner, Criminal Defense & White Collar

Banking & Financial Disputes · Criminal Defense & White Collar

Former Senior Assistant Attorney General, Michael Sterling defends corporations, executive directors, and individuals under government investigation for securities violations, trade compliance, and financial claims.

Victoria Adeyemi

Victoria Adeyemi

Partner, Corporate, M&A & Financial Regulation

Corporate & Commercial Law · Banking & Financial Disputes · Employment & Labor Law

Victoria advises corporate boards, private equity sponsors, and financial institutions on cross-border mergers & acquisitions, FCA regulatory compliance, joint ventures, and capital restructurings in the City of London.

Elena Rostova

Elena Rostova

Senior Associate, Estate & Private Wealth

Estate, Wills & Trust Planning · Immigration & Global Mobility

Elena advises ultra-high-net-worth families on cross-border inheritance, asset protection trusts, family offices, and complex international immigration investor pathways.

Charles Montgomery

Charles Montgomery

Partner, White Collar & Regulatory Defense

Banking & Financial Disputes · Criminal Defense & White Collar

Charles represents corporate officers and global institutions in Serious Fraud Office (SFO), FCA investigations, international sanctions compliance, and corporate financial defense matters.