Government finance ministers and stateless mid-transit migrants exist in completely different realms of power. However, they both require innovative thinking when it comes to legal advice. The judges in the Innovative Practitioner category of the FT Innovative Lawyers awards faced the challenge of evaluating how well the nominated lawyers delivered this advice and the outcomes they achieved.
José Alberto Navarro received recognition for his pro bono work with detained migrants and refugees, earning him a place in this annual FT report for the fourth consecutive year. His dedication and the quality of his work on behalf of vulnerable individuals were highly commended.
On the other hand, Rachel Kent stood out for her exceptional clarity in providing advice on post-Brexit financial services. This earned her widespread support from the judging panel and made her the clear winner in this category. The fact that she is the go-to lawyer for both the UK Treasury and City of London firms affected by its policies demonstrates her ability to effectively communicate complex changes that impact thousands of jobs and billions of pounds.
The profiles included in this report were compiled by RSGI researchers and FT editors. The “Winner” designation indicates that the individual has received an Innovative Lawyers 2023 award, while the rest of the individuals are listed in alphabetical order. The judging panel responsible for evaluating the nominations is listed below.
Rachel Kent, Partner at Hogan Lovells – Winner
Rachel Kent didn’t initially set out to become a policy adviser, but her experience as a financial services lawyer proved to be a valuable asset when she became involved in policy discussions in 2016. She played a key role in drafting post-Brexit responses on behalf of lobby group TheCityUK and the City of London Corporation. Kent was also responsible for drafting a proposed memorandum of understanding between the UK and EU on issues like “passporting” that ensure banks’ continued access to markets. Her expertise and clarity in this area earned her recognition and support from the judging panel.
Ffion Flockhart, Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright
Ffion Flockhart, co-head of the law firm’s data privacy and cyber security practice, takes a unique approach to helping clients respond to cyber security crises. Instead of offering a one-stop-shop service, she has built a multidisciplinary team that brings diverse perspectives to the firm’s cyber crisis response. For more serious breaches, Flockhart also collaborates with external experts in forensics, crisis PR, and ransom negotiation. She primarily deals with ransomware attacks, which involve cyber criminals stealing a company’s data and demanding a ransom for its release. Flockhart emphasizes the importance of balancing caution with a fast response and has implemented a support system to help team members cope with the high-pressure nature of their work.
Etay Katz, Partner at Ashurst
Etay Katz and his team provided legal advice to investment bank Goldman Sachs on the development of a digital assets platform using private blockchain technology. This project required not only technical legal expertise but also a strategic understanding of international finance and the implications of new technology. Katz’s role was to advise on the platform, which enables the bank to facilitate the rapid exchange of digital assets in a similar way to a clearing house. Before specializing in financial technology, Katz focused on financial regulation, providing advice to banks and institutions such as the UK’s Law Commission. He joined Ashurst two years ago and is a member of the innovation advisory group at the Financial Conduct Authority, the UK’s watchdog.
Cristina Mesa, Partner at Garrigues
Cristina Mesa, an intellectual property lawyer, is at the forefront of establishing the copyright implications of new technologies. Her work includes securing a court ruling that declares the Ferrari 488 GTB sports car as a work of art. This ruling prevents unauthorized digital reproductions of the car’s bodywork using 3D scanning and selling them as “one-off models.” Mesa has also contributed to the development of intellectual property law in Spain through two Supreme Court cases. She successfully argued on behalf of carmaker Kia’s Spanish subsidiary Kia Ibérica that software functionalities are not protected after the company was accused of plagiarism. Mesa also represented Spanish tech company Infonis in arguing for protection and compensation for its database, which US competitor IMS Health had used without permission.
Angus Miln, Partner at Taylor Wessing
Angus Miln, a capital markets lawyer, focuses on helping young start-up companies navigate the legal challenges associated with securing early-stage investments. He and his team developed a digital platform that provides automated but customized legal support, as well as shared access to valuable data for investors and companies. As clients explore the use of blockchain technology and digital assets, Miln has provided training for fee earners at the firm to better advise on the legal implications. He also played a key role in creating an employee incentives program that allows colleagues to award digital tokens to recognize outstanding contributions. Miln advised the UK government on the Future Fund, which was established to help start-ups access capital during the pandemic, and also helped create a crisis task force following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
José Alberto Navarro, Partner at Uría Menéndez
José Alberto Navarro, a pro bono lawyer, has had a profound impact on the development of the law in Spain through his human rights work. His projects have been recognized in each of the past four FT Innovative Lawyers reports. In 2022, his team successfully obtained Spanish nationality for a girl who was born while her mother was traveling from Cameroon to Europe via Morocco and was not registered. The lawyers argued that Spanish nationality was crucial to ensuring her fundamental rights. Navarro and his team also forced the Spanish government to acknowledge its responsibility in the death of a Congolese immigrant held in a Spanish detention facility in 2020. In a previous case, they secured refugee status for a mother and daughter from Ivory Coast who were threatened by female genital mutilation. Despite laws denying asylum for gender-based claims, Navarro argued that the threat justified granting them refugee status.
Dóra Petrányi, Partner at CMS
Dóra Petrányi, managing director for central and eastern Europe at CMS, has played a crucial role in establishing the firm as an outsourced legal team supporting clients across the region. With previous in-house experience at Hungarian telecoms operator Magyar Telekom, Petrányi prioritizes the use of technology to deliver efficient legal services. During Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she set up location alerts for employees at the firm’s Budapest office and offered refuge to Ukrainian colleagues. Petrányi is also co-chair of the Hungarian AI Coalition’s regulatory and ethics committee, which aims to develop the country’s standpoint on AI regulation. Additionally, she serves on the international board of the Global Telecom Women’s Network.
Joydeep Sengupta, Partner at Mayer Brown
Joydeep Sengupta is an international expert admitted to the Paris, New York, and Ontario bars. Fluent in six languages, he has built a cross-border litigation practice in Paris that serves financial institutions in France. His expertise lies in helping these institutions navigate regulation and sanctions in the context of sensitive investigations and litigation. Sengupta has conducted cross-border research projects on money laundering and investigations into sanctions violations across European, Asian, and North American jurisdictions. He is committed to promoting diversity within the firm and takes pride in hiring and mentoring lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds. Sengupta, born and raised in India, has a special interest in social justice and is among the individuals suing the Indian government in the fight for marriage equality.
Mélanie Thill-Tayara, Partner at Dechert
Competition lawyer Mélanie Thill-Tayara has represented some of the world’s largest companies in disputes with the French competition authority. In a notable case, she successfully argued for a reduction in the penalty imposed on Apple by the competition regulator. The fine, originally set at €1.1bn, was reduced to €371mn by the appeals court. Thill-Tayara asserted that Apple had the right to organize the delivery allocation aspect of its distribution model and argued against the regulator’s allegations of forcing retail resellers to align prices with its own stores and website. Apple continues to appeal the remaining fine. In addition to her work in competition law, Thill-Tayara supports humanitarian charities and played an active role in assisting colleagues during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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