Rosenblatt
  • About
    • Memery Crystal
    • Investors
  • Services

    Services

    Rosenblatt is a disputes powerhouse. Competitive in the best sense, our teams provide incisive specialist expertise and collaborate closely with one another to meet our clients’ needs across the full spectrum of their activities.

    • Dispute Resolution
    • Construction, Engineering and Energy
    • Corporate Investigations
    • Debt Recovery
    • DLT, Digital Assets, and Tokenisation
    • Financial Crime
    • Financial Services
    • Insolvency & Financial Restructuring
    • International Arbitration
    • Probate & Wills
    • Serious & General Crime
    • Tax
    • Non-Contentious & Advisory
  • Insight
  • Events
  • Group Litigation
    • Amazon Legal Action
    • Property Investment Scheme Claims
    • Apple Class Action
  • Contact

Serious Fraud Office | ENRC Accused of ‘Vexatious Litigation’ in their Case Against the SFO

29th June 2021

Various human rights organisations have accused the Kazakh mining company, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) of using vexatious litigation in their case against the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and their former lawyers.

SFO Investigation | Rosenblatt’s Financial Crime Team

The SFO opened a formal investigation against ENRC in 2013 but have yet to bring any charges against the company.

Earlier this month, 20 human rights, freedom of expression and anti-corruption groups have spoken out to accuse ENRC of using the English courts to “escape public scrutiny” and to undermine the SFO’s investigation. ENRC are suing the SFO for misfeasance in public office, claiming that the SFO mishandled the investigation and induced their solicitors to breach their duties. In addition, ENRC have also brought a negligence claim against international law firm Dechert and their former head of white-collar crime, Neil Gerrard. For more information about the protracted relationship between the two organisations and in particular the legal actions brought by ENRC please see our earlier article.

It was highlighted by the human rights groups that “since the SFO announced its investigation, ENRC has initiated a wave of more than 16 legal proceedings in the US and the UK against journalists, lawyers, investigators, contractors, a former SFO official and the SFO itself.” Many argue that ENRC are trying to harass their critics into silence.

In response ENRC have strongly denied that it was engaged in vexatious liability or strategic lawsuits against public participation, instead stating that it is merely seeking to resolve its issues in open court.

Oral evidence in the ENRC claim began in person at the Rolls Building on 7 June 2021. In its opening ENRC alleged that Mr Gerrard made unauthorised contact with the SFO to whip up interest in the case in order to boost his own legal fees. It was further alleged that Mr Gerrard “cajoled” ENRC to self-report to the SFO because he knew it would generate “huge amounts” of work for Dechert.

This case is intended to run through the summer, with closing submissions scheduled for the end of September 2021. Our team will continue to monitor these legal proceedings and provide updates as further developments arise.

Rosenblatt can help

Rosenblatt has a wealth of experience in financial crime and is uniquely placed to support clients’ that are the subject of a Serious Fraud Office investigation and prosecution having being involved in high profile investigations into a global pharmaceuticals company, a multi-million pound affordable property investment scheme, a multi-million pound pension fraud scheme and a world leading global security company.

https://www.rosenblatt-law.co.uk/services/financial-crime/

Post navigation

Impact Investment, Redundant Hotels, Houses in Multiple Occupation and the Potential for a Covid Success Story
Judicial Notice Must Be Taken of the “Childcare Disparity” Between Women and Men

Categories

  • Articles
  • News
  • Videos

Topics

  • Banking & Finance
  • Competition & Regulatory
  • Corporate
  • Dispute Resolution
  • DLT, Cryptocurrencies and Crypto Assets
  • Employment
  • Financial Crime
  • Financial Services
  • Insolvency & Financial Restructuring
  • International Arbitration
  • Investigations
  • IP/Technology/Media
  • Real Estate
  • Tax
Rosenblatt
  • +44 (0) 20 7955 0880
  • info@rosenblatt-law.co.uk

Helpful Links

  • Anti-Modern Slavery Statement
  • Complaints Policy
  • Diversity & Equality
  • Interest
  • Pricing
  • Subscribe to our Mailing List

SRA No. 820215, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Ce Logo
Uk Top Tier Firm 2026

Rosenblatt is a trading name of RBG Legal Services Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (with company number 13287062) and which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under SRA No. 820215. A list of the directors of RBG Legal Services Limited, together with a list of those persons who are designated as partners of Rosenblatt, is available for inspection at the registered office of the company at 165 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2DY.

Rosenblatt uses the word “partner” to refer to a senior employee or consultant. However, Rosenblatt is not a partnership and the use of the term “partner” does not create or imply a partnership amongst or between any of its employees or consultants.

© 2025 Rosenblatt

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Website by Brighter*IR

link

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

Rosenblatt
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookies should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

Performance cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Cookie Policy

More information about our Cookie Policy.