Dechert’s global co-head of white collar crime is to retire after almost a decade at the international firm.

Partner Neil Gerrard, who will be 66 when he retires, will leave at the end of the year after nine years in post. A replacement has yet to be announced.

Prior to being admitted as a solicitor in 1991, Gerrard was a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Service. He has since advised on some of the largest investigations carried out by UK regulators, including the global investigation into Airbus SE which resulted in a deferred prosecution agreement with the Serious Fraud Office.

This year, Gerrard appeared as a witness in state hacking claim Rakia v Azima. During cross examination, the solicitor was accused of human rights breaches against a Jordanian lawyer Karam Al Sadeq, allegations which he strongly denies. 

Al Sadeq has now filed a claim in the High Court against Gerrard – along with Dechert and two other current and former partners – alleging he was kidnapped, interrogated and placed in solitary confinement for 560 days during an investigation conducted by the firm.

The allegations have been strongly denied and a spokesperson for the firm said: ‘The allegations against the firm and its personnel are completely without foundation and we shall be vigorously defending ourselves against them.’