Raj Parker is an associate member of Matrix and prior to joining was a solicitor at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for over 30 years, 23 as a Partner. He specialises in general commercial and financial services dispute resolution, international regulatory investigations, public and administrative, and sports law. He has handled contentious and regulatory issues in the insurance, banking, pharmaceuticals, air traffic, leisure, diamond, energy, transport, reconstruction and insolvency, sport and media sectors. He also specialises in corporate criminal investigations and white collar crime issues and is a member of the Governance, Investigations and Solutions – Matrix Integrity + team.
Commercial Law
Raj has handled many contentious issues arising out of the Air Traffic, Banking and Insurance, Private Equity, Leisure, Diamond, Oil and Gas, Transport, Sport and Media Sectors.
Sports Law
Raj has extensive experience in Sports Law.
Raj has extensive experience in Sports Law and his work has included:
- determining appeals from sports governing bodies concerning selection procedures for the 2018 Winter Olympics;
- acting for football clubs and NGO’s in relation to safeguarding and sexual abuse issues in 2016;
- determining appeals from sports governing bodies funding procedures in 2016;
- for IAAF concerning governance review commissioned by Lord Coe 2015;
- for the Basketball Arbitration Tribunal since 2006, has conducted over 100 arbitrations covering disputes between players, agents and clubs;
- for UCI (Union Cycliste International) in connection with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into doping in professional cycling, arising out of the USADA 2012 proceedings against Lance Armstrong;
- extensive involvement for LOCOG 2012 concerning anti-doping, gambling and dispute related matters;
- extensive involvement in sports disputes in particular in arbitration before the Court of Arbitration for Sport including primarily Association Football but also Show Jumping, Cycling, Gymnastics, Water Polo, Formula 1, Ten Pin Bowling, Ice Hockey and Rugby;
- for Qatar 2022 Bid Committee concerning the FIFA World Cup and corruption allegations
- for the Football Association in advisory and contentious work, including the Hillsborough proceedings (1989-1995), establishing FA Premier League (1991/2) and various disciplinary and other matters for premier league and football league clubs, and participating in working parties which reported on financial irregularities, betting and compliance issues.
Please see Raj’s CV for further work within the Sports sector.
Fraud, Financial and Business Crime
He has experience of fraud, bribery, corruption, money laundering and related issues arising in many sectors including:
- Financial Institutions;
- Pharmaceuticals;
- Energy;
- Construction;
- Sport;
- Reconstruction and insolvency; and
- Media/telecoms.
Raj specialises in particular in global investigations with a white collar crime element and the coordination of regulatory proceedings arising in multiple jurisdictions. He has particular experience of US, European, and Asian criminal enforcements regulators and applicable laws.
Insurance
He specialises in general commercial dispute resolution, with particular experience in insurance and reinsurance, international regulatory investigations, public and administrative, and sports areas. He is also experienced in white collar crime matters.
Raj’s insurance sector work is mainly international in nature and has included:
- for Lloyd’s on its Reconstruction and Renewal programme, in disciplinary and other inquiries and on extensive litigation in the UK and the US including the Jaffray fraud litigation;
- for Zurich in its data loss issues and investigation;
- for AIG concerning issues relating to data and solvency II required by the PRA;
- for XL and Ironshore in various Bermuda Form arbitrations;
- for Marsh in investigating the placing of insurance business in the UK in the light of the Spitzer civil complaint in the US;
- for Aon in relation to FSA, DoJ and SEC issues concerning potentially corrupt payments made to third parties;
- for AIG Life in relation to its Premier Bonds clients as a result of liquidity issues at AIG;
- for AIG in relation to film finance and litigation concerning its former chairman and related companies;
- for Lloyd’s in the Equitas Berkshire Hathaway transaction to provide US$7 billion of reinsurance cover;
- for Equitas, Zurich, Swiss Re, Travelers and AIG in complex insurance sector issues and regulatory investigations.
Please see Raj’s CV for further work within the insurance sector.
Qualifications and Education
- Grand Court Judge of the Cayman Islands for service in the Financial Services Division
- Recorder of the Crown Court
- Accredited CEDR (Centre for Dispute Resolution) Mediator
- Arbitrator at The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
- Arbitrator at the Court of Innovative Arbitration
- Public Access Registered
- Arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Lausanne, London
- Solicitor Advocate
- Arbitrator at the Basketball Arbitration Tribunal (BAT), an independent tribunal recognised by FIBA
- Member of Sport Resolutions’ panel of arbitrators and mediators
- Panel member of ARIAS (UK)
- Member of the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal
- Member of the FA Judicial Panel
Raj accepts instructions under the Bar Council Standard Contractual Terms, details of which can be found here.
Privacy Notice
Raj is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to his clients, including advice and representation services, Raj needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes his client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which he is instructed. To read Raj’s privacy notice in full, please see here.