Elaine Cullen
Elaine is Head of Disputes UK, US and EMEA within our Alternative Legal Services team.
Based in Belfast, Elaine leads a team of lawyers (Managers, Senior Solicitors and Solicitors) and Legal Analysts who combine legal expertise, process efficiency and cutting-edge technology to provide cost effective solutions to our clients. Working closely with our global Alternative Legal Services' teams, Elaine mobilises and manages teams to work in a complimentary and seamless way with the firm's other practice areas.
Shortly after joining Herbert Smith Freehills in 2012, Elaine completed a 9 month secondment in London with LBG. Elaine returned from secondment to led an extensive remediation exercise for the client which spanned 2013-2016 and related to the alleged misselling of interest rate hedging products. This experience has led to Elaine being particularly focused on setting up and delivering remediation projects, and regulatory work (including investigations).
Background
Prior to joining Herbert Smith Freehills, Elaine completed her training contract with a large law firm in Chester, and qualified into her area of interest in the firm, before relocating to Belfast and working in the Legal and Civic Services Department of Belfast City Council.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- leading on the design and implementation of workflows, and managing a remediation project which spanned over 3 years for a large financial services client. The remediation related to the consequential losses claims arising from alleged mis-selling of interest rate hedging products
- advising on a large-scale remediation scheme for a retail client; overseeing the update of workflows as the project developed and joining London Disputes team members on weekly calls with the client
- leading on the design and implementation of bespoke workflows for a claims management solution for a key TMT client
- providing crisis response in relation to a client with a serious cyber-security ransomware incident (providing data breach analysis)
