Your Resolution Counsel for times of crisis
Senior executives and global firms trust Elysium to resolve their most serious business crises
When crisis strikes
Lawyers will –
- Focus on the legal dimension alone
- Default to an adversarial approach
- Charge by the billable hour
Elysium is different
We secure faster, better resolution
We prevent and defuse business crises - more quickly and with less noise.
Our model is built around alignment of –
Mindset
We’ve resolved crises many times, and been in your shoes. We understand your commercial ambitions, operating constraints and legal obligations alike.
Network
Through our deep knowledge of government agencies in the US, UK, EU and Australia, we can pursue dialogue and de-escalation on your behalf.
Incentives
We take the major part of our compensation as a success fee.
We take a wider view
Legal
Working with our senior legal team or your own lawyers, we ground your legal strategy in the commercial reality
Enforcement
We know how law enforcement agencies operate and how to engage with them constructively
Commercial
We maintain the confidence of all stakeholders, including the investors and business partners on whom your business depends
Financial
We use our investment banking expertise to help you protect capital, restructure your balance sheet and preserve banking relationships
Reputational
We shape the public narrative and facilitate disclosures
Our areas of expertise
- Corruption & sanctions
- Dispute resolution
- Asset protection
- Corporate restructuring
- Banking continuity
- Reputational crisis
Team
Saman Ahsani
Saman is the former COO of an oil & gas contracting & maintenance group. He has a decade’s experience addressing crises that arose within that business - and helping other companies resolve theirs. He started his career at Goldman Sachs’ investment banking division and holds degrees from INSEAD and Oxford.
Martin Ayrton
Martin is a law enforcement and intelligence expert with 30+ years’ experience serving in UK agencies including the National Crime Agency (NCA) intelligence and operations directorate, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), New Scotland Yard and the National Crime Squad. UK and US government agencies have recognised him multiple times for his outstanding leadership of international law enforcement operations.
Stephen Kay KC
Stephen, head of 9BR Chambers, is a KC of nearly 30 years’ standing. He has advised and represented clients including heads of state (Milosevic and Kenyatta), governments and corporations. His areas include international fraud, bribery and sanctions. Legal 500 commend him for his rare ability to “meld knowledge of the law with very practical advice that is tailored to often very complex needs of clients, whether organisations, companies or Governments.”
Peyman Mestchian
Peyman is an expert on enterprise and financial crime risk management who has held senior roles with corporates including EY and the SAS Institute. He has scaled companies of his own, including a risk advisory boutique and a tech unicorn. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management and a professor at University College, London.
Martyn Porter
Martyn is an international banking and insurance CEO with deep expertise in financial crime compliance, risk management and client remediation. As CEO of HSBC Monaco, he navigated the bank's exit from the Principality — guiding clients, regulators and the government through a high-stakes process while protecting the bank's reputation and helping clients refinance close to $1bn in debt. He has previously held senior leadership roles with HSBC across Asia - where he was based for over a decade - and in several European countries. He is currently Chair of Moncrief Private Bank in Monaco.
Our principles
Partnership
We are peers with aligned incentives and first-hand experience of leading businesses through crisis. We only succeed when you do.
Integrity
We are discreet, unconflicted and honest – to a fault.
Value
We only take on projects where we are confident we can make a decisive difference.