About
Simon specialises in group litigation - advising on the defence and coordination of complex international group claims brought in the English courts and elsewhere, including claims brought by mass tort claimants, consumers and shareholders.
Simon is head of our environmental and consumer disputes team in London and is a global co-lead of the Litigation and Crisis team within our global ESG Risk & Advisory group.
Simon acts for clients across a range of sectors advising on contentious regulatory issues and litigation risk related to environmental, climate change, human rights and other ESG issues. He also advises on product liability, consumer protection and certain risks under domestic and international criminal law.
He also helps clients to manage crises and contentious regulatory risks as well as advising on the operation of comparable international regimes on environmental and human rights due diligence and reporting obligations within their own operations and supply chains. His practice also involves advising clients on complaints to National Contact Points for alleged breaches of the OECD Guidelines, appearances at Parliamentary Select Committees, UN Special Procedures complaints and approaches to operational grievance mechanisms.
Simon studied Law with French at university and is a fluent French speaker.
Simon’s experience includes acting for:
- A multinational client on the defence of a group claim being brought in the English courts by a group of workers in relation to alleged human rights infringements at a factory operated by a supplier located overseas.
- An international mining group with significant operations in the Copperbelt in Africa on threatened group litigation in the High Court of England & Wales relating to activities at two mines in Zambia.
- An international mining company on its litigation strategy regarding class action proceedings filed in Papua New Guinea and a related complaint to the Australian National Contact Point regarding alleged environmental impacts said to have been caused by a mine in Papua New Guinea.
- A multinational client in the successful defence at trial of litigation brought in the English High Court in relation to alleged PFAS contamination.
- A global mining company on threatened group litigation in the UK relating to alleged environmental impacts and personal injury said to be caused by an ilmenite mine in Madagascar.
- Petra Diamonds Limited on the resolution of human rights claims brought in the English Court by a group of villagers living around a diamond mine in Tanzania, including advising on the creation and operation of an extra-judicial Operational Grievance Mechanism aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- A multinational energy company in relation to group claims brought in the UK High Court in relation to environmental damage allegedly caused by emissions at a major oil and gas field located overseas.
- An international extractives client in a series of claims alleging human rights abuses caused by a third-party contractor and members of the local police force who were engaged by an overseas group company.
- A multinational client on the defence of large-scale employment litigation.
- An Australian gold refinery in relation to English law issues (crisis response, regulatory investigation, litigation risk and corrective action plan) in relation to the historical sourcing of gold from Papa New Guinea;
- Volkswagen in relation to the defence of three separate UK class actions concerning diesel emissions.
- Multiple clients in the textiles sector over many years on issues related to responsible sourcing, governance and reporting, supply chain due diligence, POCA, international criminal law risks, engagement with Parliamentary Select Committees and handling related challenges from NGOs and litigation in the English High Court.
- An international client in respect of investigations by the UN Special Rapporteur in relation to downstream supply chain risks, international criminal law and obligations under the UN Guiding Principles.
- Multiple international clients on a range of ESG risk issues including litigation preparedness and horizon scanning, handling engagements with international NGOs, advising on complaints to National Contact Points for alleged breaches of the OECD Guidelines.
- Mastercard in collective proceedings before the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, the largest damages claim ever brought in the UK. Read more about the litigation in our case study.
- Various companies on the operation of comparable international regimes on notification, product recall and other corrective action measures.
- A number of clients with investigations by the UK Competitions and Markets Authority in relation to alleged unfair sales, pricing and promotional practices.
- A global alcoholic beverages manufacturer to enhance its existing policies and procedures aimed at combating illicit trade in its products. This work involved auditing current policies and ensuring that they remained best in class, given recent and likely future developments in the regulatory and case law environment.
Simon Duncombe
100 Bishopsgate
London EC2P 2SR