Key Points
- WilmerHale announced on 2 October 2026 that Jeremy Kosky and Charlie Lightfoot have joined its London office as partners.
- Jeremy Kosky has become head of WilmerHale’s Disputes Practice in London, strengthening its commercial litigation capabilities before the English courts.
- Charlie Lightfoot has joined the firm’s International Arbitration Practice in London, bringing more than 25 years of experience in international commercial and investor-state disputes.
- WilmerHale said the appointments form part of its continued investment in the growth of its London office and deepen its UK disputes capabilities.
- Kosky brings more than 30 years of international commercial litigation experience, with cases reaching trial across England, France, Italy, Luxembourg and several offshore jurisdictions.
- Lightfoot has spent 25 years representing companies and governments in complex international disputes involving sectors including defence and security, infrastructure, energy and life sciences.
- WilmerHale said Kosky’s practice will focus on high-value commercial litigation involving public and private companies, private capital sponsors, financial institutions, family offices and corporate boards.
- The appointments strengthen a London office that WilmerHale says has operated for more than 40 years and handles international arbitration, investigations, intellectual property and competition matters.
- Legal, Contracts and Procurement is the relevant professional course area for this corporate development because the announcement concerns commercial litigation, contracts, arbitration and legal advisory work.
WilmerHale has expanded its London disputes operation with the appointment of two experienced international disputes lawyers, Jeremy Kosky and Charlie Lightfoot, in a move that the US-headquartered law firm says demonstrates its continued investment in its UK business. The appointments give Kosky responsibility for leading the firm’s London Disputes Practice, while Lightfoot joins the International Arbitration Practice. The move is significant for WilmerHale’s London corporate operation because both lawyers bring extensive experience in complex commercial disputes, international arbitration and cross-border matters involving companies, governments and financial interests.
WilmerHale made the announcement on 2 October 2026, describing the appointments as a strengthening of its London disputes capabilities. The firm’s announcement did not identify an individual journalist as its author; it was published as WilmerHale Firm News. Accordingly, statements attributed below to the announcement are attributed to WilmerHale rather than to a named journalist.
Why has WilmerHale expanded its London disputes practice?
WilmerHale said the arrival of Jeremy Kosky and Charlie Lightfoot deepens its bench in the United Kingdom and reflects its continued investment in the growth of its London office. The firm said it has advised clients on complex cross-border disputes for decades and views London as an important part of its international platform.
According to WilmerHale Managing Partner Anjan Sahni, the two lawyers bring substantial experience in complex, high-stakes disputes involving multiple markets and jurisdictions.
As reported by WilmerHale Firm News, Anjan Sahni said: “Jeremy and Charlie are exceptional litigators” with experience in the types of complex disputes handled by the firm. Sahni also said London is a critical part of WilmerHale’s global platform and that the firm is investing in its future.
WilmerHale said the appointments are intended to provide clients in the UK and across Europe with greater trial and disputes capability.
The development therefore represents more than two individual partner appointments. It also forms part of WilmerHale’s broader strategy for its London operation, particularly in areas where disputes increasingly involve multiple jurisdictions, legal systems and commercial interests.
Who is Jeremy Kosky and what will he do at WilmerHale?
Jeremy Kosky has joined WilmerHale as a partner and head of the firm’s Disputes Practice in London.
WilmerHale said Kosky brings more than 30 years of experience in high-stakes international commercial litigation. His experience includes cases that went to trial in England, France, Italy and Luxembourg, as well as Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Channel Islands.
His previous work has included cross-border disputes and crisis advisory matters involving private capital sponsors, corporate boards and family offices. WilmerHale said he previously led a London commercial litigation team for nearly a decade and served on a global financial investors committee at his previous international law firm.
Public professional records also identify Kosky with Clifford Chance in London. Clifford Chance’s current profile lists Jeremy Kosky as a London partner, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority identifies him as Jeremy Paul Kosky, an SRA-regulated solicitor admitted in October 1992.
WilmerHale said Chambers UK has ranked Kosky for 18 consecutive years and has recognised him individually in Commercial and Corporate Litigation and Private Wealth Disputes.
Kosky’s appointment gives him responsibility for developing WilmerHale’s commercial disputes capability in London while coordinating litigation strategies across jurisdictions.
What areas will Jeremy Kosky’s London practice cover?
WilmerHale said its Commercial Disputes Practice in London will build on the firm’s existing disputes capabilities and extend its litigation platform before the English courts.
Under Kosky’s leadership, the practice will focus on high-value and complex commercial litigation involving:
- Public companies
- Private companies
- Private capital sponsors
- Financial institutions
- Family offices
- Corporate boards
The firm said its trial, appellate and international arbitration lawyers already advise global companies, financial institutions and sovereign clients on high-stakes matters.
Kosky’s arrival is expected by the firm to increase its capacity to handle complex commercial claims in London while coordinating strategies across different jurisdictions.
This cross-border element is particularly relevant to international businesses because commercial disputes can involve contracts, regulatory questions, corporate structures and proceedings in more than one country.
WilmerHale’s broader litigation practice also covers areas including commercial and bankruptcy matters, financial institutions, energy, technology, trade, intellectual property and regulatory disputes.
What did Jeremy Kosky say about joining WilmerHale?
Kosky said the opportunity to lead WilmerHale’s London Disputes Practice would allow him to build on capabilities already present across the firm’s UK, European and global operations.
As reported by WilmerHale Firm News, Kosky said he looked forward to continuing to build the practice, adding skilled practitioners and working with colleagues across the firm to advise clients on significant disputes and business-critical challenges.
His comments indicate that the appointment is also connected with the future development of the London disputes team rather than being limited to his own arrival.
WilmerHale’s announcement specifically said Kosky would be responsible for leading the practice and that the firm intends to use the combined capabilities of its lawyers across different offices when advising on complex matters.
Who is Charlie Lightfoot and what experience does he bring?
Charlie Lightfoot has joined WilmerHale as a partner in its International Arbitration Practice, based in London.
WilmerHale said Lightfoot brings more than 25 years of experience advising companies and governments on complex, high-value international disputes. His work includes international commercial arbitration, investor-state arbitration, commercial litigation before the English High Court and disputes in offshore jurisdictions.
His experience also covers alternative dispute resolution methods including adjudication, expert determination and mediation.
WilmerHale said Lightfoot’s sector experience includes defence and security, infrastructure, energy, life sciences, mining, telecommunications and entertainment. He regularly acts as an advocate in arbitration proceedings and has appeared before the English High Court. He also sits as an arbitrator.
Before joining WilmerHale, Lightfoot chaired the international arbitration practice at another law firm and held senior leadership roles at two other firms, according to WilmerHale.
Global Arbitration Review reported on 2 October that Lightfoot had left his position as global chair of international arbitration at Cooley to join WilmerHale’s London team.
Cooley’s earlier announcement shows that Lightfoot joined that firm in 2023 as global chair of its international arbitration practice and as a partner in its litigation department. Cooley said at the time that he joined from Jenner & Block, where he had been global chair of international arbitration.
What will Charlie Lightfoot add to WilmerHale’s arbitration practice?
WilmerHale said Lightfoot’s arrival strengthens its international arbitration and contentious-disputes capabilities in London and globally.
The firm said its International Arbitration Practice has handled major commercial and investor-state arbitrations during the past two decades. It added that Lightfoot’s arrival strengthens its capacity to run large, multi-party cases and serve clients in sectors where geopolitical and regulatory pressures are contributing to new disputes.
Lightfoot has experience with arbitration proceedings involving different jurisdictions and institutions. His WilmerHale profile states that he has handled arbitrations under rules including those of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA).
His work has included major commercial claims, investor-state disputes and disputes involving infrastructure, energy and other internationally active industries.
What did Charlie Lightfoot say about his new role?
Lightfoot said WilmerHale is known for its legal and strategic approach to complex international matters.
As reported by WilmerHale Firm News, Lightfoot highlighted the combination of WilmerHale’s trial lawyers, international arbitrators and public international law expertise. He said he was looking forward to helping grow the London office and working with colleagues globally on complex international matters.
His comments also underline the international dimension of the appointment. Rather than being limited to disputes originating in the UK, his practice covers disputes involving companies and governments operating across several jurisdictions.
That makes international arbitration an important part of the London office’s wider disputes offering.
How established is WilmerHale’s London office?
WilmerHale said its London office was established more than 40 years ago and has developed experience across several areas of complex legal work.
The firm said its London lawyers handle international arbitration, white-collar investigations, intellectual property and competition proceedings. Lawyers qualified in the UK, United States and several European jurisdictions work with colleagues in the firm’s US, Brussels and German offices on cross-border matters.
The London office’s role is therefore linked to WilmerHale’s wider international network.
The firm said its lawyers provide interdisciplinary support to clients dealing with global disputes and other matters. The appointments of Kosky and Lightfoot add further senior expertise to that existing structure.
WilmerHale London office co-partner in charge Annsley Ward said the office’s disputes practice had been built over decades through work before international arbitral tribunals, UK courts and regulatory authorities.
As reported by WilmerHale Firm News, Ward said the arrival of Kosky and Lightfoot would enhance the integrated support the firm can provide to clients facing complex disputes in London and internationally.
What does the expansion mean for commercial disputes in London?
The appointments place commercial litigation and international arbitration at the centre of WilmerHale’s latest London expansion.
Kosky’s role is focused primarily on complex commercial litigation and the English courts, while Lightfoot’s role is centred on international arbitration and related contentious work.
Together, their experience covers a broad range of disputes involving businesses, investors, financial institutions and governments.
For companies operating internationally, such matters can involve commercial agreements, shareholder or investment disputes, infrastructure projects, energy arrangements, regulatory issues and cross-border enforcement.
WilmerHale’s own litigation practice describes experience across numerous legal systems and industries, including financial institutions, energy, communications, technology and trade.
The firm’s announcement also places particular emphasis on clients whose disputes span markets and jurisdictions.
Why are legal and contractual skills relevant to this corporate development?
The WilmerHale appointments are closely connected with commercial litigation, international arbitration, contracts and dispute resolution. These areas involve interpreting agreements, managing contractual risks, handling claims and navigating legal obligations across different jurisdictions.
For businesses, the development illustrates the importance of Legal, Contracts and Procurement knowledge when commercial relationships become subject to disputes or require formal legal resolution.
Contractual arrangements can form the basis of commercial claims, while arbitration and litigation provide mechanisms for resolving disagreements. In international transactions, businesses may also need to understand different legal systems, dispute-resolution clauses and cross-border enforcement considerations.
The expansion of WilmerHale’s London disputes practice therefore provides a current corporate example of how legal and contractual expertise supports businesses involved in complex commercial activity.
What qualifications and professional recognition do the two lawyers have?
Jeremy Kosky earned an LLB from Manchester University in 1989 and an LLM from Nottingham Law School in 1998, according to WilmerHale.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority records Jeremy Paul Kosky as a solicitor admitted on 15 October 1992.
Charlie Lightfoot earned a BA and MA from the University of Oxford and completed his Legal Practice Course at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice. WilmerHale also records his admission in England and Wales.
WilmerHale said Lightfoot has been consistently ranked among leading international arbitration practitioners by Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK.
These professional credentials and long-standing experience form part of the firm’s stated rationale for adding both lawyers to its London disputes operation.
What happens next for WilmerHale’s London disputes practice?
WilmerHale’s announcement indicates that the firm intends to continue developing its London disputes capabilities.
Kosky said he looked forward to adding other skilled practitioners, while WilmerHale said his appointment would strengthen its ability to advise clients on significant disputes and business-critical challenges.
Lightfoot, meanwhile, said he was excited to help grow the London office and collaborate with colleagues across the firm’s international network.
The two appointments therefore give the London office additional senior experience in both litigation and arbitration.
The immediate corporate development is the appointment of the two partners, but the firm’s statements also point towards continued development of the London platform. With Kosky leading the Disputes Practice and Lightfoot strengthening international arbitration, WilmerHale has added senior expertise across two connected areas of cross-border legal work.
For businesses involved in international commercial activity, the expansion is relevant because disputes can require advice spanning contractual interpretation, litigation strategy, arbitration, regulatory considerations, and multiple legal jurisdictions.