Managing Partner Daniel Astaire discusses his role at Grosvenor Law, including his day-to-day responsibilities and some of the recent challenges faced by his clients.

Daniel’s interview was published in Citywealth, 15 January 2025.

Tell Citywealth readers a bit about your role.

As Managing Partner of Grosvenor Law, I get to do all of the exciting stuff – manage the firm’s banking, its contracts and IT, the relationship with our landlord as well as staff hires, salary reviews, HR issues, performance reviews, work distribution, compliance and related enquiries.

Once I get to breathe after doing that it’s onto the day job – looking after clients, running cases and managing my workload and team. At Grosvenor “we fight to win”, and every effort is made to give clients the highest quality service, thinking differently to your ‘run of the mill’ litigator and presenting points and arguments that help to resolve issues favourably.

Our client base primarily consists of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and can be as demanding of us as they are of their own businesses, so you always need to remain on your toes and nimble.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I wish there was a typical day! Whilst I am a commercial litigator at heart, I also act as a consigliere and a trusted advisor to clients. This had led me to source a Monet for a client, receive a call to bail a client out of jail in the East End and to visit a supercar showroom in Switzerland to help a client pick out a new ride!

Generally, I arrive at the office at 8.30, picking up a double macchiato at Marchesi on the way. I like an hour to ensure my inbox is clear and organised and my plan for the day is ready before people arrive.

It also gives me time if I want for a breakfast meeting – my favourite time of day for a catch up or marketing event.

I will always do a walk of the building in the morning to say hi to everyone and generally chat to see what they’re up to. I have an open-door policy so people can come in any time with questions.

Most of the day will then be spent working with clients, drafting documents or in meetings. If I am in court, I will work flat over lunch on anything I’ve not been able to attend to.

In the afternoon, it will be more of the same, often with overseas firms waking up so I might get a flurry of East coast emails and calls as our work is often very international in scope too.

I try to get home at around six, just to unwind, but then a few more hours on the computer before it’s all done for the night.

Tell us about some recent, interesting client instructions/requests you have received.

Without breaking confidences, I have been asked to recover Italian castles gifted away, trace stolen funds (including leading me to take a search order to a car yard in northern England which was unbeknownst to me under surveillance by the serious crime squad), prevent art from being auctioned, strike out an aged fraud case, deal with the covid PPE fall-out any many other intriguing matters.

What challenges do your clients face and how are you helping your clients to overcome them?

As my clients are often high profile or HNW, people often try to take advantage of them. This was all too clear when in one case, the litigant on the other side brought a box set of the show “Billions” to court instead of his papers, a point not lost on the Judge!
With a really strong team behind me, we look at the client’s problem in the context of their industry and objectives and seek to find the most beneficial solution. Often it’s through the law, or it can be a combination of work with other service providers, and we work together seamlessly to achieve the clients’ objectives.

We have great relations with PR agencies, accountants, investigators and other professionals and can quickly assemble the required line-up.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

I probably have two. Firstly, I appealed for a client to the UN Human Rights Committee about his unlawful trial and conditions of incarceration in a Kazakh jail. Not only did we get a hard-hitting report in our favour by the committee, but they also ordered interim measures to be granted in a speed with which my barrister told me was unheard of.

Secondly, another client had received some hacked copies of his personal emails in the post with a threatening letter, in the context of high value litigation. Whilst the other side denied all knowledge of this, through a series of international court orders, CCTV disclosure, banking application in Lichtenstein and on the ground investigators in India, we uncovered a direct and evidenced route from the post office where the mail was sent, to the hackers back to the other side! It brought the case to a swift end!

What do you consider to be the most important attributes for a leader?

I think you have to be even handed and decisive; If you are equivocal people can take advantage. But fairness is paramount. Respect is earned, not automatic, and if your team respects you they work with you towards your common purpose.

Who do you most admire and why?

Members of my family. My grandmother arrived in London in 1939 on the Kindertransport from Czechoslovakia. She lost her parents, her education and her whole world over night. She never complained and built a great life with many friends and family around her and lived to 98.

Where was the last place you travelled to for work or pleasure?

Copenhagen. I had never been. I love Danish design and I love food – it was the perfect choice.

If you weren’t in this industry, what else might you be doing?

I always wanted to be a theatre producer. My best friend, a silk, always thought this was a daft idea and I should stick to the law.

How do you relax after a long day?

Good food, a dog walk and may be a legal drama on Netflix. It is the simple things in life!