Mr Christopher Osborne
Chartered Accountant
TAE Accreditations
- Expert Witness
Specialist Registers
- ICAEW Expert Scheme
Qualifications
- Batchelor of Law LLB (Hons) (1997)
- Associate, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales ACA (2003)
- Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales FCA (2013)
Expert Witness Snapshot
I lead S&W’s Forensic Services practice. I previously set up and led FRP\'s forensic team. I have more than 25 years of experience in forensic accounting including High Court litigation, commercial international arbitration, fraud, bribery and corruption investigations, asset-tracing and recovery investigations, regulatory inquiries and compliance and risk advisory assignments.I have been appointed as expert witness on multiple occasions by both claimants and defendants as a party-appointed expert and as an expert adviser. I have also been instructed as a single joint expert and expert determiner. I have been cross examined in both the High Court and arbitral tribunal.
I have significant expertise in damages quantification. Examples include a breach of contract claim in relation to two international companies involved in the production of egg products, an LCIA claim in relation to the underperformance of a piece of machinery used in the production of alternative fuels, and a claim against a luxury car manufacturer responding to a claim by a software developer (the claimant) in the High Court.
Other expert appointments include:
- acting on behalf of two Middle Eastern banks in an LCIA arbitration valuing the security over their lending arrangements with a healthcare provider;
- acting on behalf of the defendant sellers of an engineering business in a claim;
- security for costs applications;
- opining on the quantum aspects of a professional negligence claim; and
- performing a funds tracing exercise in relation to misappropriated monies lent in respect of property developments, which included a successful application for a worldwide asset freezing order.
In the context of expert determination, I have also been instructed in relation to SPA disputes involving both working capital completion statement calculations and earnout calculations.
My work covers a multitude of industry sectors including construction, manufacturing, financial services, retail, professional services, technology, pharmaceuticals and aviation. Assignments are often international in nature, and I have worked with clients in regions covering Europe, CIS, Middle East, Africa and the US. I have been seconded to the UK\'s financial regulator and also worked on behalf of the UK\'s Serious Fraud Office.