John C.
Wilkinson

John Wilkinson is a senior disputes lawyer and crisis strategist who advises clients in high-stakes international litigation, investigations, asset recovery, and regulatory matters.

Based in Larson’s London office, John represents high-net-worth individuals, sovereigns, family offices, companies, boards, and institutions in complex cross-border disputes where the legal claim is only part of the problem. His matters often involve political sensitivity, reputational exposure, contested assets, parallel proceedings, coercive threats, and pressure points across multiple jurisdictions.

John has extensive experience in fraud, asset recovery, sanctions-related disputes, regulatory defense, private prosecutions, internal investigations, and politically sensitive commercial litigation. He previously led a highly regarded fraud and asset recovery team at a leading City firm, handling multibillion-dollar asset disputes, global freezing orders, enforcement strategy, and proceedings involving offshore structures, emerging markets, and sophisticated counterparties.

Clients turn to John when a dispute calls for identifying sources of leverage, including where the assets are, who controls them, what must remain confidential, how parties may act or react, and which outcomes are worth pursuing. He develops coordinated strategies that integrate court proceedings, investigations, regulatory engagement, private prosecutions, communications, settlement strategy, and enforcement planning.

John’s practice is particularly suited to clients facing disputes that span common law courts, offshore financial centers, the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the former Soviet Union. He regularly works with international counsel, investigators, communications advisers, funders, and other specialist teams to deliver disciplined, discreet, and commercially focused strategies.

A pragmatic and strategic adviser, John brings clear analysis and operational coordination to matters where the stakes are personal, financial, political, and reputational. Whether defending clients against serious allegations, recovering assets, responding to blackmail or extortion threats, stabilizing a crisis, or positioning a client for a negotiated resolution, he focuses on protecting the client’s long-term interests while maintaining pressure on the opposing side.

Of Counsel at Larson, John is not licensed to practice law in California or any other jurisdiction of the U.S. and works exclusively on the firm’s international matters.

John’s experience includes:

• Complex commercial litigation and international disputes
• Fraud, asset tracing, and asset recovery
• Global freezing orders and urgent injunctive relief
• White-collar defense and regulatory investigations
• Sanctions, corruption, and politically sensitive disputes
• Sovereign, state-linked, and emerging markets disputes
• Internal investigations and institutional crisis response
• Reputation-sensitive disputes involving high-profile individuals, family offices, companies, and boards
• Coordinated multi-jurisdictional litigation and enforcement strategy