Robert Allen

Partner, Disputes & Investigations at Simmons & Simmons

Speaker

Robert Allen is a partner in the Disputes & Investigations team, specialising in complex dispute resolution. He specialises in financial markets litigation, primarily retail, consumer and wealth related disputes and contentious regulatory issues. He is widely recognised for his expertise in collective actions, including Group Litigation Orders, representative actions, and high-volume claims management, with over twenty years’ experience acting for major corporates, financial institutions, and pension providers.

Robert also specialises in Information Law, with a focus on data protection & privacy disputes, cybersecurity and reputation management. His work in this area ranges from conduct of privacy litigation, data breach response and regulatory enforcement. He has also acted for both claimants and defendants in defamation actions, and advises on protest law including injunctions.

Robert is the Head of the Sustainability / ESG practice and regularly advises clients on greenwashing risks and disputes, including in relation to advertising, labelling, reputation and CMA complaints. He also leads the firm’s Pro Bono practice and dedicates a substantial number of hours each year to the firm’s Pro Bono client base.

Robert is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and has published extensively on contentious data protection issues, cybersecurity and sustainability / ESG. He is the author of the chapter on “Consumer Relations: Complaints and Compensation” in the 2025 edition of Thomson Reuters Practitioner’s Guide to the UK Financial Services Rulebooks.