Current Role
  • Senior Associate, Hagens Berman EMEA LLP
Recent Cases
  • Competition and consumer rights litigation: Leo conducted investigations into claims of financial mis-selling, negligent professional advice, competition law breaches and high energy tariffs.
  • Environmental litigation: Leo represented hundreds of farmers alleging losses following an oil spill in Colombia. His work was crucial in securing a preliminary trial victory on limitation and parent company liability at the High Court: Amerisur Plc Putumayo Group Litigation [2023] EWHC 122 (KB). Following this decision, the group action settled on confidential terms. 
  • Employment litigation – modern slavery claims: Leo acted for a group of Lithuanian workers alleging severe labour exploitation by a British company. His work helped secure a landmark High Court judgment on the liability of company directors for inducing breaches of contract: Antuzis & others v DJ Houghton Catching Services & others [2019] EWHC 843 (QB) (08 April 2019). He then led preparations for the quantam trial which resulted in significant compensation awarded to the claimants: Antuzis v DJ Houghton Catching Services Ltd [2021] EWHC 971 (QB) (23 April 2021).
  • Civil and human rights litigation:
    • Injuries and detentions in social protest: Leo represented individuals alleging illegal detention and personal injuries during a public protest in Peru. Several judgments concerning the scope of e-disclosure were reported. This group claim was named one of the Top 20 Cases of 2016 in England by The Lawyer.
    • Financial exploitation: Leo acted on behalf of an adult with learning disabilities who was allegedly financially exploited by his caregivers. He settled the case on confidential terms.
    • Fatality and injuries following friendly-fire incident: Leo represented former soldiers against the Ministry of Defence in relation to a “friendly fire” incident in the Iraq war. The UK Supreme Court issued a key ruling on the scope of combat immunity, allowing the claims to proceed to trial: Allbutt & Ors v Ministry of Defence [2013] UKSC 41).
Public Service
  • Leo has provided pro bono advice aimed at protecting the rights of vulnerable individuals, including indigenous communities in South America.   
Publications
  • “A Handbook for Practitioners: Civil Liability for Human Rights Violations” (contributor to chapter on Colombian law). Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Oxford University. 
  • “Responsibility in the Sale of Financial Derivatives,” Estudios Socio-Jurídicos.
Languages
  • English (fluent)
  • Spanish (fluent)
Personal Insight

Leo was born and raised in Colombia and moved to the UK in 2004. He enjoys listening to Latin music, plays football regularly and is a long-standing supporter of Tottenham Hotspur FC, despite the frequent suffering that comes with it.