Member Voices: Jason Freedman

Jason Freedman  
Gowling WLG (England)  
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Briefly describe your role.

I am a partner at Gowling WLG, where I focus on contentious insolvency matters, including fraud and asset recovery work. I primarily act for insolvency practitioners, helping them investigate potential claims and recover assets in respect of companies or individuals in insolvency proceedings. Much of my work involves high-value disputes, often with cross-border elements and complex recovery challenges. 

Looking back at your experience in complex, multi-jurisdictional fraud and asset recovery matters, is there a particular aspect of this work that has changed significantly over the course of your career?

One of the biggest changes has been the increasingly international nature of fraud and asset recovery matters. Globalization has made cross-border elements far more common, particularly in larger, higher-value cases. When assets are moved, they are often spread across multiple jurisdictions, adding complexity to the recovery process and making trusted relationships across borders increasingly important. 

The way we handle evidence has also changed dramatically. When I started my career, disclosure often involved reviewing boxes of physical documents. Today, data is stored across multiple platforms and devices, and the volume is sometimes incredible. Technology-assisted review and AI tools have become increasingly valuable in managing these volumes of data, but fraud investigations still often require human judgment. You're frequently looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, and sometimes the key evidence is something so unexpected that you would never have known to train software to find it. 

You recently helped bring WLG members together for a meetup during INSOL. As someone who is relatively new to the WLG network, what did you enjoy most about the experience, and what have you found most interesting about connecting with colleagues across the network so far?

The meetup was a great opportunity to meet restructuring and insolvency professionals from different jurisdictions and begin building relationships across the network. In our line of work, you never know when you'll need trusted local insight or assistance in another country, so having those connections is incredibly valuable. 

What I've found most interesting is that, despite the differences between legal systems, there are often more similarities than differences in the challenges we face. Once you understand your own jurisdiction, it's much easier to appreciate how others approach similar issues. Meeting people in person also creates a different level of trust and familiarity. When a matter arises involving another jurisdiction, it's reassuring to know who to call and to have already established that relationship face-to-face. 

Outside of work, what is something you could happily spend an entire afternoon doing?

Before becoming a lawyer, I had the opportunity to work on film sets, including a stint in the props department at Pinewood Studios for the film Tomb Raider. I've always enjoyed creating and building things, and that interest has stayed with me throughout my career. 

These days, I would happily spend an afternoon woodworking, tackling DIY projects, or tinkering with something in the workshop. A few years ago, I attended a traditional woodworking course where we built furniture using hand tools and techniques that have been around for generations. What I enjoy most is the opportunity to focus on creating something tangible. Legal work is highly analytical, whereas woodworking engages a completely different part of the brain and allows you to concentrate fully on the task in front of you.