Ricardo Salinas and His UK Legal Team Implicated in Espionage Scandal in £350 Million High Court Case

London, United Kingdom - A major controversy is unfolding in the UK High Court, where Mexican businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego stands accused of orchestrating a covert espionage operation with the assistance of his British lawyers.

According to court filings and sources close to the case, Salinas-alongside several British lawyers-allegedly hired Black Cube, an Israeli private intelligence agency known for employing former Mossad agents, to secretly obtain confidential information from the opposing legal team.

The alleged scheme involved undercover agents using false identities and posing as prospective clients to arrange meetings with the defendant's solicitor in London and Amsterdam. During these encounters, the solicitor was reportedly plied with alcohol and covertly recorded discussing what were purported to be confidential legal strategies-without his knowledge or consent.

Timeline of Legal Representation

Salinas was initially represented in this matter by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, although it remains unclear whether the firm had any direct involvement in the covert operation.

At the time the recordings were made, Salinas was represented by Enyo Law LLP, a prestigious London-based law firm. Sources indicate the firm may have withdrawn from the case following a financial dispute with Salinas, who is reputed for failing to meet professional fee obligations.

Following Enyo Law's departure, Salinas retained LK Law LLP, a UK-Australian firm. It is alleged that this firm took possession of the covert recordings and submitted them to the British court, which, according to legal experts, may constitute a serious breach of legal privilege, abuse of judicial process, and even violation of the course of justice.

Neither firm has issued public comment regarding their alleged involvement.

Tampered Evidence and Hidden Identities

Insider sources claim the recordings were digitally manipulated to conceal the identities of the undercover agents and may contain altered or fabricated responses. The true identities of those involved remain unknown, as they operated entirely under aliases.

Black Cube has previously faced scrutiny for similar incidents. Its founders-Dan Zorella, Avi Yanus, and Gal Farch-were convicted in Romania for crimes including unlawful data collection, computer fraud, interception of communications, and privacy violations. Although sentenced, the details of their actual imprisonment remain unclear.

Allegations in the Loan Dispute

The lawsuit centers on a loan agreement in which Salinas acted as guarantor, while Corporación RBS S.A. de C.V.-a corporate entity allegedly under his control-was the borrower. The defense alleges a default on a $115 million loan and claims that Salinas manipulated the stock price of Grupo Elektra S.A.B. de C.V., which served as collateral, for his own benefit.

List of Lawyers Under Investigation

The professionals allegedly involved include:

Stephen Robins KC, John David Meredith Wardell KC, Adam Cloherty KC

Henry Phillips, Matthew Abraham, Ryan Perkins

Richard Greenberg, Stephanie Wilkins, Andrew John Ford

Edward John Whitney Allen, Adam Flacks, Hana Kapadia, Disa Greaves

Formal complaints have been filed with various UK authorities, including the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Disciplinary sanctions could range from suspensions to permanent disbarment, and potentially criminal prosecution.

There are also indications that select members of Parliament and the House of Lords have been briefed on the matter, raising the possibility of a parliamentary inquiry into legal ethics and abuse of espionage.

Broader Implications

Legal experts warn that allowing such recordings as evidence could set a dangerous precedent in British civil litigation. If permitted, it could open the floodgates to widespread covert surveillance against lawyers, judges, and litigants-threatening the sanctity of legal privilege and the integrity of the judicial process.

Defense Statement

A spokesperson connected to the defense team stated:

"This was a calculated and illegal operation to sabotage the judicial process. Deceiving a lawyer with false commercial pretenses, encouraging alcohol consumption, and secretly recording privileged conversations is not only unethical, it may also be criminal. We are calling for a full investigation of all those involved. The SFO, SRA, BSB, MoJ, and CPS must act urgently, and we hope Parliament will assess the severity of this misconduct."

Background on Ricardo Salinas

Salinas has been linked to multiple legal controversies. He was accused for years by business partners and the media of orchestrating fraudulent schemes. He now faces fresh allegations of artificially inflating Grupo Elektra's stock price to increase his net worth, followed by an intentional price crash to repurchase shares cheaply as part of a strategy to take the company private.

Next Steps

The UK High Court will now have to decide whether Salinas's current legal team should be disqualified or formally sanctioned for introducing evidence that was covertly and potentially unlawfully obtained. Other judicial measures may also be considered.

This case could reshape how surveillance, legal privilege, and professional conduct are addressed in high-value international litigation in the UK. Legal and political observers will be watching closely.

Note: All individuals named in this PR are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

https://www.issuewire.com/perverting-the-course-of-justice-ricardo-salinas-switches-lawyers-again-amid-espionage-allegations-1834477425391648

https://canadian-insider.net/press-release/2025-07-07/20621/uk-lawyers-accused-of-abetting-espionage-for-ricardo-salinas-pliego-face-sra-bsb-sfo-complaints

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The release is about Grupo Elektra S.A.B. de C.V., a Mexican company allegedly linked to the actions of its controlling shareholder, Ricardo Salinas Pliego.

This release was published on openPR.