Financial Crime

Overview

We appear for both the prosecution and for defendants in some of the most significant and complex fraud trials, acting both for and against various regulators and government departments, particularly the SFO, CPS Specialist Fraud Division, the FCA, HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Our members are used to dealing with cases which can be extremely document-heavy, often advising at the investigatory stage. Such cases include Bribery and Corruption, Revenue Fraud, Investment Schemes, Identity Fraud and Insider Dealing. Please see our separate page for our other Crime work.

Members are ranked by the Serious Fraud Office and CPS Serious Economic Organised Crime and International Directorate panels of advocates whilst others are instructed by the Financial Conduct Authority. Several members, both leading and junior counsel, are ranked for criminal fraud in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500.

We also regularly appear in confiscation and restraint hearings and other proceedings relating to money laundering and civil recovery. We have been involved in this growing area ever since the enactment of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and we recognise that it is far more than a simple adjunct to criminal proceedings: as a mixed-common law set our members are able to bring to bear an expertise in both civil and criminal law and procedure which can prove invaluable whether appearing for respondents, the Crown, or affected third parties.

The team is clerked by David Landa and Lauren Carter, who between them have a wealth of experience, and are highly regarded. They are efficient, professional and approachable and are able to assist you in choosing the right barrister for your case, liaising with you and the courts as the case proceeds.

Financial Crime Expertise

• Crime

Notable Cases

• R v Nikolova, Ali, Stoyanov, Paneva and Todorova – The largest case of benefit fraud in England and Wales.
• R v GPT, Cook & Mason – High-profile bribery and corruption case involving contracts to supply military telecoms equipment by a former Airbus subsidiary to the Saudi Arabian National Guard under a government to government arrangement run by the MoD.
• SFO v AK & AW – Defending in the UK’s largest mortgage fraud £750 million.
• Operation Funsea – Prosecuting an Organised Criminal Group for conspiring to sell an antique Pomegranate bottle vase from the Yongle period (1403-1425) stolen from the Musee des Arts d’Extreme-Orient in Geneva, Switzerland.
• R v WP – Acting for the defence and successfully arguing abuse of process regarding wholesale disclosure failures in a multi-agency 5-year investigation into a national energy fraud ring, resulting in the pros offering no evidence against all six defendants.
• R v Mire & Others – Prosecuting the first prosecution of ‘Apple Pay’ fraud.
• Operation Vanilla – Prosecuting the last successful carbon credit boiler room fraud.
• R v Hollinshead – Prosecuting the man who convinced the then owners of London Welsh RFU that he was backed by the Royal Family of Sudia Arabia and to sell the Pemiership Rugby club to him for £1.
• R v Mackinlay & Others [2018] UKSC 42; [2018] 3 WLR 556 – Supreme Court case in relation to meaning of election expenses.
• NCA v Hajiyeva [2018] EWHC 2534 (Admin); [2020] EWCA Civ 108 – First Unexplained Wealth Order granted and upheld on appeal.
• Operation Apple – The first iPad trial conducted at the Central Criminal Court prosecuting a banker who received bribes whilst working for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
• R (DAS UK Holdings Ltd) v Asplin & Others – Defending a CEO in one of the largest private prosecutions to date.
• R (DEFRA) v F & T – The first fraud prosecution using the Common Agricultural Policy Regulations.
• R v Teresko – First seizure of cryptocurrency (£1.25million bitcoin).
• Operation Vomerine – Longest DWP prosecution to date.
• Operations Amaryllis & Ensete – Global conspiracy to defraud a large pharmaceutical, private equity fund and individual investors.
• Operation Alfreton – FCA prosecution of unauthorised share dealing.