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Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) – Leading sets
Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) – Leading silks
Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) – New silks
Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) – Leading juniors

Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) – Leading sets

1
2
3
- 2 Hare Court
- 9-12 Bell Yard
- 25 Bedford Row
- 33 Chancery Lane
- Doughty Street Chambers
- Fountain Court Chambers
- Outer Temple Chambers

Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) – Leading silks

1
- Michael Bowes QC - Outer Temple Chambers ‘He provides excellent advice and analysis.’
- Alexander Cameron QC - Three Raymond Buildings ‘He has a fantastic presence in court.’
- George Carter-Stephenson QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘His tremendous courtroom presence makes juries pay attention.’
- Mukul Chawla QC - 9-12 Bell Yard ‘Terrifyingly bright, witty, articulate and charismatic.’
- William Clegg QC - 2 Bedford Row ‘He continues to impress through defending in serious white-collar crime cases.’
- Mark Ellison QC - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘A fantastic strategist and real team player.’
- Patrick Gibbs QC - Three Raymond Buildings ‘A superb advocate with genuine empathy with clients.’
- Hugo Keith QC - Three Raymond Buildings ‘Outstanding for international criminal law.’
- John Kelsey-Fry QC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘A regular in heavyweight cases.’
- Richard Lissack QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘Exceptionally good at smoothing out stressful situations.’
- Hodge Malek QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘He has a real understanding of the international perspective.’
- Clare Montgomery QC - Matrix Chambers ‘Often the first silk solicitors turn to and the last one other barristers want to face.’
- Tim Owen QC - Matrix Chambers ‘His down-to-earth delivery commands confidence and authority.’
- David Perry QC - 6KBW College Hill ‘Recommended for advising household name corporates on international investigations.’
- Nicholas Purnell QC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Undoubtedly one of the best of the best.’
- Jim Sturman QC - 2 Bedford Row ‘His approach to advocacy is always well-measured and balanced.’
2
- Alex Bailin QC - Matrix Chambers ‘He uses his knowledge imaginatively and persuasively.’
- William Boyce QC - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘He has an excellent manner in court, which judges appreciate.’
- Christopher Coltart QC - 2 Hare Court ‘An excellent counsel in the area.’
- Adrian Darbishire QC - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Enormously quick at seeing the big picture for clients.’
- Jonathan Fisher QC - Red Lion Chambers ‘He has a wide and impressive knowledge of money laundering in particular.’
- Neil Hawes QC - Charter Chambers ‘A hardworking and dedicated silk.’
- Julian Knowles QC - Matrix Chambers ‘A highly experienced advocate with an analytical mind.’
- Richard Kovalevsky QC - 2 Bedford Row ‘Charm and slickness personified.’
- Andrew Mitchell QC - 33 Chancery Lane ‘Accessible and down to earth.’
- Orlando Pownall QC - 2 Hare Court ‘His advocacy is his real strength.’
- John Ryder QC - 6KBW College Hill ‘He assesses the evidence at play fantastically.’
3
- Brian Altman QC - 2 Bedford Row ‘Confident and charming, especially when handling private prosecutions.’
- Charles Bott QC - Carmelite Chambers ‘His diverse practice includes agenda-setting financial crime matters.’
- Graham Brodie QC - 33 Chancery Lane ‘He is personable, liked by clients and very approachable.’
- Michael Brompton QC - 5 Paper Buildings ‘He prosecutes in complex fraud and bribery cases.’
- Peter Carter QC - Doughty Street Chambers ‘His advocacy style is very good – juries like him.’
- Peter Finnigan QC - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘His work encompasses rate-rigging, bribery and sanctions matters.’
- Rudi Fortson QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘His work ranges from environmental regulation to bribery matters.’
- Sally-Ann Hales QC - Red Lion Chambers ‘She has a very good manner in front of juries.’
- James Hines QC - Three Raymond Buildings ‘He has an excellent touch, leading clients through difficult situations.’
- Paul Hynes QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘He is always in command of the facts.’
- Zoe Johnson QC - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘She has impeccable judgement when it comes to tactics.’
- Jonathan Kinnear QC - 9-12 Bell Yard ‘Recommended for prosecuting authorities on international corruption investigations.’
- Jonathan Laidlaw QC - 2 Hare Court ‘He brings a fierce intelligence and gravitas to any case.’
- Sean Larkin QC - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘He has excellent witness-handling skills.’
- Mark Milliken-Smith QC - 2 Bedford Row ‘He has very polished client skills.’
- Duncan Penny QC - 6KBW College Hill ‘His work includes internal investigations and prosecutions.’
- Amanda Pinto QC - 33 Chancery Lane ‘She balances hard work with a focus on the details of the case.’
- Andrew Radcliffe QC - 2 Hare Court ‘His work includes pre-charge advice on CMA and SFO investigations.’
- Christopher Sallon QC - Doughty Street Chambers ‘He has enormous expertise.’
- Antony Shaw QC - Red Lion Chambers ‘A brilliant lawyer, who puts his life and soul into his cases.’
- David Spens QC - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Bribery Act matters are a core part of his practice.’
- Kieran Vaughan QC - Garden Court Chambers ‘He combines advocacy in rate-rigging cases with a strong fraud and violence practice.’
- Sasha Wass QC - 6KBW College Hill ‘She combines heavyweight business crime expertise with a violent crime practice.’
- Ian Winter QC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Instructed by major international firms and blue-chip clients.’

Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) – New silks

1
- Jonathan Ashley-Norman QC - Three Raymond Buildings ‘He provides clear and constructive advice in this very complex area.’
- Siobhan Grey QC - Doughty Street Chambers ‘She takes every proper point and fights the whole way.’
- Paul Ozin QC - 23 Essex Street ‘He is carving himself out a niche in redundancy consultation-related offences.’
- Clare Sibson QC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘The latest member of Cloth Fair’s band of white-collar crime silks.’

Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) – Leading juniors

1
- Oliver Assersohn - Outer Temple Chambers ‘Technically bright, hardworking, a team player and approachable.’
- Robin Barclay - Fountain Court Chambers ‘A real asset to any team.’
- Andrew Bodnar - Matrix Chambers ‘He is very responsive.’
- Rachna Gokani - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘A star, who is hugely sought after by the top solicitors.’
- Neil Saunders - Three Raymond Buildings ‘Incredibly supportive and very wise.’
- Vivienne Tanchel - 2 Hare Court ‘She is particularly strong at dealing with difficult witnesses.’
2
- Rachel Barnes - Three Raymond Buildings ‘A trusted adviser in the world of trade and financial sanctions.’
- Ben Brandon - Three Raymond Buildings ‘Regularly instructed in business crime extradition matters.’
- Sarah Clarke - Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Highly knowledgeable and very effective.’
- Eleanor Davison - Fountain Court Chambers ‘She advises on a range of banking-sector SFO investigations.’
- Ben Fitzgerald - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Highly intelligent and tactically aware.’
- Gillian Jones - Red Lion Chambers ‘Very approachable and happy to explore different ideas.’
- Timothy Kendal - 2 Bedford Row ‘Clearly at the top of his game.’
- Jason Mansell - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘He has vast experience of FCA work.’
- Nicholas Medcroft - Fountain Court Chambers ‘He combines knowledge of the civil regulatory aspects with criminal matters.’
- Gareth Patterson - 6KBW College Hill ‘He defends and prosecutes in high-stakes SFO cases.’
- Nathaniel Rudolf - 25 Bedford Row ‘Very bright, with an easy-going manner.’
- Ben Summers - Three Raymond Buildings ‘A smooth and able advocate, who has a nice touch with clients.’
3
- Simon Baker - 2 Bedford Row ‘His extraordinary mind can absorb complex information in no time.’
- Giles Bedloe - Drystone Chambers ‘He knows how financial services regulators and financial institutions operate.’
- Allison Clare - Red Lion Chambers ‘She has a very impressive eye for detail.’
- Christopher Convey - 33 Chancery Lane ‘Cerebral and professional.’
- Jennifer Dempster - Red Lion Chambers ‘She explains tactical and strategic decisions in a way that makes clients able to contribute.’
- Tom Forster - Red Lion Chambers ‘He has an exceptional grasp of complex issues.’
- Katherine Hardcastle - 6KBW College Hill ‘She brings experience from City firms to the criminal Bar.’
- Nichola Higgins - Doughty Street Chambers ‘She is experienced in international corruption matters.’
- Miranda Hill - 6KBW College Hill ‘She advises major corporates on national and international bribery matters.’
- Benjamin Newton - Doughty Street Chambers ‘A hardworking junior, who brings out the best in silks.’
- Tom Payne - Red Lion Chambers ‘A highly professional and accomplished advocate.’
- Peter Ratliff - 6KBW College Hill ‘Both the SFO and businesses turn to him early in investigations.’
- Paul Raudnitz - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘He gives good, practical and realistic advice.’
- Samantha Riggs - 25 Bedford Row ‘Her work includes environmental regulation and director disqualification matters.’
- Kevin Toomey - 2 Bedford Row ‘He has very strong technical knowledge around financial markets.’
- Alexandra Ward - 9-12 Bell Yard ‘She is highly intelligent and capable.’
- Janet Weeks - 5 Paper Buildings ‘A tenacious advocate with a clear analytical mind.’
- Nicholas Yeo - Three Raymond Buildings ‘He has impressive knowledge of complex legislation.’

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There has been no let-up in the volume of work for the white-collar crime Bar, with prosecutions for rate-rigging and insider trading continuing. While jury advocacy for the marathon trials is still key, for many, pre-charge advisory work is a significant feature on the landscape with a few silks aiming to run all-advisory practices. The long-running Operation Tabernula insider dealing case, which featured many of the criminal Bar’s leading names, concluded in May 2016, with three defendants acquitted and two found guilty. The lines between banking, regulatory and criminal law have become increasingly blurred in recent years, and as sets look to service work from all three angles, Fountain Court Chambers made a splash by launching a commercial crime practice in 2016, becoming the first Magic Circle set to do so.

2 Bedford Row has ‘genuine strength in depth’ in financial crime matters, with many of its silks appearing in high-profile matters, often with international elements. Head of chambers William Clegg QC is instructed to defend Alstom’s former head of ethics in his upcoming bribery trial.

Cloth Fair Chambers’ members act for international corporates and high-profile individuals, with a particular focus on pre-charge advisory work. John Kelsey-Fry QC advised Olympus on its since-terminated investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

Matrix Chambers handles a range of advisory and trial work, often interfacing with extradition and international matters. Andrew Bodnar successfully defended the former directors of collapsed courier company City Link in the first-ever prosecution brought under 1992 trade union legislation for failing to launch a redundancy consultation.

Three Raymond Buildings is ‘one of the premier sets for high-quality white-collar crime work’. Alexander Cameron QC is instructed to defend a former Deutsche Bank Euribor trader, who is charged with allegations of rate-rigging.

6KBW College Hill’s members are instructed by major corporates pre- and post-charge to handle investigations, as well as acting for the regulators themselves. The SFO has instructed Sasha Wass QC on its investigation into deficiencies in Tesco’s accounts.

QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘richly deserves its reputation’ for handling corporate crime work relating to insider trading and bribery, with a stronger portfolio of prosecution work than many other sets. Mark Ellison QC prosecuted for the SFO in the 2016 Operation Tabernula trial.

Red Lion Chambers’ business and regulatory crime practice crosses over with chambers’ expertise in serious fraud. Members defend and prosecute in bribery, rate-rigging and other corporate crime matters. Allison Clare advised the SFO on ICBC Standard Bank’s deferred prosecution agreement for failing to prevent bribery – the first of its kind.

2 Hare Court defends in and advises on a range of sensitive financial crime matters. Orlando Pownall QC successfully defended a trader in the Operation Tabernula trial.

9-12 Bell Yard prosecutes and defends in a range of rate-rigging, insider-trading and corruption matters. Jonathan Kinnear QC is instructed by the SFO regarding alleged corruption on the part of Ukraine’s former environment minister.

25 Bedford Row’s members defend individuals accused of boiler room scams, environmental regulatory matters and financial crime. George Carter-Stephenson QC’s work includes pre-charge advice on rate-rigging.

33 Chancery Lane’s members both prosecute and defend serious financial crime cases. Andrew Mitchell QC is prosecution counsel in the trial of many of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ leading politicians for bribery.

Continuing along its strong theme of international criminal law, Doughty Street Chambers’ white-collar crime practice extends to sanctions and international bribery matters. Benjamin Newton is instructed to defend in the Euribor case.

A banking and finance powerhouse, Fountain Court Chambers launched a commercial crime practice in 2016, following the arrival of Richard Lissack QC, Robin Barclay and Eleanor Davison from Outer Temple Chambers, and Nicholas Medcroft from Wilberforce Chambers.

Outer Temple Chambers’ members are instructed in financial regulatory quasi-criminal matters, as well as providing pre-charge advice on criminal matters. Richard Lissack QC, Robin Barclay and Eleanor Davison recently moved to Fountain Court Chambers.

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Press releases

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Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

Cayman Islands Introduces Beneficial Ownership Register

The Cayman Islands government has now introduced legislative changes which will require relevant companies (“Relevant Companies ”) to prepare and maintain a register of beneficial owners (the “Register of Beneficial Owners ”).

- Stuarts, Walker Hersant Humphries Attorneys-At-Law

THE DANGERS OF CARTELS.

Syedur Rahman and Nicola Sharp consider two recent cartel cases and examine why businesses must take care not to become involved in such behaviour.

- Rahman Ravelli Solicitors

THE SFO AND SECTION TWO INTERVIEWS: WHY ROBUST DEFENCE IS NEEDED

Aziz Rahman explains why the SFO’s insistence that solicitors cannot be present for interviews under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act can be and should be challenged.

- Rahman Ravelli Solicitors

THE FOURTH EU ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING DIRECTIVE: WHAT IT MEANS FOR BUSINESS

With the Directive coming into effect, Aziz Rahman examines its implications.

- Rahman Ravelli Solicitors

THE HUGE COSTS OF BRIBERY

Aziz Rahman looks at the case of Petrofac, explains how bribery can ruin a company and emphasises what must be done to prevent it.

- Rahman Ravelli Solicitors

CROSS-BORDER INVESTIGATIONS

The huge Petrobras bribery scandal has engulfed companies in many countries. Syedur Rahman and Nicola Sharp explain what needs to be done if your company is investigated in more than one country.

- Rahman Ravelli Solicitors

CORRUPTION: HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF

Aziz Rahman outlines why allegations of corruption in football should act as a warning to everyone in business about the need to prevent wrongdoing.

- Rahman Ravelli Solicitors

CHALLENGING FCA ACCUSATIONS

Nicola Sharp and Syedur Rahman explain how changes to the way the FCA investigates cases will make it easier for companies and individuals to negotiate the best possible outcome.

- Rahman Ravelli Solicitors

OBTAINING A DPA

With deferred prosecution agreements (DPA’s) becoming more common, Aziz Rahman considers how a company under investigation can enhance its chances of obtaining one in order to avoid prosecution.

- Rahman Ravelli Solicitors

WHAT THE CRIMINAL FINANCES BILL MEANS FOR ASSET SEIZURE AND FORFEITURE

Syedur Rahman and Nicola Sharp examine the changes likely when the Criminal Finances Bill becomes law.

- Rahman Ravelli Solicitors

Press Releases in the UK

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Pitmans crowned as top firm for trainee work/life balance

Pitmans has been awarded winner of the best work/life balance in the 2016 Lex 100 - a survey that is recognised as the most comprehensive valuation of training opportunities at law firms across the UK.

- Pitmans LLP

Gender Pay Gaps: The Latest Reporting Requirements

On average, male employees are paid more than female employees. In 2015, men working full-time were paid approximately 9.4% more than women working full-time. As a result, the government is working to introduce measures with the aim of reducing this gap.

- Pitmans LLP

Pitmans acts on Westcoast’s acquisition of Art Systems Holdings Ltd

Pitmans LLP has acted on behalf of its longstanding client, Westcoast (Holdings) Limited on its acquisition of Art Systems Holdings Limited.

- Pitmans LLP

Insolvency Update: Changes that take effect from April 2016

The Department of Justice has issued a practice direction in connection with the new insolvency express trials pilot.

- Pitmans LLP

The Apprenticeship Levy

Following last year’s autumn statement, HMRC has now published draft legislation which introduces the proposed new apprenticeship levy. The levy will have effect from 6 April 2017.

- Pitmans LLP

Coutinho -v- Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Ltd Judgment 29 April 2016

SOUTHAMPTON -- LV=, represented by Pitmans LLP, have won a case involving a fraudulent household insurance claim worth almost £50,000.

- Pitmans LLP

Pitmans promotes two Partners

Pitmans today announced that Oliver Kelly (corporate) and Matt Heyworth (private client) will become partners as of 1 May 2016.

- Pitmans LLP

Pitmans advised the acquirer and the management team on the £12M MBO of Westfield Medical

The management team were backed by Maven Capital Partners with PNC providing debt facilities.

- Pitmans LLP

Supreme Court ruling will lead to increase in business rates

Many businesses will be liable for increased business rates following last year’s Supreme Court ruling in Woolway (Valuation Officer) v Mazars LLP.

- Pitmans LLP

Pitmans advises Premier Marina Ltd on Noss Marina Acquisition

Pitmans has advised Premier Marinas Limited on its acquisition of Noss Marina, which is just outside Dartmouth, from the Administrators Duff & Phelps.

- Pitmans LLP

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