Fraud - crime
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BCL Burton Copeland continues to represent three major companies in the Oil for Food SFO investigations. Ian Burton is ‘a well-respected practitioner’; the ‘experienced and knowledgeable’ Brian Spiro is ‘a formidable player’ in criminal fraud cases; and Harry Travers is known for his ‘good intellect’.
Byrne and Partners represent Dennis Hunter, who was arrested in February 2009 for an alleged £250m VAT fraud. By its own count around three quarters of the firm’s cases do not reach trial, and it continues to handle Legal Aid work.
‘Terrific firm’ Kingsley Napley has Christopher Murray, who is ‘very experienced, with good judgement’, and Angus McBride, who ‘does very high-quality fraud work’ and has a ‘well-established’ reputation. In 2008 the firm acted for GP Noble following SFO investigations into fraud on nine pension funds amounting to £52m.
Peters & Peters’ Anand Doobay acted for six former executives of Yukos in resisting extradition requests by the Russian Federation. Jo Rickards is ‘a very able’ and ‘very competent’ lawyer.
Russell Jones & Walker in October 2008 negotiated the first-ever civil settlement with the SFO, on behalf of Balfour Beatty. Rod Fletcher is recommended.
Bindmans LLP successfully represented Lord Levy in the lengthy ‘cash for peerages’ police investigation. Neil O’May is ‘a shrewd and safe pair of hands’.
Corker Binning is advising the former CEO of Madoff Securities Investment in SFO, FSA and US investigations. David Corker and Peter Binning are ‘very able’.
DLA Piper UK LLP successfully defended two directors of Goldshields following the SFO’s investigation into price-fixing in the pharmaceutical industry. It recruited Robert Wardle, a former director of the SFO, as a consultant in 2008, in addition to audit specialist Duncan Wiggetts, from PwC. Neil Gerrard is ‘a real dynamic presence’.
Irwin Mitchell LLP acted for a BA director following a criminal prosecution brought by the OFT for alleged price-fixing of fuel. The ‘very experienced’ Kevin Robinson is known as a ‘very able’ and ‘very good lawyer’.
Bankside Law is acting for former operational director of Belgo, Timothy Power, in an insider dealing prosecution brought by the DBERR. John Williams is ‘very sound’ and ‘really excellent’, and Aileen Colhoun is ‘very good’.
Bark & Co has a very active fraud practice, with a team of 39 fee-earners led by Giles Bark-Jones. It is advising a director of BAE Systems in relation to alleged corrupt payments made by its agents to South African officials.
Barker Gillette LLP’s founding partner Steve Barker is ‘a good practitioner’.
Bivonas LLP is representing a former company manager charged with conspiring to defraud the Inland Revenue of £30m. Mark Rainsford QC is ‘very good and experienced’.
Crowell & Moring defended Christopher McQuoid, the first person to be criminally prosecuted for insider dealing by the FSA. Former deputy director of the SFO Peter Kiernan has ‘huge experience’, and Gerallt Owen is ‘very enthusiastic’.
Daniel Berman & Co represented one of the leading defendants in the largest-ever Royal Mail fraud.
Neill Blundell - head of financial crime at Eversheds LLP - is ‘very able’. The firm is acting for a Canadian company facing parallel FBI and SFO investigations into alleged corruption.
Ian Ryan, a former director at Bankside Law, set up a business crime practice at Finers Stephens Innocent LLP in 2008 and continues to represent a Cabinet Minister in the Abrahams arm of the cash for honours investigation. He is ‘experienced and knows what he’s doing’.
Herbert Smith LLP’s ‘very bright and experienced’ Peter Burrell is acting for Christopher Moore, the former chairman of Torex plc, in an SFO investigation into insider dealing and accounting irregularities.
Hickman & Rose represented Inger Malmros in the £229m Sumitomo Mitsui bank fraud case, in which she was cleared on all counts. Head of the fraud practice Ben Rose is ‘good’, ‘determined’ and ‘able’.
Tony Barnfather’s ‘very good’ practice at Pannone LLP is a mix of fraud and regulatory work. A recent highlight was the successful defence of two individuals accused of fraudulent trading.
Simmons & Simmons continues its progress in criminal fraud work; the team, under money laundering expert Louise Delahunty, advised clients on seven SFO investigations in 2008.
Simons Muirhead & Burton is acting in several high-profile SFO investigations, as well as a missing trader carousel fraud case and an alleged fraud and corruption case against the MoD. Anthony Burton is a ‘very able, competent practitioner’.
Stephenson Harwood’s Tony Woodcock is ‘a name in the area’ of criminal fraud. It is acting for Malcolm Calvert, who is due to go to trial in September 2009 for insider dealing, in a prosecution brought by the FSA.
Tuckers Solicitors represents a number of individuals charged with criminal fraud offences, with current cases including an individual facing prosecution for insider dealing by the FSA.