The Legal 500

15 FETTER LANE, LONDON, EC4A 1BW
Tel:
Work 020 7822 7777
Fax:
Fax 020 7822 7788
DX:
407 LONDON CHANCERY LANE
Web:
www.petersandpeters.com
Email:

Michael O'Kane

Tel:
Work +44 20 7822 7777
Email:
Peters & Peters

Work Department

Domestic and international business crime and regulation.

Position

Partner and head of the fraud and regulatory department, specialising in domestic and international business crime and regulation. Particular expertise in cartel investigations, extradition, mutual legal assistance and FSA investigations. Has successfully represented many individual and corporate clients facing criminal and regulatory investigations in the UK, the US and other jurisdictions. Headline cases include: representing senior British Airways executives in the investigation by the US DoJ, Canadian Competition Bureau and the OFT into passenger fuel surcharge price-fixing; acting for the MD of Dunlop Oil and Marine in the DoJ/OFT cartel investigation; acting for a manager of British Airways Worldwide Cargo (‘BAWC’) in the ATD, CCB and ACCC cartel investigation into alleged global fuel surcharge price-fixing; acting for a senior executive in an investigation by the ATD and CCB into price-fixing of surcharges in the freight forwarding industry. Previous experience as a prosecutor of high-profile and complex criminal cases.

Career

Career: Pupillage at Criminal Bar 1992-93; Crown Prosecution Service (Greenwich) 1994-99; Crown Prosecution Service (Casework Directorate) 1999-2002; Peters & Peters 2002 to present; partner 2004. Co-author of mutual assistance section of ‘Jones and Doobay on Extradition and Mutual Assistance’ (Sweet and Maxwell). Lectures and writes widely on his specialist areas (including for the IBA, ABA and the British Institute of International Law). Delivers assistance and training to City law firms on criminal cartel investigations and extradition. Regularly provides legal commentary on television and radio.

Member

Member: Committee member of the IBA’s Business Crime Committee; American Bar Association; Competition Lawyers Association.

Education

Education: St Columb’s College, Derry; Manchester Metropolitan University (1991); Inns of Court School of Law (1992).

Leisure

Leisure: The Garrick Club.

Practice Areas

Crime - corporate; EU and competition; Fraud

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Legal Developments worldwide

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  • Mandatory Transfer pricing documentation requirements introduce into French tax law

     
    - Melot & Buchet Avocats
  • CORPORATE DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER

    JANUARY 2010 Newsletter
    - George Y Yiangou & Co
  • DIRECTOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES IN A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

    In a Limited Liability Company (”Company”), the Director is one of the Company’s organs who oversees the activities of the Company. In overseeing the activities of the company, the Director has the right and authority to act for and on behalf of the Company.
    - Frans Winarta & Partners
  • Federal Law "On the Principles of State Regulation of Trading Activity in the Russian Federation"

    On 1 February 2010, the Federal Law "On the Principles of State Regulation of Trading Activity in the Russian Federation" (the "Law") comes into force, which will substantially change the rules applicable to trade activities.
    - Baker & McKenzie
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    - ISOLAS
  • 2010 quota for foreign workers distributed. List of quota-exempt professions for 2010 approved.

    In accordance with the order distributing the 2010 quota of work permits, a fixed number of work permits can be issued in each Russian region to work in different professions. Thus, for example, for Moscow the general quota for all professions is established at 250,000 work permits (which is considerably less than in 2009), and for St. Petersburg – 210,066 work permits.
    - Baker & McKenzie
  • Plant variety rights in the distribution chain

    Under the system of plant breeders rights, also known as plant variety rights, the breeder of a new variety can obtain an exclusive right to perform certain acts with respect to material [1] of his protected variety. This exclusive right comes in the form of a certificate which is granted by a body mandated to do so,[2] provided that the variety meets the grant criteria laid down in the law. Upon grant of the certificate, and sometimes ever even before, only the breeder of the protected variety[3] is entitled to (re)produce material from the variety, condition it for the purpose of propagation, offer it for sale, sell it or otherwise put it to market, export it, import it, or stock it for any of these purposes. Subject to a number of exceptions and unless authorization from the breeder is obtained, these acts are thus reserved for the breeder of the protected variety. They are referred to as the ‘reserved acts’.
    - ALTIUS (in cooperation with Tiberghien)
  • Changes to the child visitor immigration rules from 1 January 2010

    From 1 January 2010, students from countries outside the European Economic Area will be able to apply to enter the UK for up to six months on an exchange or educational visit to a state-maintained school, a non-maintained special school, an independent fee-paying school or an independent non fee-paying school. They will not require entry clearance, unless they are nationals of countries who require a visa to enter the UK.
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
  • Introduction of biometric processing for tier 2 in-country applications  - a reminder

    Regulations extending identity cards for foreign nationals (ICFN) to skilled workers came into force on 6 January 2010. All tier 2 applications made inside the UK now involve the enrolment of the applicant's biometric information (fingerprints and photograph).
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP