The Legal 500

With offices in Halifax and London, this firm is a national and international leader in all aspects of serious fraud and white-collar crime, bribery and corruption as well as regulatory and complex crime.

The firm: Since it was established in 2001, the practice has built an enviable reputation in the niche sectors in which it operates. It has established a strong national as well as international presence and appears in some of the most significant and high-profile cases in the country. The firm has gained a growing reputation for making sure its clients are fully aware of all their legal rights and options and pursuing these effectively with first-class representation. Rahman Ravelli’s track record of success has led to it being recommended to others by many of its past and present clients, as well as other law firms and professionals. It has a notably robust and pro-active approach to conducting defences. The practice has developed a strong international presence, representing clients all over the world in bribery and corruption allegations, corporate matters and regulatory issues.

In early 2011, the firm opened an office in London in order to handle its increasing number of clients in the South of the country as well as farther afield. Rahman Ravelli is available around the clock to discuss its core specialisms of serious fraud, serious and white-collar crime, human rights, bribery and corruption and civil recovery as well as defence against actions brought by regulatory bodies. It handles every case with great expertise and dedication to detail.

Types of work undertaken: Serious fraud expertise includes all aspects of business crime defence services, specialist fraud panel matters, carousel and tax fraud, international corruption and money laundering. Serious Fraud Office (SFO) prosecutions are a specialism, including the high-profile acquittal in 2010 of the chief executive of Imperial Consolidated Group, as well as successfully defending an ex-Leeds United director (SRM holdings). HMRC defences, MTIC Fraud, DTI Investigations and OFT Investigations are routinely handled by the team of experts in its corporate crime division. Rahman Ravelli is currently working on a number of high-profile bribery and corruption cases, both in the UK and overseas. These cases, many involving claims to the tune of billions of dollars, span governments as well as companies of all sizes and from many industry sectors. It also advises international companies with regards to compliance with the new Bribery and Corruption Act. The firm’s regulatory department (both national and international) handles a whole range of cases from representing professionals to advising companies on corporate risk. Serious crime expertise includes complex large-scale conspiracy allegations of wide varieties.

Covert surveillance defence and human rights issues are a notable area of expertise including matters affected by the Human Rights Act 1998, which incorporated the European Convention of Human Rights into domestic law, as well as the Criminal Procedure Rules and the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The practice has developed specialist knowledge in tackling covert policing evidence in relation to the right to privacy including directed surveillance, intrusive surveillance, and covert human intelligence sources, including entrapment issues. Abuse of process and public interest immunity are dealt with. The practice has unparalleled experience in this field, with its leading case of R v H establishing the law in this area in the House of Lords in 2004. Foreign intercepts are a specialism.

Civil recovery expertise includes serious and organised crime agency (SOCA) activities as well as SFO, customs and CPS cases, including cases relating to offences committed outside the UK. More recently, the firm’s robust and relentless defence of their clients saw them vehemently arguing the case of Gale all the way to the Supreme Court. The case is expected to define important areas in the law of civil recovery. Recovery orders expertise includes money in bank accounts, cars, houses, and other tangible assets. Rahman Ravelli can assist with instruction of independent experts. Tax investigations are a specialist of expertise. Assets forefeiture experience includes all aspects of restraint orders and confiscation orders. Covert surveillance, one of the techniques being increasingly adopted by the HMRC and an all time favourite of various regulatory bodies in the crackdown on large-scale distribution/importation and supply of controlled drugs amongst others, is also one of the firm’s areas of expertise.

All aspects of health and safety issues are expertly handled. The practice fully intends to maintain its strategy of recruiting top-ranking lawyers and expects to see continued growth in all its areas of expertise, especially international matters.

Breakdown of work %
Serious fraud 75
Complex crime 25

Number of UK partners 1
Number of other UK fee-earners 15