Business And Regulatory Crime (including Global Investigations)

Leading Silks

Alex Bailin KC –Matrix Chambers ‘Alex is able to really see the big picture whilst also being on top of the detail. ’

George Carter-Stephenson KC –25 Bedford Row ‘George is the real deal: he is always supremely prepared and will know the papers like no one other in the case.’

Christopher Coltart KC –2 Hare Court ‘Chris is one of the few lawyers at the Bar able to straddle the corporate, regulatory, civil and criminal aspects of a case. He is extremely bright, pragmatic, commercial, technical and thorough. He is a delight to work with. Clients quickly put their trust and faith into his judgement. He works hard. He has an excellent understanding of the drivers and priorities for businesses to deal with corporate and regulatory crime issues. He has a deep understanding of legal professional privilege issues as they relate to corporate crime issues.’

Adrian Darbishire KC –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Strategic, super-smart, hard working, and a thoughtful, incisive and persuasive advocate. Rightly at the very top of the financial crime Bar, with the intellect, experience and gravitas to handle and win even the most complex and difficult cases. He is also a pleasure to work with, collaborative, calm and very personable.’

Jonathan Fisher KC –Red Lion Chambers ‘Jonathan is a scholarly, meticulous, strategic advocate. His measure and authority commands the attention of the most challenging of tribunals. He's best in appellate settings. He knows all the law in his field of expertise - better than anyone else.’

Patrick Gibbs KC –Three Raymond Buildings ‘A proper barrister of the old school. Great integrity. A sensational advocate. Does the right thing by the client. Among the best.’

Neil Hawes KC – Crucible Chambers

Hugo Keith KC - Three Raymond Buildings ‘ Hugo is without a doubt at the top of his field; he has an exceptionally strong intellect and client friendly manner; his grip of the detail is outstanding. ’

John Kelsey-Fry KC –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Number one fraud barrister in the country, he gets the very best in his juniors. John has a skill few people have got- representation before charges. In every era there are two or three outstanding criminal advocates. In any era, John is a superstar.’

Richard Lissack KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Best in his field. Formidable advocate and KC. No equal in his field. Always adds value. Fantastic with instructing solicitors and clients alike.’

Hodge Malek KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Hodge combines an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law with an incredibly astute strategic awareness. He focuses on identifying the best for the client, and uses his exceptional knowledge and experience to achieve it. Always hugely in demand, you want him on your side.’

Clare Montgomery KC - Matrix Chambers ‘ Clare is on top of her game. What a brilliant legal brain! ’

Tim Owen KC - Matrix Chambers ‘ Very helpful to solicitors and has an excellent client manner; very persuasive is court, both in terms of his advocacy skills and his written arguments; highly experienced, calm under pressure and international in scope and vision. ’

Duncan Penny KC –6KBW College Hill ‘Duncan is an outstanding advocate and a master tactician. He is a master of understanding and breaking down complex issues. He is brilliant with clients and gives refreshingly straight forward advice.’

David Perry KC –6KBW College Hill ‘David is the doyen of the white collar criminal bar. This is recognised by both his peers and by the judiciary. He gets straight to the heart of the issue and gives clear and concise advice on the most complex of issues. Especially good for cross-border work, he has the most complete understanding of the law and the process, and is very experienced in how the UK regime interacts with those of other global enforcement agencies. As if all this was not enough, he is also incredibly good to work with, very accessible and responsive. A real delight.’

Alison Pople KC –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Excellent judgement, superb manner with clients, razor sharp intellect, no pomposity or ego despite her stellar reputation.’

Nicholas Purnell KC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘ Clever, experienced, and strategic. ’

Mark Rainsford KC –33 Chancery Lane ‘He is very much a strategic thinker and continually reviews his client’s position, to explore every single avenue. Extremely brilliant on his feet in court and also very persuasive on his written advocacy.’

Jim Sturman KC –2 Bedford Row ‘His strengths are a forensic attention to details and never losing sight of what is in his client's best interests. He has been at the top of his field for decades but still retains the zeal of someone of someone that fights every inch for his clients.’

Ian Winter KC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘ A tremendous and fearless advocate, who applies his huge intelligence with inexhaustible rigor and energy. Having him lead the team can be the difference between winning and losing. A pleasure to work with. ’

Tom Allen KC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘ Tom does not approach any case from a traditional perspective and this uncommon trait means that he is able to navigate complex cases and evidence with innovation and creativity. Clients love Tom's passion for the law and their case, both of which he argues giving his full attention and commitment. ’

Brian Altman KC –2 Bedford Row ‘Brian is one of big beasts of the criminal Bar. He combines a ferocious work ethic, incredible attention to detail and strategic vision. He commands the confidence of the court as well as he commands his brief - a superb appellate advocate.’

William Boyce KC –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Fantastic cross examiner, a real fighter, excellent attention to detail.’

Graham Brodie KC –33 Chancery Lane ‘Fearless, eloquent, and concise advocacy; highly analytical and strategic; collegiate and very hardworking. One of the top business crime and regulatory counsel and one of the very few able to combine a criminal and civil fraud practice. ’

Gideon Cammerman KC - 187 Fleet Street Chambers ‘ Gideon is extremely hardworking, client-focused and commercially-minded. He concentrates on both the detail and the bigger picture. ’

Allison Clare KC –Red Lion Chambers 'A fabulous lawyer. Really accessible and clever.'

Sarah Clarke KC – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Extraordinarily proficient leading practitioner in the field of financial services and crime impressive court presence, demonstrable devotion to client’s’ cause and a pleasure to work with.’

Mark Ellison KC - QEB Hollis Whiteman

Alexandra Healy KC – Foundry Chambers ‘Alexandra is a formidable advocate willing to take on her opponents and the court if required. What sets her apart is her judgement in knowing when it is appropriate to do so and when it is not. Her clients never have any doubt that she is absolutely committed to getting them the best possible result.’

Gillian Jones KC –Red Lion Chambers ‘Gillian is an extremely commanding advocate who brings judgment charm and energy to her case work.’

Brendan Kelly KC –2 Hare Court 'A top notch advocate, who clearly gets the jury on board right from the off.'

Jonathan Kinnear KC –2 Hare Court ‘Jon is a star of the Bar. Brilliant on his feet, engaging with clients, navigates difficult legal and practical issues with ease and very accessible. Solicitors are grateful for the superb all round service he delivers. ’

Jonathan Laidlaw KC –2 Hare Court ‘Jonny is a brilliant advocate and a great joy to work with. He is also supported by a truly market leading team. He’s fantastic across all areas of financial crime and on big judgment calls he is excellent.’

Amanda Pinto KC –33 Chancery Lane ‘Amanda is a tremendous advocate, her judgement is spot on, she is very well respected by the court due to her experience in both defence and prosecution in major business crime cases, and she has consummate client handling skills.’

Antony Shaw KC –Red Lion Chambers

James Waddington KC –Foundry Chambers ‘James has a commanding presence and due to his wealth of experience, very well placed to provide excellent advice and confidence to clients throughout what can be a lengthy and difficult process for them. He ensures he is always on top of his game with very detailed preparation and considers each point, irrespective of how small it may be. Very approachable and excellent with clients. Brilliant in court and outstanding on his written advocacy.’

Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC - Three Raymond Buildings

Crispin Aylett KC –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘An excellent criminal lawyer.’

Robin Barclay KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Robin is a very good lawyer and litigation specialist. He understands the system and how it works. He can predict where the law will likely develop.’

Jonathan Barnard KC –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Jonathan is focused and firm when dealing with clients whilst making them feel at ease. He is incredibly organised and over the detail of the case, more so than any of his opponents. ’

Jennifer Carter-Manning KC –7BR 'Jenny is a forceful and compelling advocate who uses her mastery of the facts to devastating affect in court. In written correspondence I value her pragmatism and how she brings her broad experience into any case.'

Michael Goodwin KC - Red Lion Chambers ‘ Eye for detail and always fully prepared. ’

James Hines KC –Three Raymond Buildings ‘Generally speaking James has specialised in defending serious financial crime cases but more recently he has prosecuted some very high profile serious business crime cases. James is an incredibly diligent and hard working advocate. He is a brilliant lawyer. His oral advocacy is of the highest class.’

Jamas Hodivala KC - Matrix Chambers

Nicola Howard KC –25 Bedford Row ‘A really solid performer - reliable and great perspective on cases. She gets on excellently with clients and judges and gains their confidence easily. First rate.’

Leon Kazakos KC – 2 Hare Court

Sean Larkin KC –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Sean is a fantastic advocate who brings charisma, confidence and eloquence in equal measure. He works very hard behind the scenes to ensure that he is always completely in control of events in court, and in doing so inspires complete confidence in the team he leads and his client. No matter how difficult the case or the issue he rises to it.’

James Lewis KC – Three Raymond Buildings

Alison Macdonald KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘A brilliant Silk – tremendously able with huge international skills and a delight to work with. ’

Nicholas Medcroft KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘A strong advocate with a firm presence in court. Bright and personable.’

Mark Milliken-Smith KC - 2 Bedford Row

Tamara Oppenheimer KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Tamara is faultless as a barrister. Tamara has great integrity, her analysis is impeccable and she also brings great commerciality to the table. She has excellent judgement about how the court will view and approach issues and is a persuasive and compelling advocate.’

Selva Ramasamy KC – QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Extremely bright, with astounding knowledge of the law in this field. He is able to navigate solutions with a good strategic sense.’

Paul Raudnitz KC –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Paul brings his deep understanding of regulatory prosecutions to the prosecution and defence of such cases. With deep technical knowledge he knows how to get the best from whatever tribunal, he is before whether defending or prosecuting.’

Clare Sibson KC – Fountain Court Chambers ‘Clare is incredibly bright. She is able to absorb a plethora of facts and hone into the relevant and key case-changing issues quickly. Her key strength is presenting a case to a Court in simple, clear terms; she cuts through noise and gets to the point. A brilliant mind and a fantastic strategist.’

Sasha Wass KC - 6KBW College Hill

Richard Whittam KC - Matrix Chambers ‘ An advocate who understands not only the facts of his case and applies the law to it effectively, but also sees the bigger picture so knows how to persuade his audience. Excellent, thoughtful, foresighted and fully prepared, with great court presence. ’

2022 Silks

Rachel Barnes KC – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Rachel knows her area inside out and can draw on a wide experience of dealing with the NCA and other agencies, which is of great comfort to clients. She is a strong technical lawyer. She works very hard and is a pleasure to work with, in what can be extremely challenging circumstances.‘

Miranda Hill KC – 6KBW College Hill 'A newly appointed silk who was widely regarded as the best junior in this field of work. Superb analytical skills. A great strategist. Wonderful advocate.'

Leading Juniors

Eleanor Davison –Fountain Court Chambers 'A very hard working and bright advocate. She is excellent to work with, combing an engaging manner with keen focus on her clients interests; this ensures excellent results for her clients.'

Ben Fitzgerald - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘ Ben is extraordinarily hard-working, clever, with great attention to detail and calm under fire. ’

Rachna Gokani - QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘ Rachna is incredibly astute and hardworking and leaves no stone unturned when acting for individual or corporate clients. Her legal analysis, drafting and advocacy are all first-rate. An absolute joy to work with - she is a genuine team player and is able to communicate effectively with people from all walks of life. ’

Katherine Hardcastle –6KBW College Hill ‘She is absolutely committed and reliable, probably one of the best juniors of her generation. She is knowledgeable and has great judgment as well as being a reassuring presence trusted by bench and bar.’

Nichola Higgins –Matrix Chambers ‘Nichola is an absolutely excellent junior in business and regulatory crime. She is extraordinarily dedicated in large investigations and identifies and gets on top of the issues in complex cases. She is of huge assistance to any client in the fraud arena.’

Vivienne Tanchel –2 Hare Court ‘Great attention to detail, excellent client care skills and a compelling advocate. Very hard working and always has at her fingertips all the details of the case, which is hugely impressive.’

Mark Aldred – QEB Hollis Whitman

Tom Doble –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘A star junior counsel punching well above his call. He is a great strategist with a first class legal brain, has superb drafting skills that you rarely see at the criminal Bar and a huge capacity for hard work. One of the very best juniors, he stands head and shoulders above most of his peers.’

Kathryn Arnot Drummond –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Kathryn is very approachable and provides clear, practical, robust advice. She is also an extraordinarily persuasive advocate, which is enhanced by charismatic presence that dominates the room. Although Kathryn is incredibly bright and quickly gets to the heart of any issue, she is also able to explain the matter in a clear digestible way that makes her advice both indispensable and user friendly. Most of all, Kathryn is an outstanding and persuasive advocate who is able to hold the attention of the relevant audience with her incisive arguments.‘

Duncan Jones –25 Bedford Row ‘Duncan is smart, insightful, incisive and a future star of the Bar.’

Rachel Kapila - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘ Incredibly hard-working, very bright and an absolute pleasure to work with. Combines a fierce intellect with a prodigious capacity for work, mastering complex and heaving paper-based matters in remarkably short time-frames, all the while instilling confidence in her lay and professional clients. ’

Jason Mansell –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Very strong advocate (written and spoken). Complete command of the law. Master strategist. Great with clients and solicitors. Very easy to work with.’

Peter Ratliff - 6KBW College Hill ‘ A calming influence when corporates find themselves in difficulty. Peter is clear, strategic and just so easy to get along with. An absolute to joy to work. ’

Simon Ray –6KBW College Hill ‘Extremely hard working and a pleasure to work with.’

Ben Summers - Three Raymond Buildings

Sophie O’Sullivan - Outer Temple Chambers

'Commercial, pragmatic, able to see the bigger picture beyond her specialist expertise and very aware of how that fits into the client's overall strategy. Responsive, user-friendly, and very bright.'

Trevor Archer - Red Lion Chambers ‘ Trevor is exceptionally bright, down to earth and reliable and a real pleasure to work with. ’

Faras Baloch - Red Lion Chambers

Tom Broomfield –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Tom has a very well established practice in business and regulatory crime. He has developed an impressive experience in FCA cases, and has drawn on that to expand into other related fields. He has a fine eye for the detail and is very good at thinking out of the box. He understands long term strategy in cases in this field, where investigations case span several years.’

Rebecca Chalkley –Red Lion Chambers ‘Rebecca is an outstanding advocate. She is thoughtful in her delivery and has a light touch with both juries and judges. She is exceptionally bright but practical in her advice and clients adore her pragmatism. She is superior to the vast majority of silks in her field.’

David Claxton – Red Lion Chambers ‘Extremely bright, hard-working and fluent in both written and oral advocacy. He puts clients at ease and has a reassuring manner.‘

Edward Craven – Matrix Chambers 'He is a really really clever guy. He does incredible quality work. His written work is superb. He is excellent with clients and has a huge brain.'

Thomas Daniel - 2 Bedford Row

Christopher Foulkes –2 Hare Court ‘Chris is a wonderfully strategic lawyer. He is calm and measured, and is meticulous with his preparation. His main strength is his ability to consider all angles in detail to help develop a strategy that achieves amazing results for the client, time after time.’

Alex Haines – Outer Temple Chambers

‘Alex is a first rate advocate with excellent client manner. He has particular expertise when it comes to tribunals in international institutions and is sought after for his experience in this area.‘

Kathryn Hughes – QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Excellent attention to detail and quick to grasp complex issues in cases. Understands her clients’ needs and strategic approach to defending them.’

Ben Isaacs - 7BR

Jas Jandu - 7BR 'Fantastic grasp of technically challenging law and the ability to explain complex matters to clients.'

Timothy Kendal - 2 Bedford Row

Helen Law - Matrix Chambers ‘ Extremely responsive, with outstanding abilities. ’

Jocelyn Ledward –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Excellent working knowledge of substantive law and criminal procedure.’

Dominic Lewis - 5 Paper Buildings

Rhys Meggy –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Rhys is an exceptional barrister who never fails to deliver. He is a phenomenally intelligent advocate, is extremely bright, tenacious and strategic in his approach. He is well suited for serious fraud and complex cases. His ability to handle and steer his client through a difficult and serious business crime fraud over many weeks is impressive.’

Faisal Osman - 33 Chancery Lane 'Faisal is always on top of the detail of large cases and able to keep hold of case threads throughout. his drafting is always on point and his advocacy is first rate. Clients appreciate the effort that Faisal puts into cases and the care that he takes.'

Simon Paul - Fountain Court Chambers 'Simon is an extraordinary barrister, wise beyond his years, with an unerring commitment to his cases. He seems to have an infinite capacity to produce flawless work and inspires the confidence of his leaders and clients. He will go far.'

Oliver Powell –Outer Temple Chambers

‘Seamlessly integrates into a large team in either a leadership or support role. Knows his area inside out. Clients love him and he always makes them feel looked after. Superb jury advocate.’

Leonora Sagan –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Leonora is an exceptional advocate, both in terms of her written and oral advocacy. On her feet she is measured and authoritative and is able to instantly establish an excellent rapport with a judge. She has an excellent eye for detail, is extremely hard working and knows her subject matter inside out.’

Alexander dos Santos –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Alex has a wide breadth of knowledge which he is happy and willing to share when needed. He is personable and clients like him. He is confident in court and in written submissions. His arguments are well prepared and considered. Alex regularly provides training to more junior members of the Bar which is a testament to his advocacy skills.’

Esther Schutzer-Weissmann - 6KBW College Hill ‘ Esther commands a presence and is ferocious in court; extremely dedicated to her craft and is the go-to person for criminal and regulatory investigations. ’

David Stern –5 St Andrews Hill ‘A first class lawyer and highly persuasive advocate. David has a meticulous approach that is well respected by those he works with. I would highly recommend David for business and regulatory cases.’

John Carl Townsend – 33 Chancery Lane ‘John is a true expert in the field of criminal restraint, proceeds of crime and civil/criminal cross over. He is extremely intelligent and his judgement is superb. He is able to grasp complex issues with relative ease. he frequently appears in the highest courts in the land and frequently achieves outstanding results. He is a natural advocate, often grappling with complex issues with relative ease.‘

Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

Three Raymond Buildings

A set with considerable experience of the full range of business crime cases, particularly bribery and corruption, sanctions, and corporate fraud, Three Raymond Buildings fields practitioners experienced in in cross-border investigations and criminal proceedings, including those brought by the SFO and international bodies including the US DoJ. Hugo Keith KC is a deeply experienced practitioner within the space, regularly instructed by businesses, individuals, and politically vulnerable figures in high-level cases relating to extradition, international liability, private prosecutions, and regulatory enforcement actions. The ‘able‘ James Hines KC is a go-to prosecutor for the SFO, and has led prosecutions in a variety of high-profile cases, including the Chant and Desai case, a bribery and corruption trial concerning allegations of tens of thousands of pounds paid in bribes for a multi-million IT contract. Neil Saunders is a ‘polished and effective advocate‘ who specialises in serious fraud cases, including standout involvement in a multi-million pound fraud case against a former director at a major contractor, wherein he represented the defendant. Clients hail Rachel Barnes KC as ‘one of the best‘, offering US experience as a dual-qualified practitioner and regularly involved in major asset forfeiture cases, including representing a law firm holding €34m in a client account derived from criminal conduct in Du Toit & Co LLP.

Testimonials

Set

‘3 Raymond contains some outstanding barristers. James Lewis KC is incredibly clever and tactically wise.’

‘A strong set across the range of seniority.‘

‘They are a very strong set, with a high intellectual calibre. Their expertise is primarily in extradition and fraud.‘

‘3 Raymond Buildings are an excellent set, who I liaise with for a lot of things, including where I don’t know what counsel to use and need ideas. I can trust the clerks to be straight and efficient, and the set to have strong counsel who can turn their hands to most of the things we need at the firm.‘

Clerking

‘A reliable and helpful clerks’ room led by the ever pleasant Eddie.‘

‘Strong – Dean Brown is my main contact but I have found junior clerks to diligent wherever I have had need to work with them.‘

‘Very approachable.‘

‘I most often deal with Eddie Holland and Dean Brown – five stars to both of them.‘

Tier 2 sets

2 Bedford Row

A standout set for financial crime work, members of 2 Bedford Row advise and represent corporate and individual clients in criminal and regulatory investigations relating to the full spectrum of fraud and financial crime matters, including domestic and cross-border investigations regarding allegations of money-laundering, tax fraud, serious fraud, sanctions offences, and insider trading. The set includes a number of members with high-profile involvements in precedent-setting SFO, FCA, and HMRC corporate crime investigations, with bespoke expertise in issues such as DPAs and Section 2 notices, as well as capabilities in cross-border cases across the US, Europe, and Australia. ‘One of big beasts of the criminal Bar’, Brian Altman KC is former First Senior Treasury Counsel, and focuses on complex and high-profile financial crime cases, including his current work in the major ongoing R v Hamilton and others, leading in Court of Appeal proceedings. The ‘forensic‘ Jim Sturman KC is another key name, with particularly strong expertise in money laundering, Companies Act offences, and international sanctions issues. Simon Baker KC also continues to be highly active in major cases since taking silk in 2021, also representing in R v Hamilton.

Testimonials

Set

‘They have been one of the heavyweight criminal sets for a number of years. They have probably for one of the strongest senior clerks at any set of chambers in John Grimmer. The head of chambers changed recently to Jim Sturman and Brian Altman. They have several heavyweight silks and lots of juniors. Jim Sturman is particularly notable, and Kieran Vaughan is one of the best silks around. A set that can cover any piece of criminal work/quasi criminal work that there is. They are one of the big all round sets. They do mainstream crime, but interestingly over the years they have diversified and are now one of the leading health and safety sets, a lot of environmental work as well. They defend and prosecute heavily; they are your typical big criminal set that prosecute and who work at every single level.‘

‘I have worked with many counsel at 2BR and they are, without doubt, in the premier league of criminal chambers. Fantastic strength in depth right down to junior level.‘

‘2 Bedford Row is the leading chambers in this area and have strength in depth throughout chambers.‘

Clerking

‘Paul Rogers- he gets things done and doesn’t mess about.‘

‘John Grimmer is a pleasure to work with and always goes the extra mile to provide a top quality service.‘

‘The Clerks Room is still run with great finesse by the legendary John Grimmer. Paul Rodgers is developing into a very able deputy for him.‘

2 Hare Court

2 Hare Court offers high-level expertise in the full range of financial and business crime issues, with members acting in proceedings relating to bribery, corruption, anti-competitive behaviour, sanctions violations, and in private prosecutions. Clients include directors, corporates, and regulatory agencies, with the team able to act in SFO, FCA, and police proceedings, representing clients at all levels of trial and throughout investigations. The set has a dedicated business crime team headed by the vastly experienced Christopher Coltart KC, who notably represented a defendant in FCA v Croft, Coleman and Fisher, in which three former directors of a AIM-listed company were charged with false accounting, misleading the company’s auditors and misleading the market. The allegations arose out of the company’s published financial statements for 2016, which the FCA claims were deliberately misleading. Christopher Foulkes is a highly experienced junior, regularly instructed by the SFO and HMRC, as well as defending clients, including a suspect in a major SFO investigation into very large fraud and insider trading allegations relating to a major corporate collapse.

Testimonials

Set

‘They have real strength in depth. I have worked with or been against a number of practitioners and always been impressed by both the work ethic of all and their obvious abilities as lawyers and advocates.’

‘Fantastic set.’

‘A professional and impressive set.‘

‘The set is a strong and growing presence in the regulatory market place, and dominant in some niches, particularly Inquests. The team are very responsive and have real strength in depth.‘

Clerking

‘Clerks are top notch as are all staff who work at chambers.‘

‘The clerking team is excellent, commercial and approachable with a can do attitude.‘

‘A good clerking team. Jack Shah is very impressive. Always quick to respond and good knowledge of his barristers to be able to suggest the best people for particular cases.‘

‘Excellent and efficient.‘

6KBW College Hill

6KBW College Hill offers significant expertise in bribery, corruption, and other financial crime cases, with a number of specialists in the Bribery Act, Enterprise Act, and the Financial Services and Markets Act handling Serious Fraud Office, Crown Prosecution Service, and other regulatory agency investigations and prosecutions into corporate malfeasance and crime. Alongside high-level domestic representations, the chambers also includes experts in cross-border cases, several including the involvement of the US Department of Justice. David Perry KC is a senior figure in the space, and regularly represents high-profile businesses in cross-border bribery and corruption cases, including complex elements such as Deferred Prosecution Agreements. Miranda Hill KC took silk in March 2022, and is regularly instructed by Magic Circle firms to act for major companies, including Amec Foster Wheeler in the SFO investigation into the company and its predecessor companies for suspected offences of bribery, corruption and related offences, resulting in a DPA. Katherine Hardcastle continues to bolster her reputation, defending a number of DPAs, and representing global clients in SFO, HMRC, and international regulatory investigations, including high-profile financial services proceedings.

Testimonials

Set

‘A superb set of talented practitioners.’

Red Lion Chambers

Members at Red Lion Chambers handle an array of complex business and regulatory crime work, representing defendants in bribery, corporate corruption, banking fraud and boiler room investigations, as well as in regulatory prosecutions alongside providing advice to corporate clients facing investigations by the SFO, FCA, and other key authorities. The set, whose members are regularly instructed by leading City criminal firms, includes a combination of experienced silks, newer appointments, and effective juniors, regularly entrusted with leading roles both defending and prosecuting major cases. Allison Clare KC acted for the SFO in SFO v Airbus SE, a high-profile complex corruption case covering aircraft sales across five jurisdictions and two divisions involving a multijurisdictional deferred prosecution agreement. Head of chambers Antony Shaw KC defends and prosecutes SFO and FCA cases relating to corruption, fraud, and bribery, while Gillian Jones KC is praised for her ‘real depth of cradle to grave experience in significant SFO investigations’. In another notable prosecution, ‘positive and collegiate‘ junior David Claxton acts for the SFO against David Ames, founder and chairman of the Harlequin Group, in a corporate fraud case concerning the viability and solvency of the business during the period that investments were obtained.

Testimonials

Set

‘Quality counsel across the board.‘

‘Red Lion Chambers is an impressive criminal set, and they have an increasingly impressive stable of business crime barristers, having been involved in a number of the leading business crime cases of recent years.‘

‘An excellent set with individual barristers of high ability at every level in this area.‘

‘18 RLC is emerging as a go to for white collar crime and POCA cases.‘

Clerking

‘Efficient.‘

Tier 3 sets

25 Bedford Row

Members at 25 Bedford Row represent individual and corporate clients before courts of all levels, tribunals, and regulatory authorities in proceedings relating to financial and regulatory crime, with expertise in areas including tax evasion, asset recovery, and financial services investigations. George Carter-Stephenson KC has been involved in global financial services proceedings of considerable note, including LIBOR rate-fixing trials, and is currently representing Mohammed Bharj at Southwark Crown Court in Operation Surging, a 22 handed fraud case involving the alleged laundering of over £25,000,000 of criminal proceeds through 14 shell companies within a highly complex laundering structure. Nicola Howard KC focuses on corporate fraud, asset seizure, self-reporting, and money laundering cases, with a standout ongoing involvement being that of Guralp in SFO vs Guralp and others, in which she represented a high net worth individual and inventor of seismic instruments in a SFO investigation surrounding contracts from a South Korean official, resulting in a DPA.

Testimonials

Set

‘25 Bedford Row are an exceptional set and the go-to for defence and investigations work.‘

‘Nice helpful criminal chambers who are realistic on price and responsive when needed.‘

‘A very friendly and large set with many skilled counsel able to assist.‘

‘A strong chambers from top to bottom, with experts in every area of criminal law.’

Clerking

‘Emma Makepeace is an absolute star. She totally understands the solicitor- Counsel relationship and as the market changes, has adapted well.‘

‘Guy Williams and Emma Makepeace are very very good clerks.‘

‘Emma Makepeace – excellent at arranging matters, souring suitable alternative counsel if needed and a pleasure to deal with.‘

‘Emma Makepeace is a star.‘

33 Chancery Lane

33 Chancery Lane offers broad commercial fraud expertise, encompassing corporate corruption, money laundering, and regulatory crime, with members acting for clients including corporates and individuals under investigation, prosecuting agencies, and affected parties. The chambers has seen an increase in instructions relating to early-stage investigations by regulators and enforcement bodies, particularly the HMRC, and offers complementary civil fraud and regulatory expertise. Amanda Pinto KC has deep expertise across corporate malfeasance, bribery, and director’s liability cases, acting for both defendants and plaintiffs, and is currently representing the SFO in R v Skeene & Bowers, a global Forex investment fraud case with notable compelled material perjury elements and complex jurisdictional and foreign evidence issues. Graham Brodie KC is noted for his record in fraud and white-collar criminal prosecutions as a defence counsel, and has a particular specialism in Proceeds of Crime Act issues, as does Kennedy Talbot KC, who has defended asset seizure and confiscation proceedings at the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court level, as well as acting for agencies, including representing the FCA in the investigation into the collapse of Worthington Group Ltd and consequent asset freezing.

Testimonials

Set

‘I am very impressed with Chambers and also instruct Graham Brodie KC and Faisal Osman in those Chambers.‘

‘I strongly rate the depth of experience within this set, which covers all angles within this particular area.‘

Clerking

‘The clerking lead by Martin Adams is excellent.‘

‘Always accommodating and willing to help.‘

Cloth Fair Chambers

Cloth Fair Chambers offers high-level financial crime expertise to corporates and senior executives, with members regularly leading on complex regulatory investigations and prosecutions initiated by UK and international prosecutors and enforcement bodies. Standout areas of expertise for the set include the full range of financial and corporate crime cases, encompassing bribery and corruption, corporate fraud, money laundering, and Companies Act violations, with multi-jurisdictional SFO settlements a particularly notable area of expertise. Head of chambers John Kelsey-Fry KC represented NatWest in Operation Fordbridge, the first FCA prosecution for offences under money laundering regulations, reflecting the involvement of members in precedent-setting cases. A standout junior and ‘extraordinarily persuasive advocate‘, Kathryn Arnot Drummond is regularly instructed by companies on internal investigations, provides advice on sanctions issues, and also regularly defend in Account Forfeiture Order cases.

Testimonials

Set

‘Excellent high quality advocates.‘

‘Right up there at the very top. All members are hugely in demand and in the biggest cases you can safely assume that several Cloth Fair barristers will be instructed.‘

‘Cloth Fair is a solid and well-regarded criminal set. A go-to for any complex criminal matters.’

‘Hugely sought-after. All very good. Popular.‘

Clerking

‘The clerks are always on the ball and provide a high quality service.‘

‘Clerks are very helpful to assist with organising matters with the court.‘

‘Adrian Chapman and Mark O’Neill run a fantastic clerking operation. They are both responsive to solicitors’ needs and are always reliable at keeping one informed of any changes in availability and so on.‘

‘All the Clerks are only too happy to help. Adrian and Mark have any information to hand at a moments notice and go above and beyond to assist instructing solicitors.‘

Fountain Court Chambers

Fountain Court Chambers has a strong focus on commercial and regulatory crime work, with members routinely acting for major corporates, financial institutions, and professional services firms, both domestic and international in high-profile and complex proceedings. Richard Lissack KC has represented high-profile corporate and individual clients in a wide range of cases, with standout expertise in financial services matters relating to rate-rigging and transactional fraud, and is currently acting for a number of major financial institutions in ongoing, precedent-setting proceedings in the capital markets space. ‘An expert in a difficult field‘, Robin Barclay KC continues to establish his silk practice in global commercial fraud, and is representing Terra in Terra Services Ltd v NCA, a high-profile investigation of the property company linked to oligarch Oleg Deripaska in connection with the Mueller Investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Eleanor Davison acts on both sides of cross-border financial crime investigations, and is a go-to for UK financial authorities in cases alleging criminal money laundering and insider dealing, alongside regularly defending banks and other financial institutions facing similar allegations.

Testimonials

Set

‘Fountain Court Chambers are the crème de la crème for providing expertise in commercial crime. Richard Lissack KC offers the safest pair of hands for any commercial crime matter. He and Leonora Sagan were always available when needed and were able to accommodate conference calls with very little notice – something that was very important in a fast-moving case. Richard Lissack despite his seniority in this area is always keen to hear and consider the views of every member of the team – a marker of a truly excellent lawyer. It is clear he takes the time to mentor junior members of the team. Their client care skills were second to none – providing reasoned reassurance to the client through the most difficult times of his life.‘

‘Fountain Court is developing a serious and impressive reputation in Business and regulatory crime with impressive silk and junior offerings.‘

‘Fountain Court are consistently excellent to work with, they are responsive, professional and accommodating at all times, and will always be able to recommend alternative counsel if necessary. The depth of experience and variety of specialisms are second to none.‘

‘Strong business crime offering with a variety of levels of experience.‘

Clerking

‘I had frequent contact with the clerks throughout the course of the case. My main point of contact was Luke Diebelius who is deft at juggling a number of diaries and responding swiftly.‘

‘The clerking team are always a pleasure to deal with. I would give special mention to Luke Diebelius, Chloe Gibbs and Jake Hubbard who have always made themselves available – even on short notice and outside of business hours – and deal with all aspects of their role with grace, good humor and professionalism.‘

‘Responsive. Always on hand; even out of hours.‘

‘The clerks are open, direct, responsive and completely reliable. A great set.‘

Matrix Chambers

Matrix Chambers is known for its high-profile work on behalf of banks, financial institutions, and corporates in complex corporate crime prosecutions and investigations, offering integrated expertise across data protection, reputation management, and asset recovery issues, as well as a dedicated regulatory investigations team. Clare Montgomery KC remains a highly sought-after counsel for serious financial crime defence and prosecution work, and acted for the FCA in its successful money laundering prosecution of NatWest, while Alex Bailin KC acts in major SFO proceedings, including defending a senior executive of Petrofac against the SFO. The ‘absolutely excellent‘ Nichola Higgins continues to expand her profile, including major instructions from the SFO and FCA, such as acting for the SFO in both R v Skeene and R v Bowers, interlinked £30m investment fraud cases.

Testimonials

Set

‘The chambers has good strength in depth and range of skills.‘

‘Matrix have the efficiency of a civil set because a lot of their work is highly paying work which means that they have a huge clerks room. They don’t run like a normal criminal set, you compare them to the service you get at a civil set. They have the best barristers.‘

‘Very strong in white collar crime.‘

QEB Hollis Whiteman

Focused heavily on business crime and regulatory matters, QEB Hollis Whiteman includes a number of senior members regularly instructed by the SFO, FCA, and NCA, as well as by high-profile defendants, in complex and heavily-scrutinised cases. The set is regularly involved in cross-border cases, with instructions from Magic Circle and major US firms, including international bribery and corruption, trade and sanctions, and corporate fraud proceedings. Former First Senior Treasury Counsel Mark Ellison KC primarily bases his practice around private financial crime defence, primarily internationally, including currently representing an ex-global head of compliance at Alstom relating alleged bribery in Hungary, as well as continuing to represent ENRC in its SFO bribery investigation. Adrian Darbishire KC handles high-profile frauds, bribery and corruption and serious financial misconduct cases, including a standout involvement on behalf of a former Unaoil executive, appealing their conviction for bribery, a case which also saw a major role for Mark Aldred . ‘First rate junior‘ Rhys Meggy continues to establish himself in the financial crime space, regularly defending clients against SFO prosecutions.

Testimonials

Set

‘Good clerks and strong chambers for business crime.‘

‘The set is well-known and respected across the board in this field.’

‘QEB has some fantastic junior counsel making it one of the strongest all round sets for financial crime.‘

‘QEB Hollis Whiteman is, in my view, the best set in this area by some margin. They have a stable of practitioners who, between them, have been in more or less all of the leading cases in this field in recent years.‘

Clerking

‘Chris Emmings and Faye Stimpson are standout. Very personable and helpful.‘

‘Strong clerks room. Endlessly helpful.‘

‘They have a formidable clerking team of Chris Emmings, David O’Sullivan and Faye Stimpson who always treat our firm as if we are their most important client.‘

‘Faye Stimpson – she really knows the stable of barristers.‘

Coverage By Practice AreaLondon Bar