Katie Wheatley > Bindmans LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Katie Wheatley

+44 (0)20 7833 7825 [email protected] View profile View profile

Work Department

Crime, Fraud and Regulatory.

Position

Partner and Head of Crime, Fraud and Regulatory Law.

Katie is experienced in dealing with investigations and proceedings that are initiated by bodies such as the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), and professional and State Regulators. Katie also has special expertise in private prosecutions.

With over 25 years’ experience and unique expertise and tactical judgment, Katie has been retained in a wide variety of legal matters, involving allegations of both financial and general crime such as fraud, bribery and corruption, money laundering, complex high-profile general crime cases, sexual offences, homicide, inquests and cases with an international dimension.

Katie is experienced in defending people accused of committing offences connected with their work or who are subject to allegations that are related to their private lives that may threaten their career. She acts for clients in many sectors including banking, broking, insurance, professional services, education, public sector, manufacturing, engineering, sport, charities and NGOs, healthcare, journalism, and media and entertainment.

Katie also acts for and advises employees, directors, trustees and organisations in a business crime context, with experience of corporate manslaughter, gross negligence and unlawful act manslaughter, Health and Safety. Katie acts for individuals and organisations who are designated Interested Persons at Inquests.

She has established a particularly strong reputation for advising journalists and media organisations, especially in investigations relating to their work, breaching of reporting restrictions and contempt, arrests, searches, production orders, protection of journalistic material, whistleblowing, the Official Secrets Act, and undercover operations.

She regularly advises about the intersection of the criminal law with the work of journalists and hosted the Bindmans / UCL debate ‘State Security v Press Freedom’, which explored the implications of new anti-terror legislation on the work of journalists. She has also given talks to the National Union of Journalists explaining how The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) applies to journalists.

Katie has extensive experience of representing clients with vulnerabilities, including brain injury or mental health conditions.

Katie has special experience in advising in connection with allegations that relate to end-of-life decisions such as encouraging and assisting suicide, and ‘mercy killings.’

Her diverse caseload also spans acting for individuals and businesses in cases involving allegations of breaches of government regulations that can be prosecuted in the criminal courts, like those relating to property/houses of multiple occupation, fire safety, planning, and tree preservation.

She is regularly asked to speak at conferences; recent topics Katie has spoken on include white-collar crime, the legal definition of dishonesty, and journalism and public interest in criminal proceedings.

Career

Katie joined Bindmans in 2003, and became Head of criminal law in 2019.

Katie’s cases include:
Fraud and financial and business crime
Katie has extensive experience in all matters of corporate fraud and commercial crime, including:

Acting for suspects in high profile Serious Fraud Office (SFO) bribery and corruption and fraud investigations, including interviews under caution
Acting for witnesses interviewed by the SFO under s2 CJA 1987
Advising and individual in a Corporate internal investigation into fraud and misuse of confidential information
Advised and Represented an individual in connection with criminal law aspects of a high value civil claim
Recently acted for an individual in an FCA Preliminary Investigation – investigation closed after representations
Recently acted for an individual in a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) investigation into insider dealing contrary to s 52 Criminal Justice Act 1993 and Article 14 of the Market Abuse Regulation. The FCA took no further action
Acting for former CEO in a private prosecution by a former employer – allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, complex legal issues and allegations of abuse of process, and restraint and confiscation proceedings
Recently acted for corporate landlord in connection with allegations of breach of HMO Regulations
Acted for Terry Farr a RPM broker acquitted of conspiracy to defraud relating to Yen LIBOR, also involved in other high-profile banking/benchmark investigations
Acted for one of several defendants in a complex criminal trial for insider dealing brought by FCA, including pre-charge interview advice and representation; client acquitted
Acted in City of London Police investigation for misuse of company information for own purposes
Advising in connection with searches and the production of information and material to investigators including “dawn raids” and production orders
Advised in connection with allegations of financial impropriety against care home
Advising former civil servant in connection with allegations of breach of Official Secrets Act- whistleblowing and public interest
In team advising corporate in HSE Investigations into fatalities in an industrial setting; investigation, Inquest and HSE prosecution
Advised employee of NGO in connection with trumped-up politically motivated allegations of serious criminal misconduct abroad
Advised Charity in connection with allegations of criminal activity by an employee
Regulatory advice and representation, particularly in cases with parallel allegations of criminal misconduct; Financial Conduct Authority, General Medical Council; PHE; English Football League; regulations relating to property ownership and management.
‘Mercy killings’ and encouraging or assisting suicide
Katie has acted in many sensitive cases involving ‘mercy killings’ and allegations of encouraging or assisting suicide. She most recently acted for Ann Whaley – interviewed in connection with allegations of encouraging or assisting the suicide of her husband who had MND. This case has been reported widely, highlighting the issues around dying with dignity with Ann campaigning for a change in the law.
Inquests
In recent years, Katie has represented individual and corporate Interested Persons in sensitive and high-profile inquests, including persons accused of causing or contributing to death.
Media, journalists and reporting restrictions
Bindmans is well known for its work assisting the media and for its reputation of media law. We are trusted by numerous senior politicians, publishers and trade unions, high profile actors and musicians as well as ordinary people. Cases include:

Numerous cases involving journalists/breach of court reporting restrictions
Undercover investigations – arrests, interviews and public interest representations
Protection of journalistic materials in searches and opposing or applications to set aside production orders.
Serious and general crime
Represents high profile and HNW individuals in connection with reputation and career threatening allegations of criminal misconduct, including sexual assault and rape and abuse of position of influence
Representing individual in Official Secrets Act investigation
National Security: advised in connection with border stops under Schedule 3 CTBSA and Schedule 7 Terrorism Act
Importation, supply and possession of drugs, including street drugs, novel psychoactive substances and banned substance promoted for use in suicide
Numerous sexual misconduct allegations – consent in issue
Cases involving clients with brain injury or mental ill health including investigations of fitness to give instructions/fitness to plead
Young and vulnerable people – representations to divert from the criminal process
Allegations arising in a family context including allegations of assault and child cruelty with parallel family and Children Act proceeding
Acted for GP accused of sexual assault/multiple allegations of unnecessary medical examinations on patients; GP accused of supplying street drugs
Cybercrime – misuse of social media; stalking, harassment and malicious communications
Possession of firearms, offensive weapons and bladed articles, and noxious substances.
Proceeds of Crime
Acts for suspects and affected third parties in confiscation and restraint proceedings, and asset freezing
Advised third parties in connection with their rights in confiscation
Advises in connection with compliance with Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and Money Laundering Regulations
National Security and Official secrets.

Memberships

Financial Services Lawyers Association
The Fraud Lawyers Association – committee member
London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association
International Bar Association