John Binns > BCL Solicitors LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
BCL Solicitors LLP Offices
51 LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS
LONDON
WC2A 3LZ
England
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John Binns
Work Department
Business Crime
Position
John advises corporate and individual clients on business crime and corporate regulatory matters, including bribery, controlled drugs, extradition, fraud, Interpol red notices, sanctions, tax evasion, and terrorist financing. He has particular expertise on issues under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA), including confiscation, civil recovery, Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs), and on the operation of the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs).
His recent work includes advising numerous corporate clients, including a major British multinational group, on cannabis licensing issues, and on the implications under POCA of UK investments in overseas lawful cannabis businesses. He has represented individual and corporate suspects in major criminal investigations by HMRC, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and National Trading Standards.
John has also advised a variety of companies and professional firms on issues including: their obligations to prevent bribery and the facilitation of tax evasion, to comply with the MLRs, and to submit SARs; their exposure to UWOs and to liability under POCA and sanctions laws; and the extent of their duty to cooperate with international and domestic POCA investigations.
Fellow practitioners say John has ‘a very cerebral approach’ and is ‘absolutely first rate’; ‘superbly analytical, right down in the detail, and a very nice guy to work with’; ‘absolutely fantastic… brilliant at advising clients… very calm and measured’; ‘approachable [and] very thorough’; and ‘a very strong POCA solicitor, who has a lot of experience [and] gives excellent, high-end advice for crime matters.’
John has presented at the Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime, Cannabis Europa, the Proceeds of Crime Lawyers’ Association’s forum, the Red Lion Lectures, and webinars for Lexis Nexis, and gave expert evidence to the House of Lords’ EU Home Affairs Subcommittee.
Career
Qualified in 2000, joined BCL in 2010 and became a partner in 2017.
Publications: Contributor to Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Review (Law Business Research) and Money Laundering Law and Regulation: a Practical Guide (Oxford University Press).
Author of various articles on economic crime topics for Analytical Cannabis, City AM, Fraud Intelligence, Law 360, Lexis Nexis, Money Laundering Bulletin, Open Access Government, Property Journal and others.
Memberships
Anti-Money Laundering Professionals Forum; Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers; Defence Extradition Lawyers Forum; Fraud Lawyers Association; the Law Society; Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association (committee member); Tax Investigations Practitioners Group.
Education
LLB Law at King’s College London, MPhil Criminology at Cambridge.
Leisure
Parent of two and long-time Doctor Who fan.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
(Leading partners)The ‘tremendously talented‘ team at BCL Solicitors LLP has a market-leading presence in the white-collar crime space, routinely representing individuals across the full range of financial crime investigations and prosecutions, including allegations of bribery, corruption, money laundering, and fraud, both domestic and cross-border in nature. Richard Sallybanks
leads the team and attracts praise for his ‘extraordinary strategic acumen,’ regularly acting for high-net-worth individuals and senior executives. ‘Wise, tough, and pragmatic‘ founding partner Ian Burton tackles cases concerning sanctions, price fixing, and extradition issues. Harry Travers takes point on large SFO investigations and tax fraud matters; Shula de Jersey and Julian Hayes are other significant names here. Shaul Brazil is a key contact for cross-border money laundering investigations, while John Binns is noted for his sanctions, asset forfeiture, and tax expertise. The team also includes a strong roster of associates, including Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky, Anoushka Warlow, and Hannah Raphael.
London > Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
Managing partner and financial crime specialist Richard Sallybanks heads up the specialist business crime and regulatory team at BCL Solicitors LLP; its expertise runs the gamut of financial and corporate crime issues, including ESG compliance, AML, regulatory offences, and data protection issues. With a focus on contentious matters, the team has recently seen an uptick in instructions concerning economic and trade sanctions, as well as tax evasion issues and environmental protection mandates. The ‘absolutely stellar‘ Richard Reichman takes point on the contentious regulatory front, Shaul Brazil is the key name for financial crime cases, while John Binns is highly recommended for sanctions and tax evasion instructions.
London > Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
BCL Solicitors LLP is particularly active on behalf of high-net-worth individuals, and provides support in both civil and criminal tax matters. Harry Travers, who leads the team, has expertise in tax investigations and white collar crime. Ian Burton and John Binns cover tax fraud, including on behalf of both individuals and prominent organisations. Greg Mailer made partner in September 2023.
Lawyer Rankings
- Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals) London > Crime, fraud and licensing
- Leading partners London > Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
- Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates) London > Risk advisory
- Tax litigation and investigations London > Dispute resolution
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Crime: general
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)