Anna Keighley > 187 Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Anna Keighley

020 7430 7430 annakeighley@187chambers.com View profile

Position

Anna Keighley’s core practice is recovery of the proceeds of crime arising out of
financial and other serious, organised, crime.
Her practice has led to international instructions, advisory work, niche applications
and legal argument in criminal, civil courts, the High Court and Court of Appeal.
She has lectured here and overseas on the area of proceeds of crime and is
contributing author to ‘Mitchell Taylor and Talbot on Confiscation and the
Proceeds of Crime’ (Sweet & Maxwell).
Anna is specialist appointed Counsel in this field for the CPS and SFO.
Between 2015 and 2020, Anna was a Financial Ombudsman deciding Banking
and Credit cases.
“Anna is knowledgeable, diligent, exceptionally hardworking with superb people
skills. Anna provides good practical advice and direction.” L
‘A superb POCA lawyer. Brilliant on the law. Defends and prosecutes with equal
alacrity. Has some significant higher court cases to her name. A star.‘ Legal 500
2023
“She knows POCA inside out and provides very good, practical advice.”
“Anna is excellent with difficult clients.” Chambers and Partners 2023
“Anna Keighley is a financial crime specialist who continues to demonstrate a
burgeoning practice in the proceeds of crime. She regularly advises on asset
forfeiture and confiscation orders and has appeared before the High Court and
Court of Appeal.” – Chambers and Partners 2023

Career

Asset Forfeiture & Confiscation:
Anna represents prosecutors, foreign governments, defendants, receivers and
third parties in proceeds of crime litigation in the High Court and Crown Court.
She is regularly instructed as specialist counsel by the Proceeds of Crime Unit ofthe CPS, SFO and others in restraint, confiscation, variations, enforcement and
receivership proceedings, under POCA, CJA and DTA, and in Judicial Review
proceedings.
Re Nixon [2020] 1 WLUK 118 – High Court application for certificate of
increase under the DTA 1994; court had jurisdiction with regard to
legitimately and subsequently acquired assets.
R v Goodman (2019) – £1.6m confiscation order; issues of adverse effect
of previous confiscation orders and treatment of ‘debts’ between drug
dealers.
R v Anderson (2019) – s.22 POCA application on the use and limits of R
v Waya [2013] 1 AC 294 and ‘capping’ effect of R v Cole [2018] EWCA
Crim 888.
Operation Jade (2019) – multi-million £ confiscation and dispute on
correct application of R v Ahmad & Fields [2014] UKSC 36.
For multiple Member States of the EU applications to recognise overseas
Restraint Orders (2019).
R v Jones (2018) – application to vary High Court restraint order to
enforce civil judgment and impact on related, concurrent, Crown Court
confiscation proceedings.
R (on the application of O’Connell) v Westminster Magistrates Court
[2017] EWHC 3120 (Admin); [2018] Lloyd’s Rep. F.C. 130 – Judicial
Review of activation of default sentence on grounds of abuse of process
and Human Rights violation. Defendant extradited following activation of
default on a European Arrest Warrant. Successful grounds in opposition to
appeal to Supreme Court.
R v Brewer (2017) – Court of Appeal ruling on effect of amended S.11
POCA on ‘time to pay’ confiscation order.
R v F (2016) – long running litigation relating to interplay of applications to
increase available amount and accumulative confiscation orders.
R v Esfandmodz (2015) – contested High Court receivership with multiple
third-party interests and associated civil claim for fraudulent
misrepresentation.
R v Gurr (2015) – multiple third-party property interest litigation in
receivership application.
Op Segman (2014) – enforcement of confiscation order in Netherland
Antilles with ‘corporate veil’ issues.
Op Numerator (2014) – contested Crown Court receivership in relation to
third-party interests in domestic and overseas properties.
Re T (2014) – generic advice in relation to pensions in light of Government
proposals as proceeds of crime and associated tax implications.
Re B (2014) – DTA High Court confiscation order increase.
R v Azad (2010-2012) – settling a £2m confiscation order and various
issues thereafter including enforcement following the death of the
defendant.

Bribery & Corruption:
Anna is instructed by the Foreign Office’s SIPT in the prosecution of attorneys
and former
government ministers of the Turks and Caicos Islands for £100m plus bribery,
corruption and money laundering (R v Misick and others). This is a long running
and complex case following a Commission of Inquiry and the suspension of the
Government.
She also advises firms on their regulatory responsibilities and liability under the
Bribery Act 2010

Fraud & Financial Crime:
Anna’s core practice invariably either involves or arises out of financial crime. In
addition to the above examples include:
Defrauding regulatory authority (2019) – accusation of male fides of the Crown
and complex PII issues.
Anna has also been instructed in civil fraud proceedings: – intervening in civil
proprietary claim
connected with High Court freezing order proceedings and resisting orders which
compete with criminal asset recovery.
R v O’Sullivan and Kerr – instructed disclosure counsel in the prosecution of
British attorneys in the Turks and Caicos Islands for Stamp Duty fraud in a $28
million dollar property transaction between U.S. nationals.
She is appointed to the Serious Fraud Office prosecution panel and specialist
proceeds of crime panel.

LPP:
Regularly instructed in the area of legal professional privilege. She advises
parties on applicability and waiver of privilege.
She acts as independent counsel to identify material protected by legal
professional privilege whether present during the search (of homes or solicitors
offices) or reviewing large amounts of seized material – as in Operation
Steamroller (a £70m share sale fraud) for the Serious Fraud Office.

Memberships

Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association
Female Fraud Forum – Standing Committee Member
South Eastern Circuit
Criminal Bar Association
Middle Temple
Grade 2 CPS Counsel

Education

Awards, Qualifications & Other:
Appointments: Ombudsman at the Financial Ombudsman Service in the areas of
banking and credit.
Visiting Lecturer: University of Law, Bloomsbury, London delivering training in
criminal litigation and advocacy.
Trained Mediator: through London School of Mediation for ADR in civil litigation
and, previously, in work-place mediation.
Anna also experienced the role of ‘instructing solicitor’ in 2010-2011 when
seconded to the Proceeds of Crime Unit, CPS, responsible for the running and
conduct of complex, high value proceeds of crime cases in the Court of Appeal,
High Court and Crown Court.