3 Verulam Buildings provides a strong POCA offering, including civil recovery proceedings and property freezing orders, as well as providing advice to regulators, government agencies and private clients regarding their POCA duties. Andrew Sutcliffe KC is acting for the NCA in the English elements of long-running cross-border proceedings aiming to recover the proceeds of a payroll fraud scheme valued at £30m. Regularly instructed by major enforcement agencies, Tom Rainsbury is acting for the Director of Public Prosecutions in a major money-laundering case valued in the region of £4bn of bitcoin, successfully applying for a property freezing order.
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Profile
Position
Tom has a busy advisory and litigation practice in Civil fraud; POCA & asset forfeiture; banking and finance; crypto-assets; financial services; sanctions; administrative and public law; financial crime
He has particular expertise in claims involving allegations of fraud, including APP fraud, advance fee fraud, mortgage fraud, ponzi schemes, procurement fraud, and bribery and corruption.
He has a thriving judicial review practice, particularly in cases at the intersection between public and commercial law and claims against the FOS, FCA and FSCS.
He is developing a discrete practice in sanctions work, which is complemented by his strong background in public law and proceeds of crime.
As a member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel and the SFO’s Panel for Proceeds of Crime and International Assistance, he regularly acts for the NCA, SFO, DPP and HMRC.
Recent cases: Hajiyeva [2018] 1 WLR 5887 and [2020] 2 All ER (Comm) (first application for unexplained wealth order); Javadov [2022] 1 All ER 730 (open justice in account freezing order hearings); Briedis [2021] EWHC 3155 (Admin) (whether crypto-assets are property under the proceeds of crime legislation); MAS5 [2022] EWHC 1979 (Admin) (judicial review of decision by the FOS to investigate historic variations to SVRs); and Petrosaudi [2022] EWHC 920 (Admin) (prohibition order over a significant arbitral award held in the CFO).
Memberships
ALBA, FSLA, LCLCBA, YFLA
Education
University College London, LLB (First Class)
University of Cambridge, Commercial LLM
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'An excellent set well known for its strength and depth in banking and other financial disputes, with excellent counsel at all levels.'
- '3 Verulam Buildings have a stable of well-known and highly regarded names in the POCA field, with expertise at all levels of call.'
- 'Good chambers.'