Press Release: 27th January 2022
Martin Kenney & Co., Solicitors, a leading asset recovery litigation practice based in the BVI, is delighted to announce that veteran financial investigator, Laurence Howland, has been awarded the second Martin Kenney Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Study of Financial Investigation.
Howland, 55, currently Director of Risk and Compliance at Buckles Solicitors in Peterborough, England, recently (2021) completed his MSc in Financial Investigation with the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) School of Justice, with whom the award is jointly presented to one outstanding graduate each year.
Howland said he was “surprised and delighted” to be presented with the award, following a career which has spanned over three decades as a criminal investigator and a specialist in tax fraud and financial crime, most notably with HMRC, but also based in China working directly with the Chinese government and across the Far East to improve mutual understanding of international fraud and money laundering.
“I am surprised and delighted to be presented with this prestigious award,” he said.
“I am conscious that my own achievements at UCLan have only been possible because of the fantastic collaborative work of the staff and students involved in the study and research of financial investigation, and in particular the generous contributions of world-class experts like Martin Kenney, who share their knowledge and expertise to develop a new generation of financial investigators.
“Understanding financial crime and how it underpins organised criminality, corruption and terrorism is a vital part of modern policing and compliance efforts, and this award and the knowledge and experience I have gained at UCLan will stand me in good stead as I move on to the next stage of my career.”
Martin Kenney is managing partner of Martin Kenney & Co, Solicitors, in the British Virgin Islands, and is one of the world’s top asset recovery lawyers, specialising in fraud and corruption cases. He said he was happy to know that the award had gone to such a deserving candidate.
“Laurence Howland has proven himself over a distinguished career with many organisations, but it was his work on the UCLan MSc that really impressed tutors and staff.
“I’m very pleased to know that the award has gone to such a deserving candidate, with such an impressive array of experience and work ethic and wish him all the best in his current endeavours.”
Last year, Martin Kenney & Co. partnered with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) to offer the Martin Kenney Award annually to one outstanding graduate from the School of Justice’s MSc Financial Investigation course.
The inaugural award was presented to Nelda Biltauere, who had been a payments and fraud manager for fashion retailer Boohoo, after she also completed her School of Justice MSc.
Dr Dave Brian, Course Leader for the MSc in Financial Investigation, added:
“I would like to congratulate Laurence on his success in achieving this award. His contribution to the MSc Financial Investigation course has been outstanding, and the knowledge and experience he brought to the course simply cannot be found in textbooks alone.
“It is exactly this blend of academic study and practical experience that is the cornerstone of the course, and which prepares our students to contribute effectively to both the practice and study of Financial Investigation.”
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