Leading international fraud and asset recovery litigation practice, Martin Kenney & Co (MKS), is delighted to announce that serious and organised crime investigator, Emma Barker, has won a joint award for financial investigation sponsored by Martin Kenney.
Presented in conjunction with the School of Justice at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), mature student Emma is the third recipient of the Martin Kenney Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Study of Financial Investigation, which is awarded annually to an outstanding graduate from the UCLan School of Justice’s MSc Financial Investigation course.
The award was established in 2021 when British Virgin Islands-based investigative law firm, Martin Kenney & Co (MKS) – led by world-renowned asset recovery lawyer, Martin Kenney – partnered with UCLan’s School of Justice.
Emma is lead accredited financial investigation officer for the National Investigation Service (NATIS), supervising a team of accredited financial investigators. NATIS has responsibility for investigating large and complex serious organised crime relating to the public sector.
Emma said: “I’m surprised and delighted to be presented with this award and would like to thank Martin Kenney and his team for the honour. None of this would have been possible without the brilliant work of the staff and students at UCLan involved in the study and research of financial investigation.”
“If you think you know financial investigation, think again,” Emma said. “The UCLan course adds new perspectives and develops the individual into a more rounded and effective investigator. The knowledge and experience I have gained from my time at UCLan has made me a more rounded investigator and I know will stand me in good stead as I continue my career.”
Martin Kenney, Head of Firm at MKS and also a Visiting Professor at UCLan, said: “I’m delighted that my award continues to grow in gravitas at the University of Central Lancashire. I have been very impressed with the quality of our award winners, and Emma is no exception.
“Such is my belief in the students graduating from the course, I have recruited two former students and holders of the UCLan MSc qualification, both of whom are now based in our Caribbean office in the British Virgin Islands and already making their mark on our investigations.
“The exceptional standard of the students progressing through the School of Justice MSc course bodes well for the future of fraud and financial investigation. I am pleased to be able to incentivise the students further and give something back after decades of specialising in this field.”
Dr Dave Brian, Course Leader for the MSc Financial Investigation course, added: “I would like to congratulate Emma on her success in achieving this prestigious award and to Martin Kenney for supporting it. Emma’s contribution to the MSc Financial Investigation has been outstanding.
“The course attracts students from around the world and aims to develop their expertise by blending practical experience with a deeper level of understanding and insight into financial investigation. It is this combination of practical experience and academic endeavour which prepares our students well for their future careers.”
Tony McClements, head of investigations at MKS, also said: “I’d like to congratulate Emma on her studies, and success in being nominated as this year’s winner of the Martin Kenney Award.
“As a former lecturer on the MSc Financial Investigation course, I know the quality of the students who undertake the programme, in tandem with the expertise of the lecturers. It is their law enforcement backgrounds which give them the credibility to teach current practitioners such as Emma, and those who wish to follow in her footsteps.”
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About Emma Barker
Emma Barker is lead accredited financial investigation officer for the National Investigation Service (NATIS), supervising a team of accredited financial investigators.
NATIS has the responsibility for investigating large and complex serious organised crime relating the public sector and was created with the sponsorship of the government to bring policing and government agencies together to investigate serious crime where public authorities are the victims. Its work includes both criminal and civil proceeds of crime investigations relating to fraud and money laundering offences against the public sector.
In addition to her MSc at UCLan, Emma also holds an LLB (Hons) in Law. Prior to NATIS, she worked as an accredited financial investigator at Kent Police and HM Prison Service, dealing with a variety of crime types and crime methodologies, including cases involving cryptocurrency, acquisitive crime and international money laundering cases.
She commenced her investigative career working for the Crown Prosecution Service in a number of roles in the Kent Crown Court Units and Southeast Complex Casework Unit, before moving into the Proceeds of Crime Unit in London as a paralegal business manager, progressing to become a financial examiner within the same department.
During this period, she worked on cross border and international confiscation cases and worked at a strategic level briefing the chief executive and assisting in producing reports used for the Home Affairs Select Committee and Public Accounts Committee reviews of confiscation.
Award background
In 2021, BVI-based investigative law firm, Martin Kenney & Co (MKS), partnered with the School of Justice at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), to offer the Martin Kenney Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Study of Financial Investigation 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 completed her School of Justice MSc.
Last year’s award went to Laurence Howland, Director of Risk and Compliance at Buckles Solicitors in Peterborough, after he also completed a School of Justice MSc.
In summer 2022, Martin Kenney – Head of Firm at Martin Kenney & Co (MKS), a BVI-based investigative law firm specialising in asset recovery work – was appointed a Visiting Professor to the UCLan School of Justice.
Martin Kenney & Co (MKS)
Martin Kenney & Co (MKS) is a world-renowned investigative and asset recovery legal practice based in the BVI, focused on multi-jurisdictional fraud and corruption cases.
Chambers & Partners has rated Martin Kenney as one of the world’s top asset recovery lawyers and he has been selected by Who’s Who Legal as a ‘Global Elite’ Thought Leaderof the legal profession, as well as the number one lawyer worldwide for asset recovery offshore for a number of successive years.
UCLan School of Justice
UCLan (the University of Central Lancashire) and its School of Justice is an established educational provider for the study of fraud and financial investigation across the globe. Its team of highly experienced former police officers and academics provide unrivalled expertise in the academic study of all forms of crime investigation. It has a long history in law, justice, policing, and social science education and worldwide provides training to several police forces.