Financial Crime

Jonathan Laidlaw KC is a top barrister with a wide-ranging practice in financial crime. Having served as First Senior Treasury Counsel at the Old Bailey, he has in recent years been involved in major Serious Fraud Office investigations into alleged corruption and market manipulation offences. He is highly rated for his defence of directors and companies facing fraud charges, and is noted for his adept handling of cases involving private prosecutions.

Brendan Kelly KC is a very measured advocate who commands considerable respect. He is a popular choice for individuals facing charges of fraud, money laundering and bribery, and is particularly noted for his ability in substantial, long-running cases.

Christopher Coltart KC is the head of the set's business crime and financial services practice group. He is able to call upon valuable prior experience as a corporate solicitor when handling his cases, and is particularly specialised in cases with crossover civil or regulatory aspects. Coltart is adept at dealing with matters with multi-jurisdictional considerations.

Christopher Foulkes is a experienced junior who is regularly called upon to prosecute and defend high-level fraud and financial crime, including cases with an international element. His record includes work on corruption, accounting fraud and money laundering matters. He is esteemed for his experience in cases brought by the Serious Fraud Office and HMRC.

Gavin Irwin is esteemed for his work in fraud, bribery and corruption cases, and has handled a number of money laundering cases, as well as trading standards and tax fraud matters.

Jonathan Kinnear KC's focus sits firmly in the regulatory, criminal and confiscation remit. He has handled a number of matters involving allegations of missing trader intra-community fraud, money laundering and corruption. He is particularly valued for his skill in prosecuting significant financial crime cases.

Lewis MacDonald is a junior financial crime barrister with experience acting both led and unled in complex private prosecutions. He regularly prosecutes complex frauds and has previously been instructed to represent HMRC and the Royal Mail, among other prosecutors.

Vivienne Tanchel has enviable real-world experience to bring to financial crime cases, which comes from her time as a former finance professional. She is a popular choice for defence work involving allegations of market abuse and regulatory breaches, and is a noted expert on bribery and corruption matters. Tanchel is valued for her ability to handle complex fraud cases and related civil proceedings.

Angus Bunyan is regularly instructed by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Serious Fraud Office to prosecute complex fraud cases. He offers significant expertise in money laundering, bribery and corruption. He also has experience in private prosecutions.

Leon Kazakos KC wins plaudits for his fraud defence practice, which includes both criminal matters and related civil cases. He acts for individuals facing high-stakes prosecutions for alleged money laundering, mortgage and investment fraud. Kazakos is also experienced in bribery and corruption cases.

Peter Lownds is a criminal barrister who is commended for his strong defence practice. He has an established track record in fraud and money laundering cases, and is particularly adept at bribery, corruption and tax fraud cases.

David Whittaker KC frequently appears as leading counsel in financial crime cases as part of his well-rounded and broad criminal defence practice. He attracts market attention for his highly fluent and convincing advocacy in court and his calm demeanour. Whittaker has acted for the defence in a number of major Financial Conduct Authority insider trading prosecutions.