Department profile

Financial Crime

UK Bar Guide 2026 : London (Bar)

Fountain Court Chambers

Rankings

Ranked Barristers

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Financial Crime - London (Bar)

Band 3

What the Team is Known For

Fountain Court Chambers houses a strong bench of barristers who are experienced in the handling of a wide range of financial crime cases. The set is a top choice for both domestic and international banks seeking advice or representation, and its members are also routinely instructed by individual clients and prosecutors such as the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority. It also provides considerable expertise for corporate clients facing investigations and prosecution. Areas of expertise for the team include high-value cases involving allegations of money laundering, bribery and fraud. Professional clients notes the set has "commercial acumen, technical expertise and a breadth of experience." Another interviewee considers that the chambers "excels in their financial crime offering." Recent work highlights includes acting for RBS in a high-profile claim arising from their role in allegedly facilitating an alleged USD98 million fraudulent scheme.

Alex Taylor is senior clerk.

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Strengths

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Fountain Court has a very good clerking team. Team leader Alfie Harper has always been very helpful and responsive.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Fountain Court has a top clerking set. They are very good, commercial and effective.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Fountain Court clerks are very responsive.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Fountain Court clerking is incredibly proactive.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Band 1
Band 1
Clare Sibson
Clare Sibson KC maintains a stellar reputation in the market and continues to attract instructions of the highest level in fraud and financial crime. She is widely lauded for her intellectual ability and for having a practice that includes acting for clients from the financial services industry in highly complex cases. Sibson is also highly valued for her advice to corporates facing financial crime investigations.
Clare is a stand-out white-collar crime silk who is vastly experienced and doesn't shy away from taking points in her clients' interest.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Clare is incredibly knowledgeable and provides incredibly clear, concise and very understandable advice.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Clare is my go-to silk for technically difficult or more challenging clients. She is great with both corporates and individuals and can understand complicated legal structures easily.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
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Band 1
Band 1
Katherine Hardcastle
Katherine Hardcastle's experience includes acting on some of the most high-profile investigations in the market. She has acted for the defence in a number of bribery and corruption cases, and has appeared in an appeal relating to a market manipulation matter. Her experience as a solicitor at a City firm adds to her appeal for corporate clients.
Katherine has been on most of the significant financial crime cases in the United Kingdom in the last decade. She has exceptional judgement.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Katherine has such deep experience which is invaluable. She has real expertise in money laundering and is just very clever.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Katherine is the go-to junior for any complex crime related issues. She is outstanding. She is very hard-working and extremely intelligent.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
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Band 1
Band 1
Richard Lissack
Richard Lissack KC is an adroit silk who is sought out to advise companies as well as individuals and employees on matters such as rate rigging, corporate transactional fraud and false accounting allegations. He boasts a particularly impressive base of blue-chip clients in the financial services industry, providing counsel on overlapping criminal and regulatory matters. Lissack is noted for his expertise in international investigations.
Richard is super charming with clients, a very powerful advocate and he never gives up.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
His tenacity and directness was very much appreciated, despite a challenging factual matrix.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
He is the doyen of corporate crime. He is a go-to person for most corporate counsel on very high profile and complex matters.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
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Band 1
Band 1
Leonora Sagan
Leonora Sagan is an excellent junior barrister experienced in the representation of corporate clients in the financial crime space. She possesses additional expertise in acting for individuals. She is active on a range of Financial Conduct Authority and Serious Fraud Office investigations.
Leonora is without doubt one of the finest corporate crime junior barristers at the bar. Her written advice is timely, structured and corporate client friendly.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Leonora is very hard-working and extremely bright. She is going places.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Leonora Sagan is excellent in the field of financial crime. Her written work is fantastic and she is a pleasure to work with.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
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Band 2
Band 2
Eleanor Davison
Eleanor Davison is a strong team player with superb communication skills who provides high-quality input under challenging conditions. She has an impressive record of counselling clients from the financial services industry facing multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency investigations. Her areas of expertise include market manipulation and money laundering allegations.
Eleanor is a good tactical thinker and her written work is of an outstanding standard. She goes to the issues in relation to any case with complete clarity.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Eleanor is ferociously forensic and leaves no evidential stone unturned. She has superb EQ, client management skills and is utterly reliable. Few people work harder and are more pleasant to work with.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
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Band 2
Band 2
Nicholas Medcroft
Nicholas Medcroft KC is a highly experienced barrister who is well versed in representing significant financial institutions in investigations brought by the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority. He frequently handles cases relating to money laundering and tax fraud as well as regulatory failure. His practice builds on complementary expertise in professional discipline, and he has a strong record of arguing cases before the Financial Reporting Council.
He is very commercial and provides clear advice.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Nick was promptly attentive to the lay and professional clients requests. They were wide ranging and required a wide field of vision to assess and predict what may happen further down the line.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Nick works hard, is responsive and able to focus on what the client wants and deliver honest and practical solutions. He is flexible and available.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
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Band 2
Band 2
Robin Barclay
Robin Barclay KC is known for his expedient strategic advice, practical approach, and provision of great client service. His practice sees him advising on corporate regulatory compliance matters as well as white-collar crime cases concerning bribery, corruption, money laundering and market manipulation. He is well versed in the defence of financial services clients before the Financial Conduct Authority, and also wins instructions from corporate clients in a wide variety of industries and cases.
A fantastic advocate.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
With Robin you get a very genuine subject matter expert. He is extremely commercial too.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
Robin Barclay KC is a go-to silk for financial crime matters in the financial services sector. He thinks creatively to deftly navigate complex cases and is highly personable to boot.
Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
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