Financial Crime

Joint head of chambers Adrian Darbishire KC is a highly popular silk known for his winning approach in white-collar crime cases. According to commentators, he is excellent on the paperwork and has strong advocacy skills. They further praise him for his lateral thinking and superb interpersonal skills. He acts for high-level executives and professionals in all areas of fraud and financial crime, and has worked on marketing manipulation and accounting fraud cases. Darbishire is further valued for his advice to corporates on a range of financial crime matters.

Rachna Gokani has a well-established practice in financial crime, exhibiting significant expertise and skilled advocacy. She is highlighted by sources for her enviable combination of raw talent and diligence. Allegations of corruption and accounting fraud are a regular feature of her caseload. Her practice includes work on both the defence and prosecution sides, and she has a record of acting in private prosecutions. Gokani is noted for her expertise in cases involving international matters.

Tom Doble handles high-quality work in financial crime and is admired for his expertise in HMRC and Serious Fraud Office investigations. He is an expert in cases involving interest rate manipulation and tax fraud, as well as those relating to high-profile bribery and corruption. Doble wins plaudits for his strong technical grasp of complex points of law.

Allison Clare KC is renowned for her lengthy experience advising on financial crime. Recent cases handled have involved the trading of financial instruments and allegations of market manipulation, bribery and corruption. She wins frequent instructions from corporate clients and from the Serious Fraud Office, and has an impressive balance of prosecution and defence work. Clare has notable expertise in matters involving Deferred Prosecution Agreements.

Mark Ellison KC is a highly experienced criminal prosecutor and former First Senior Treasury Counsel. Nowadays, he tackles a broad mix of publicly and privately funded criminal defence work, including Serious Fraud Office and Financial Conduct Authority prosecutions concerning suspected bribery and insider dealing. Most of his recent briefs have significant international elements and have involved alleged wrongdoing in jurisdictions including Hungary and Saudi Arabia. He is sought after for his high-calibre representation of corporates in international bribery and corruption matters.

Sean Larkin KC prosecutes and defends high-value money laundering, investment and tax fraud charges. He has a proven record of defending individuals prosecuted by bodies including the Serious Fraud Office, HMRC and the Financial Conduct Authority. He also provides compliance counsel, self-reporting and pre-charge support to corporate clients.

William Boyce KC is a highly effective silk with an impressively persuasive manner in front of judges and juries. Although a former Senior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court, he now has a strong defence practice and has been instructed in some major cases, including market manipulation matters and high-profile Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority proceedings. He is adept at fraud, bribery and corruption cases.

Ari Alibhai focuses his practice on the private prosecution of criminal intellectual property infringement. He is regularly instructed by major corporate clients in the broadcast media, film and sport sectors, as well as several trade organisations.

Ben FitzGerald KC is lauded for his great command of the facts in a case, his strong work ethic and his leadership skills when part of a team. Cases involving money laundering, banking and tax frauds feature regularly in his workload. He provides capable counsel to clients at a pre-charge stage, as well as when appearing at trial, and is noted for his impressive strategic approach to cases.

Crispin Aylett KC is a highly regarded criminal barrister who is noted for his expert handling of both heavyweight general and white-collar criminal matters. While he has considerable experience of acting for and advising major corporate clients facing Senior Fraud Office investigations and criminal charges such as bribery and corruption, Aylett is also regularly called upon to act for the regulators in complex and high-value cases and Deferred Prosecution Agreement negotiations.

David Groome is regularly instructed in private prosecutions and has considerable expertise in cases concerning IP rights infringements, fraud and consumer protection. His clients include several major corporations in the sports, film and broadcast media industries.

Jason Mansell's background as both a solicitor at a magic circle firm and a regulator at the Financial Services Authority means that he has great insight into how best to approach financial crime cases. He has recently advised a number of corporates on cross-border corruption issues and counselled financial institutions facing inquiries into rate manipulation. Commentators regard him as a go-to barrister for cases with criminal and regulatory crossover elements. His broad-based practice also includes notable strength in money laundering matters and insider dealing cases prosecuted by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Jennifer Newcomb is regularly called upon to prosecute high-value and complex cases. She has been appointed to a number of panels, including the Serious Fraud Office's A Panel and the Fraud Specialist Panel for the Crown Prosecution Service.

Tom Broomfield is a well-regarded junior recognised for his particular expertise in Financial Conduct Authority matters. He is regularly called upon to prosecute insider dealing cases.

David Spens KC is a veteran criminal barrister recognised for his expert representation of individuals facing high-profile bribery and corruption charges. His matters are largely international in character, covering alleged wrongdoing in a wide variety of jurisdictions.

Karen Robinson is an experienced junior who is noted for her expertise in financial crime investigations. She is regularly instructed by prosecuting entities in connection with fraud matters.

Paul Raudnitz KC is a sound and dependable barrister who prosecutes and defends, and regularly provides companies with pre-charge advice. Investment fraud, bribery, and money laundering cases all form part of his practice.

Philip Stott is an experienced criminal barrister who regularly appears in complex fraud, bribery and corruption cases. He has experience acting both for the prosecution and the defence, and has recently acted as sole junior in two major Serious Fraud Office prosecutions.

Joint head of chambers Selva Ramasamy KC prosecutes and defends cases involving professionals and companies charged in criminal, regulatory and disciplinary proceedings. He has recently worked on a number of tax fraud proceedings against HMRC and has also acted in crossover fraud and professional disciplinary matters involving the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the General Dental Council. His financial crime practice also takes in bribery cases.

Senghin Kong is well regarded for his grasp of the detail as a specialist in business crime. He regularly appears in cases of financial wrongdoing brought by the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority, representing defence and the prosecuting agencies alike in a variety of insider trading, money laundering, bribery and corruption, and serious and complex fraud.

Jocelyn Ledward KC is a highly rated criminal barrister with an increasing focus on significant financial crime cases. She is valued for her representation of clients in cases alleging varieties of fraud ‒ in particular, tax fraud. She is also experienced in money laundering cases.

Mark Aldred is a talented barrister who is noted for his expertise in significant Serious Fraud Office investigations. He is commended for his ability in major fraud cases and is particularly experienced in international bribery and corruption cases.

Peter Finnigan KC is a former Standing Counsel to HMRC who has broad experience of cases concerning bribery, money laundering and MTIC frauds. His recent caseload has included high-profile work prosecuting international bribery matters. He also defended in market manipulation proceedings related to the rigging of LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate).

Philip Evans KC is a sought-after barrister who is recognised for his tactical skill and depth of experience. He demonstrates a range in both his geographical and topical focus and is able to handle great complexity and large regulatory bodies.