Barry Stancombe
UK Bar Guide 2025
Band 1 : POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
020 7440 9950Share profile
Band 1
About
Provided by Barry Stancombe
Practice Areas
Barry is a specialist in asset forfeiture and proceeds of crime particularly in the areas of restraint/restraint versus insolvency/receivership/confiscation/civil recovery/commercial fraud/money laundering. He advises corporations/trusts/banks/IPs/private individuals on these complex areas of law. His practice also encompasses the complementary areas of commercial litigation, civil fraud, and insolvency. Barry also acts for defendants in substantial fraud and confiscation proceedings, as well as third parties asserting their legal and beneficial rights. He is regularly instructed by IPs where there is a conflict between restraint and insolvency as well as on behalf of court-appointed management and enforcement receivers in multi £m recovery cases. Barry has acted in most of the leading reported receivership cases. Recent cases include acting for: Court appointed Special Administrators; the Official Receiver/Liquidator of various companies to recover insolvency costs in POCA restraint proceedings; the Official Receiver and Enforcement Receiver in the case of Gopee in the recovery of assets; acting for Liquidators of companies to recover cash seizures/company assets; since 2010 the Management Receiver in the case of A Patel. Recent High Court actions have included: advising a Claimant on a multi £m civil claim against a foreign bank, acting for the defendant company and its director in an alleged pension/bribery fraud; discharging/varying a freezing order against a defendant; and acting for a former company director in alleged £multi-million VAT fraud. He recently acted for sellers in their claims against the purchasers of companies’ shares under SPAs.
Career
Call: 1983. SFO A Panel (POCA)
Professional Memberships
POCLA; R3; LCLCBA; Association of Fraud Lawyers.
Chambers Review
UK Bar
Barry Stancombe is a POCA and asset forfeiture specialist with noteworthy experience in civil recovery and receivership. He acts for prosecuting agencies such as the SFO and FCA, as well as receivers, defendants and companies. His work includes fraud-related restraint and receivership matters. Instructed in high-profile cases, often with international components, Stancombe has had involvement in a number of matters that have helped to develop the law relating to asset recovery.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Barry has a thorough understanding of proceeds of crime in an insolvency context. He's practical, helpful, great with clients and someone who knows just about everyone involved in the market."
"Barry has a thorough understanding of proceeds of crime in an insolvency context. He's practical, helpful, great with clients and someone who knows just about everyone involved in the market."