Camilla de Silva

Practice Areas

Camilla is a partner in our Disputes & Investigations team based in London. She brings a unique perspective as a former SFO prosecutor, including experience of settling corporate resolutions from both positions, previously on behalf of the SFO, and now for corporate clients. As an investigations specialist with high quality prosecutorial experience and strong commercial insight, Camilla provides practical legal advice partnering with international corporate clients in the FI, AMIF, Telecoms, Media, Technology, Oil and Gas, Industrial and Lifesciences, sectors to understand their business objectives and wider interests.

Camilla advises on all aspects of financial crime, cybercrime and ESG risks that Boards and businesses face in the UK and internationally. This includes managing regulatory and criminal law risk from the start of a process, for example a whistle blower account to the endpoint of an enforcement process and potential satellite shareholder actions. Camilla is instructed to conduct internal investigations, compliance and remediation reviews, and to assess potential investment opportunities for financial crime risks. Her work includes advising corporates and individuals in relation to alleged financial misstatements, modern slavery and supply chain issues, money laundering, facilitation of tax evasion, bribery and corruption, and sanctions breaches and, how to judge and control the dynamic and engagement with domestic and international enforcement agencies.

Camilla joined the firm in May 2020 from the U.K. Serious Fraud Office where she was Co-Head of Fraud and Corruption and a key member of the SFO’s Senior Management Team holding operational responsibility for the most-high profile, complex multi-jurisdictional fraud, bribery and corruption investigations. At the SFO she led investigations into some of the largest international and British companies and senior individuals. Camilla was involved in the UK’s first landmark global DPA with Rolls Royce plc and recently led the negotiations for the SFO in relation to the global Airbus landmark DPA alongside the DoJ (USA) and PNF (France) which was the largest international anti-bribery enforcement settlement to date. Prior to joining the SFO, Camilla spent her career as a trial advocate at the U.K. independent criminal bar, where she specialised in defending and prosecuting serious economic crime.

Recent experience includes:

Representing a listed FTSE 250 oil and gas services company and its subsidiaries, employees and agents, in a current SFO investigation in multiple jurisdictions. Acting for the company in its response to the SFO’s investigation, which included the provision of strategic advice in defending the allegations, the response to section 2 notices, the ongoing management of agency relationships and the risk of satellite litigation.

Representing an international Bank in relation to allegations of fraud and corruption arising out of complex transactions which have been the subject of civil litigation, including insolvency proceedings and realisation of assets, and the provision of strategic advice to defend a potential private prosecution.

Providing deal advice to corporates, asset managers and hedge funds in relation to assessing and controlling criminal risk in the context of the valuation of assets and viability of transactions.

Corporates concerning pre-emptive measures such as: due diligence and compliance reviews, corporate re-structuring to enhance good governance and reduce risk, strategic engagement with law enforcement agencies.

Representing a UK individual under investigation from an international law enforcement agency.