Hal Watson

Career

Instructed as leading or led junior to prosecute and defend complex criminal and quasi-criminal cases, the focus of Hal Watson’s practice is complex or substantial financial crime, tax fraud, allied money laundering, and corruption type offences; where quantum is usually significantly in excess of £100M.

Chambers and Partners 2026 recognises Hal’s expertise in financial crime: placing him in Band 1.

That expertise extends to complicated asset freezing, forfeiture, and confiscation proceedings.

Hal is currently instructed in a number of international/cross-border investigations involving multinational corporates, executive level misconduct, and allied bribery allegations (engaging sections 1 & 7 Bribery Act 2010).

Hal has advised on internal investigations relating to financial misconduct by major financial institutions, deferred prosecution agreements, and breaches of domestic money laundering regulations.

He is a Grade 4 prosecutor on the CPS Specialist Fraud and Proceeds of Crime panels. In this context, he acted in the first ever Deferred Prosecution Agreement to be concluded by the CPS, a £615 million deferred prosecution of the FTSE listed gaming company, Entain Plc.

Hal’s practice encompasses cases alleging conspiracy to cheat, conspiracy to defraud (including unlawful via means), all other serious fraud type offences, terrorism, money laundering (often with an international element), false accounting and Company Act offences.

He regularly conducts cases involving serious misconduct by directors and company officers and is adept at managing pre-trial challenges to Prosecutions brought by the CPS and SFO (whether in judicial review or other proceedings). Hal is equally proficient prosecuting or defending in such cases.