Career
Jonathan heads Doughty Street Chamber’s Business Crime Team. He has a substantial experience in POCA/asset recovery litigation as well as challenges to investigative orders such as search warrants and Production Orders etc.
Jonathan is experienced in handling the most complex briefs and is in demand for a range of cases including heavy duty fraud work as well as murder and terrorism cases. He has acted for the SFO in a number of cases. He has significant experience in allegations of corruption and Bribery Act 2010 offences.
There are few Silks with as much experience of POCA work including Unexplained Wealth Orders. Jonathan’s multi-disciplinary practice means he can bring expertise from one area to another. His civil practice includes, Financial Conduct Authority High Court actions, POCA High Court civil recovery, challenges to; Restraint Orders, Property Freezing Orders, Search Warrants and Disclosure Orders etc.
Jonathan is regularly instructed in cash forfeiture and Account Freezing Order cases and has appeared at all levels up to the Supreme Court. He has been instructed by Government departments, regulatory bodies, companies and individuals. He is on the CPS Specialist Lists for Fraud and for Proceeds of Crime.
Jonathan was junior counsel in the first POCA civil recovery case to reach the Supreme Court (SOCA v Gale) and in the seminal case on disclosure and PII (R v H & C). He was counsel in the leading cash forfeiture case of UKBA v Angus.
In 2014 Jonathan assisted the Home Office with ideas and practical issues in the (then) Serious Crime Bill, having advised the then Shadow Attorney General on the same legislation via the Criminal Bar Association. He currently serves as Executive Committee member of the Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association.
In 2023 Jonathan was recognised as one of London's top 10 financial crime barristers in Business Today magazine.
Industry Sector Expertise
Fraud/ Money-Laundering/ Bribery and Regulatory Crime
• R v A (2026). Southwark Crown Court. Leading in complex bribery and corruption allegations made against director of an overseas oil corporation accused of being involved in corrupt dealings with overseas Government Minister involving multi million pound deals.
• R v P (2025). Winchester Crown Court. Representing director of a construction company accused of Bribery Act offences in relation to major infra-structure construction projects .
• R v ET. (2024). Canterbury Crown Court. Jonathan represented a Swiss based businessman who was stopped in a car at Eurotunnel and found to have over £200,000 in cash Sterling and around £20,000 of Swiss francs in cash. He was charged with money laundering but was formally acquitted following the drafting of representations on disclosure and ‘reasonable lines of enquiry’.
• R v M (2023). Sheffield Crown Court. Leading for a defendant who was an accountant. One of his clients was accused of perpetrating a significant VAT/ duty evasion fraud against HMRC. The accountant had actually reported his suspicions by way of SAR some years earlier. Abuse of process Skeleton Argument served. Crown dropped case and client acquitted.
• SFO v X and Y (2021). Instructed to represent an investment company and its director under criminal investigation for fraud (on going civil claim).
• R v I (2022) Inner London Crown Court. Represented accountant charged with offences under the Charities Act 2011 (breach of trustee duties not to mislead the Charity Commissioners).
• R v N (2022). Southwark Crown Court. Substantial and complex prosecution of allegations of mass money laundering of cryptocurrencies and ‘carding’.
• R v PC (2021) Oxford Crown Court. Represented city solicitor charged with fraud by abuse of position regarding family inheritance dispute. Prosecution dropped case after service of Defence Statement citing significant disclosure issues. Defendant acquitted.
POCA/ Civil Claims and Pre-Charge Challenges
• National Crime Agency v X Ltd. (2024-25). Westminster Magistrates' Court. Jonathan was instructed following the imposition of POCA Account Freezing Orders on the business accounts of a company with a multimillion pound turnover – secured release of over £9M.
• North Yorkshire Police and Civil Aviation Authority v XYZ. (2024) York Crown Court. Jonathan represented a corporate and directors in a s59 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 challenge to the retention of exhibits seized under warrants and post arrest powers following a criminal investigation following a fatal air crash.
• NCA v X Ltd and NK (2023). Southwark Crown Court. Successfully resisting application to extend moratorium period. Representing a major international money payments firm.
• 66XXX Ltd (2022). Leeds Magistrates’ Court. Over £1m frozen by way of POCA Account Freezing Order against a business involved in funeral plans. A number of challenges made both procedural and factual including concerns about non-disclosure to the court in securing the AFO. West Yorkshire police set aside AFO.
• X Ltd (2022). Advice on SARS to company with real estate interests in residential property in London and concern on the provenance of certain payments from tenants.
• NCA v Sharif (2021) Westminster Magistrates' Court; successfully resisted AFO in the Magistrates' Court – this case involved allegations of corruption at the highest level of Pakistani politics.
• R v JK (2021) Birmingham Crown Court. Prosecution application under s22 of POCA to increase confiscation order to include value of defendant’s home. The home had not been included in the original confiscation claim as it was said to have been in negative equity. Six years later the prosecution pursued it as it had gone up in value. Claim defeated.
• Re X Corp (2021). Advising international investment bank on a DAML SAR and potential personal and corporate liabilities including under the 2017 Money Laundering Regulations.
• CPS v L and W (2021), Chelmsford Crown Court. Two POCA Restraint Orders against company Directors discharged following challenges based on risk of dissipation, breaches of duty of disclosure and other arguments.
• Financial Conduct Authority v X (2021) High Court. Representing company and Director against civil claim by the FCA alleging breach of Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 in relation to FOREX investments.
• NCA v S (2021) Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Acted for relative of overseas PEP. NCA Account Freezing Orders seeking forfeiture. NCA agree to discharge the Freezing orders, money returned to S.
• Lincolnshire Police v X Ltd (2020). Lincoln Crown Court. Acting for firm of criminal solicitors faced with Production Order applications from police re details of payments from privately paying clients. Applications redacted by police. PII hearing; Court ordered full disclosure.
• Metropolitan Police v X and Y (2020) Wimbledon Magistrates Court. Represented company and director resisting claims to extend Account Freezing Order. AFO set aside.
