Industry Sector Expertise
Business Crime and Regulation
Peter advises senior managers in corporate internal investigations at the highest level. He acted as leading counsel for the defence in SFO v Williams & Kallakis, for a senior director of BAe Systems Plc in the SFO Tanzania bribery investigation and in the seminal IIG Plc, SFO trial.
Recent instructions include:
Acting for a company director in a prosecution by the Serious Fraud Office (pending trial in 2026)
Securing acquittal of financial director of UK based multinational in a prosecution brought by Companies House
Securing the acquittal of a company director charged with a multi-million-pound crypto asset fraud.
Representing a Trustee in a prosecution by the Pensions Regulator.
Successful defence of company director prosecuted by the Isle of Man FSA for breaches of the IoM Anti-Money Laundering Code in respect of Bitcoin payment processing.
Securing discontinuance of HMRC COP9 investigation
Peter has also been engaged with Business and Human Rights compliance and remedial advice for many years and is a regular participant at the OECD Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct.
Sanctions
Peter has longstanding experience in sanctions work including trade sanctions and export controls. His practice encompasses compliance and licensing advice to businesses and individuals, as well representation in enforcement investigations. Peter has acted in a number of high-profile US Sanctions cross-border cases and in investigations by the United Nations. He also acts for designated persons in reviews and challenges to UN and FCDO designations.
His recent work includes:
Securing withdrawal of OFSI disclosure notice
Advising UK Plc on compliance with UK trade sanctions
Acting for Designated Persons in respect of licensing and challenges to designations.
Advising UK corporates on licensing applications to OFSI and ECJU
Advice to law firms on internal compliance with restrictions on the provision of legal services
Advising on monetary penalties in relation to sanctions compliance.
Advising UK and IoM private trust companies on “ownership or control issues”.
Acting for director of UAE company in relation to US extradition request for breach of US Iran sanctions regime.
Advising a private security company in respect of UN arms sanctions investigation.
Peter is the editor of the Westlaw insights pages on Financial Sanctions and regularly writes on developments in sanctions policy. He is a contributing advisor to the Ukraine Justice Alliance pro bono project on Sanctions and Reparations and director of the London Sanctions Advisors Association.
Extradition
Peter has acted in the landmark cases which have shaped the law of extradition since the commencement of the Extradition Act 2003.
Peter has been instructed in highly sensitive requests where extradition has been sought by states as diverse as India, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Brazil, Thailand, Peru, Pakistan, Colombia, Antigua, Paraguay, Hong Kong, the Russian Federation and the UAE, as well as the USA and Commonwealth jurisdictions. He also regularly acts in Part 1 cases and has particularly deep knowledge of the political and human rights situation in Romania, Hungary and CIS states.
Peter can advise how to assemble expert witnesses and human rights materials and present effective arguments in court to demonstrate:
Risks of injustice in the requesting state.
Risks of or ill-treatment by reason of prison conditions
Political motivation and risk of persecution
Risks of prejudice by reason of a requested person’s race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or political opinions.
His recent instructions include:
As leading defence counsel in challenging extradition to India
Successful defence of UHNW businessman before the Supreme Court
Securing the discharge of a request from Moldova on Article 3 grounds (prison conditions)
Challenge to extradition to the USA based on disproportionate sentencing for black defendants charged with fraud.
Successful appeal against extradition on Article 5 grounds (Real risk of an unfair trial)
Discharge on Article 8 grounds for alleged fugitive.
Rule 39 application to ECtHR in respect of Article 3 suicide risk
Peter advises on Interpol Red Notices
Subject Access Requests to the CCF
Status Requests to NCB
Preventative Requests (often made in conjunction with SAR) – not to give effect to a Red Notice/diffusion
Request to withdraw a Red Notice or diffusion
Peter is an expert in mutual legal assistance requests and has also drafted extradition requests and arrest warrants on behalf of regulators and private prosecutors in the UK. He is regularly instructed to represent those extradited to the UK and advise on issues of specialty and abuse of process that can arise in these situations.
Criminal Law and Proceeds of Crime
Peter has over 25 years’ experience in defending people accused of serious criminal offences, and preserving the reputations of those falsely accused.
He has defended in cases ranging as widely as conspiracy to burgle the Fitzwilliam Museum, the manslaughter of 50 Chinese immigrants, the handling of stolen diamonds and cocaine supply "on an industrial scale". He has particular experience in terrorist cases and representing those subject to ancillary orders.
In very many of the cases in which he has acted the prosecution has been stopped or discontinued following legal submissions on disclosure, abuse of process or the sufficiency of the evidence. Peter also brings his experience in Judicial Review proceedings to successfully challenge decisions of the CPS to prosecute and, when acting for victims of crime, not to prosecute.
Peter has also advised on private prosecutions both on behalf of victims of crime and for those accused of crime by private prosecutors.
Peter acts on behalf of parties affected by proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (PoCA). He represents third parties and interested persons in restraint and confiscation proceedings and acts in civil recovery proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court and the High Court.
His recent work includes:
Challenges to account freezing orders
Advice on disclosure orders and Unexplained Wealth Orders
Challenges to receivership proceedings in respect of assets subject to confiscation orders
Representing third parties in respect of confiscation proceedings
Representing third parties in respect of restraint proceedings
Challenges to decisions in forfeiture proceedings
Peter regularly acts in civil recovery proceedings pursuant to Parts 5 and 6 of PoCA before the High Court.
He can advise on:
Applying for an exclusion from a Property Freezing Order.
Responding to a Disclosure Order
Contesting applications for a civil recovery order.
Peter is presently instructed in respect of six pending High Court CRO matters
Recent Cases
Advising on enforcement of external confiscation order against a politically exposed person
Advising on application of RIPA to disclosure of material in possession of the Security Services.
Acting for subject of terrorism prevention and investigation measures (TPIM)
Appeal against Serious Crime Prevention Order.
Successful defence of peace envoy accused of membership of the terrorist organisation PKK and attending a terrorist training camp.
Advising a third party in confiscation proceedings in respect of funds held in an off-shore jurisdiction.
Advising on response to investigation of perverting the course of justice access relating to unauthorised access to police files.
