Ranking tables
UK Bar London (Bar) Financial Crime
In-depth overview
FINANCIAL CRIME: An Introduction
JURISDICTION
There are signs that the forthcoming year is to be a year of changes in the sphere of financial cri...
Authored by Cloth Fair Chambers, Rhys Meggy, Alison Pople
Band 2
Star Individuals
Hugo Keith KC 3 Raymond Buildings
Ian Winter KC Cloth Fair Chambers
Jim Sturman KC 2 Bedford Row
John Kelsey-Fry KC Cloth Fair Chambers
Jonathan Laidlaw KC 2 Hare Court
Patrick Gibbs KC 3 Raymond Buildings
Richard Lissack KC Fountain Court Chambers- Adrian Darbishire KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Clare Montgomery KCMatrix Chambers
- David Perry KC6KBW College Hill
- Duncan Penny KC6KBW College Hill
- Nicholas Purnell KCCloth Fair Chambers
Band 1
Alex Bailin KC Matrix Chambers
Alexandra Healy KC Foundry Chambers- Alison Pople KC Cloth Fair Chambers
- Amanda Pinto KC 33 Chancery Lane
- Andrew Mitchell KC 33 Chancery Lane
Christopher Coltart KC 2 Hare Court
Clare Sibson KC Fountain Court Chambers- Gideon Cammerman KC 187 Chambers
Gillian Jones KC Red Lion Chambers
James Hines KC 3 Raymond Buildings
Jonathan Caplan KC 5 Paper Buildings
Jonathan Fisher KC Red Lion Chambers
Julian Christopher KC 5 Paper Buildings
Tom Allen KC Cloth Fair Chambers- Adrian Waterman KCMatrix Chambers
- Andrew Radcliffe KC2 Hare Court
- Antony Shaw KCRed Lion Chambers
- Brendan Kelly KC2 Hare Court
- Charles Bott KCMountford Chambers
- George Carter-Stephenson KC25 Bedford Row
- Helen Malcolm KC3 Raymond Buildings
- Henry Blaxland KCGarden Court Chambers
- James Lewis KC3 Raymond Buildings
- Mark A. Heywood KC5 King's Bench Walk
- Mark Ellison KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Mark Fenhalls KC23ES (23 Essex Street Chambers)
- Mark Milliken-Smith KC2 Bedford Row
- Neil Hawes KCCrucible Chambers
- Sean Larkin KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Tim Owen KCMatrix Chambers
- William Boyce KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
Band 2
- Graham Brodie KC 33 Chancery Lane
Jonathan Barnard KC Cloth Fair Chambers
Jonathan S Kinnear KC 2 Hare Court
Leon Kazakos KC 2 Hare Court
Michael Goodwin KC Red Lion Chambers
Nicola Howard KC 25 Bedford Row- Simon Csoka KC Libertas Chambers
Trevor Burke KC 3 Raymond Buildings- Allison Clare KCRed Lion Chambers
- Andrew Wheeler KC7BR
- Cairns Nelson KC23ES (23 Essex Street Chambers)
- Collingwood Thompson KC7BR
- David Spens KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Jennifer Carter-Manning KC7BR
- John McGuinness KCFoundry Chambers
- Michael Brompton KC5 Paper Buildings
- Mukul Chawla KCFoundry Chambers
- Natasha Wong KC5 King's Bench Walk
- Peter Carter KCDoughty Street Chambers
- Simon Farrell KC3 Raymond Buildings
- Tom Forster KCRed Lion Chambers
- Tom Price KCMillennium Chambers
Band 3
- Adam Kane KC Libertas Chambers
- Andrew Trollope KC 187 Chambers
- David Durose KC 5 Paper Buildings
David Etherington KC Red Lion Chambers
David Walbank KC Red Lion Chambers
David Whittaker KC 2 Hare Court
Giles Cockings KC Furnival Chambers
Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC 3 Raymond Buildings
Richard Fisher KC Doughty Street Chambers
Sarah Clarke KC Serjeants' Inn Chambers
Tom Little KC Deka Chambers- Cameron Brown KCRed Lion Chambers
- Colin Aylott KCMountford Chambers
- Gareth Patterson KC6KBW College Hill
- James Waddington KCFoundry Chambers
- Jane Bewsey KCRed Lion Chambers
- Martin Hicks KC2 Hare Court
- Narita Bahra KC33 Chancery Lane
- Nathaniel Rudolf KC25 Bedford Row
- Nigel Sangster KC25 Bedford Row
- Paul Raudnitz KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Peter Doyle KC25 Bedford Row
- Peter Finnigan KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Richard Whittam KCMatrix Chambers
- Selva Ramasamy KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
Band 4
Abbas Lakha KC 9BR Chambers
Andrew Bird KC 5 St Andrew's Hill
Ben Douglas-Jones KC 5 Paper Buildings
Charles Sherrard KC Furnival Chambers
Edmund Burge KC 5 St Andrew's Hill
Hannah Willcocks KC Red Lion Chambers
Jamas Hodivala KC Matrix Chambers- Jane Osborne KC 2 Harcourt Buildings
Jason Sugarman KC Foundry Chambers- Leonard Smith KC Libertas Chambers
Mark Harries KC Serjeants' Inn Chambers- Mark Rainsford KC 33 Chancery Lane
Michael Borrelli KC 3 Raymond Buildings
Rachel Barnes KC 3 Raymond Buildings- Richard Wormald KC 3 Raymond Buildings
Robin Barclay KC Fountain Court Chambers
Rupert Bowers KC Doughty Street Chambers
Simon Baker KC 2 Bedford Row- Stan Reiz KC 2 Bedford Row
- Adrian Eissa KCMC Chambers
- Alexandra Felix KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Charles Miskin KC23ES (23 Essex Street Chambers)
- Miranda Hill KC6KBW College Hill
- Miranda Moore KC5 Paper Buildings
- Paul Bogan KC23ES (23 Essex Street Chambers)
- Philip Evans KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Sasha Wass KC6KBW College Hill
- Simon Pentol KC25 Bedford Row
New Silks
Benjamin Newton KC Doughty Street Chambers- Ben FitzGerald KCQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Jonathan Lennon KCDoughty Street Chambers
Star Individuals
- Neil Saunders3 Raymond Buildings
Band 1
- Christopher Convey 33 Chancery Lane
Christopher Foulkes 2 Hare Court- Faisal Osman 33 Chancery Lane
Gavin Irwin 2 Hare Court
Nicholas Yeo 3 Raymond Buildings
Rachel Kapila Cloth Fair Chambers
Rachel Scott 3 Raymond Buildings
Stuart Biggs Cloth Fair Chambers- Ben Summers3 Raymond Buildings
- Jocelyn LedwardQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Katherine Hardcastle6KBW College Hill
- Nichola HigginsMatrix Chambers
- Rachna GokaniQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Richard FurlongMountford Chambers
- Tom DobleQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Vivienne Tanchel2 Hare Court
Band 2
- Dominic Lewis 5 Paper Buildings
Eleanor Davison Fountain Court Chambers
Eleanor Mawrey Deka Chambers
Faras Baloch Red Lion Chambers
Rebecca Chalkley Red Lion Chambers- Rhys Meggy Cloth Fair Chambers
Tom Payne Red Lion Chambers- Colin Wells25 Bedford Row
- Esther Schutzer-Weissmann6KBW College Hill
- Jason MansellQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Nick James2 Bedford Row
- Sean Hammond2 Bedford Row
- Simon Ray6KBW College Hill
- Timothy Kendal2 Bedford Row
Band 3
Angus Bunyan 2 Hare Court
Ben Isaacs 7BR
Duncan Jones 25 Bedford Row- Gerard Hillman Libertas Chambers
James Thacker Deka Chambers
Janet Weeks 5 Paper Buildings
Jessica Tate Foundry Chambers- Keith Mitchell Libertas Chambers
Martin McCarthy Farringdon Chambers
Peter Lownds 2 Hare Court
Philippa Eastwood Doughty Street Chambers
Robert Morris 3 Raymond Buildings
Saba Naqshbandi 3 Raymond Buildings
Stephen Hopper 5 Paper Buildings- David Stern5 St Andrew's Hill
- Jennifer NewcombQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Jenny Goldring5 Paper Buildings
- Karen RobinsonQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Leila GaskinCrucible Chambers
- Luke Ponte3 Raymond Buildings
- Max BainesRed Lion Chambers
- Peter CaldwellDoughty Street Chambers
- Peter Ratliff6KBW College Hill
- Polly DyerQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Samantha Riggs25 Bedford Row
- Thomas Daniel2 Bedford Row
- Tom BroomfieldQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Vedrana PeharMatrix Chambers
Band 4
Benjamin Waidhofer Foundry Chambers- Catherine Collins 33 Chancery Lane
Catherine Rabaiotti 5 Paper Buildings
Kabir Sondhi 9BR Chambers
Kathryn Arnot Drummond Cloth Fair Chambers
Michael Hick 5 Paper Buildings
Trevor Archer Red Lion Chambers- Alexander Upton23ES (23 Essex Street Chambers)
- David McNeill5 St Andrew's Hill
- Dermot Keating25 Bedford Row
- Gareth MundayDeka Chambers
- Ini Udom5 St Andrew's Hill
- Mark AldredQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Philip StottQEB Hollis Whiteman
- Roderick JamesCrucible Chambers
- Sonal Dashani25 Bedford Row
- Thomas Godfrey23ES (23 Essex Street Chambers)
- Timothy Forte3TG
- William EnglandMountford Chambers
Band 1
1 3 Raymond BuildingsFinancial Crime2024 | Band 1 |3 Raymond Buildings is noted by sources as a "fantastic set" that "really adds value" to its cases. It boasts an excellent reputation for its expertise spanning the full range of financial crime matters. Members act for both the prosecution and the defence in complex cases and large-scale investigations brought by the SFO and the FCA, and offer representation to both major corporations and individual directors. Areas of strength for the team include cases involving allegations of fraud, money laundering, insider dealing and corruption, and the set is regularly instructed in both domestic and international disputes. Recent work handled by the tenants includes acting for the prosecution in connection with corruption and bribery allegations against doctors and pharmacists in relation to manipulation of the NHS system for deciding which medicines should be prescribed.
1 6KBW College HillFinancial Crime2024 | Band 1 |An "enormously well-regarded set," 6KBW College Hill is recognised by peers and clients alike as "leaders in financial crime." Members are regularly instructed to act for both the prosecution and the defence in complex SFO investigations, and count several leading corporations and individual directors among their enviable client base. The set is routinely involved in high-profile matters, and recent work undertaken by its tenants includes defending Bernie Ecclestone in his high-profile prosecution for alleged multimillion-pound tax fraud.1 Cloth Fair ChambersFinancial Crime2024 | Band 1 |Instructing solicitors describe Cloth Fair Chambers as a set that "always has been and still is one of the best sets." It houses a deep bench of experienced barristers who are well versed in the representation of leading corporations and individuals in complex market manipulation, insider dealing and international corruption cases. Members are regularly instructed to represent their clients in high-profile investigations, and offer considerable expertise in the handling of international matters. Recent mandates have included acting for Jeffrey Cook, former managing director of Airbus subsidiary GPT, against corruption charges.
1 QEB Hollis WhitemanFinancial Crime2024 | Band 1 |QEB Hollis Whiteman retains its reputation as a leading chambers in the financial crime market, housing an impressive bench of leading silks and juniors experienced in both the prosecution and defence of complex and high-value cases. Members are regularly called upon to represent their clients in investigations into allegations of bribery, corruption and fraud, and are noted for their expert handling of cases involving international elements. Private prosecutions continue to be a key area of strength for the team. A market source says: "The set is truly second to none when it comes to handling complex financial crime matters for individuals." Recent instructions undertaken by the set's barristers include acting for former trader Tom Hayes in the CCRC review of his fraud convictions for LIBOR rigging.
Band 2
2 2 Bedford RowFinancial Crime2024 | Band 2 |2 Bedford Row is a highly regarded set in the financial crime market, noted for its expertise in high-value bribery, corruption and money laundering cases. The set is regularly instructed by leading criminal law firms, as well as the regulating authorities, and is noted for its adroit handling of complex cross-border investigations. Members have experience acting for both major corporations and high net worth individuals based in the UK and further afield. "2 Bedford Row has some very impressive barristers and is very strong in financial crime," says one interviewee. Members work on some high-profile cases representing individuals and corporates.
2 2 Hare CourtFinancial Crime2024 | Band 2 |2 Hare Court offers expertise spanning the full gamut of financial crime matters. Members receive regular instructions from both individual and corporate clients across the financial services sector, and are adept at handling cases involving allegations of insider dealing, money laundering, corruption, bribery and fraud. Private prosecutions are also a key area of strength for the team. One interviewee describes its members as "market leaders in their area" and another adds that "they are as comfortable dealing with complex white-collar crime cases as with highly sensitive and serious general crime cases." Recently, members acted for the SFO in its prosecution of Glencore Energy UK for bribery in West Africa.
2 25 Bedford RowFinancial Crime2024 | Band 2 |25 Bedford Row is a highly regarded set, noted for its defence of individuals and corporations in a wide range of financial crime cases. Market sources note that it has "individuals suited to all manner of cases." Members are routinely instructed in prosecutions brought by the SFO and HMRC, and are experienced in the handling of cases involving allegations of fraud, bribery, money laundering and insider trading. The team is also frequently called upon to advise a range of clients on bribery prevention and anti-money laundering procedures. Case highlights include representing the defendant in R v Chenery Woods and Others, a Trading Standards test case into ticket touting.
2 33 Chancery LaneFinancial Crime2024 | Band 2 |The barristers at 33 Chancery Lane offer expertise spanning the full range of financial crime matters. The set is regularly instructed to act for both the prosecution and defence in complex bribery and money laundering cases, and members are also well versed in the handling of HMRC investigations. Asset recovery matters are a key area of strength for the team, owing to the set's recognised prowess in POCA proceedings. The set's enviable client list includes both leading corporations and individuals. Recent work highlights include acting for the SFO in R v Skeene and Bowers (Global Forestry Investments) relating to investment schemes in a sustainable and ethical teak forest.
2 Matrix ChambersFinancial Crime2024 | Band 2 |Matrix Chambers is well regarded for its handling of complex financial crime cases, and is routinely instructed to act on behalf of both major corporations and individual clients, including several bankers, directors, politicians and high net worth individuals. Members are noted for their expertise in international cases, and are active across multiple jurisdictions such as Hong Kong and ones in the Middle East and the Caribbean, among others. Areas of significant strength for the team include SFO, FCA and DOJ investigations, and advisory work concerning both politically motivated charges and bribery compliance regimes. Members recently acted for Glencore Energy UK in the SFO's investigation into corruption and fraud in Africa.
2 Red Lion ChambersFinancial Crime2024 | Band 2 |Red Lion Chambers has an excellent reputation for financial crime work, and houses a strong bench of senior and junior barristers who have experience of acting in complex and high-profile cases. Members act for both the prosecution and the defence, and are regularly instructed in international investigations. Cases involving serious allegations of bribery, fraud and corruption are a key area of strength for the set. Recently, members were instructed to represent Sudanese businessman 'Al-Cardinal' in connection with alleged corruption and in the context of the corruption sanctions regime.
Band 3
3 23ES (23 Essex Street Chambers)Financial Crime2024 | Band 3 |23ES (23 Essex Street Chambers) is an impressive set, noted for its expertise in both the prosecution and defence of a wide range of financial crime cases. Members are regularly instructed in complex and high-value cases involving allegations of bribery, fraud and corruption, and are well regarded for their representation of clients in SFO and HMRC investigations. The team is also well versed in international matters, and the set's members have recently been instructed to defend a lawyer accused of false accounting and laundering money in AG Cayman Islands v Watson and Blake, arising out of the theft of money from CONCACAF.
3 5 Paper BuildingsFinancial Crime2024 | Band 3 |5 Paper Buildings is a well-regarded criminal set housing a strong bench of barristers who are regularly called upon to prosecute complex financial crime cases. Areas of expertise for the team include international bribery and corruption conspiracies, tax avoidance schemes and matters involving allegations of collusion in the financial sector. The set's members also have experience acting for the defence. Recent work has included representing the SFO in its Unaoil investigation into bribery in the Iraqi oil industry.
3 Doughty Street ChambersFinancial Crime2024 | Band 3 |The barristers at Doughty Street Chambers are regularly called upon to defend both major corporations and individual clients in cases involving allegations of bribery, insider dealing and money laundering. The set is also noted for its expertise in mortgage frauds, fraudulent trading schemes and cartel cases. The team offers representation to its clients through all stages of investigations, and members are frequently instructed to advise corporate clients on compliance matters. Recently, members represented James Stunt in a highly publicised £266 million money laundering case.
Band 4
4 Foundry ChambersFinancial Crime2024 | Band 4 |The barristers at Foundry Chambers are experienced in the handling of a wide range of financial crime matters. Areas of strength for the team include investigations into allegations of insider trading, corruption and fraud. Members act for both the prosecution and the defence, and maintain busy practices. Recent work handled by the set's members includes prosecuting Glencore Energy UK for bribery and acting for defendants in Operation Nightjar II, the money laundering trial resulting from Wales's largest drugs case.
4 Fountain Court ChambersFinancial Crime2024 | Band 4 |Fountain Court Chambers houses a strong bench of barristers who are experienced in the handling of a wide range of financial crime cases. The set is a top choice for for both domestic and international banks seeking advice or representation, and its members are also routinely instructed by individual clients and prosecutors such as the SFO and the FCA. Areas of expertise for the team include high-value cases involving allegations of money laundering, bribery and fraud. Recent work highlights include successfully defending Fraser Fisher, the former CEO of Redcentric, in a prosecution brought by the FCA for making false and misleading statements to the market.
4 Libertas ChambersFinancial Crime2024 | Band 4 |The barristers at Libertas Chambers are regularly called upon to represent major corporates, financial institutions and individual clients in complex cases involving allegations of bribery, corruption, money laundering and investment fraud. Additional areas of expertise for the team include insider trading, pension mis-selling and tax evasion cases. The set's tenants also have considerable experience handling cases with an international element. Tenants are involved in some large-scale cases such as the defence of an individual in a £26 million money laundering prosecution following high-profile celebrity burglaries.
4 Mountford ChambersFinancial Crime2024 | Band 4 |Mountford Chambers is well regarded for its expertise in cases involving allegations of tax evasion, fraud and money laundering. Additional areas of strength for the team include insider dealing, corruption, investment fraud and market manipulation cases. Members are regularly instructed to represent their clients in SFO, FCA and HMRC investigations, and count several bankers, accountants and brokers among their enviable client base. Recently, members acted for the defendant in FCA v Peter Currie, a false representation case concerning over £16 million worth of collateral on investor loans.