ABV Solicitors

Managing Partner: Robert Borwick
Senior Partners: Akhtar Ahmad, Aneeta Borwick, Deepak Vij
Number of partners: 4
Assistant solicitors: 31
Other fee-earners: 8

Main Areas of Practice
Serious Crime: 50%
Serious Fraud: 50%

Contacts
Serious Crime: Akhtar Ahmad
Serious Fraud: Deepak Vij

The Firm
ABV Solicitors is well-established as one of the country’s leading criminal law firms. With over 30 specialist solicitors, the firm has an outstanding reputation for dealing with the full spectrum of criminal and regulatory cases nationwide. ABV Solicitors is regularly instructed in both high-profile and complex cases, especially in and around the Thames Valley area and London. Of particular note, ABV Solicitors provides an unparalleled personal service to clients facing allegations of large-scale organised crime; complex fraud; bribery and corruption; white-collar crime; serious sexual offences; terrorism; murder; extradition and drugs with emphasis on cases involving cross-border jurisdiction.

The firm’s extensive knowledge in criminal and regulatory law as well as close links to some of the best Queens Counsel in the country, has enabled it to successfully defend clients and companies from various different backgrounds including senior professionals such as, surgeons, pharmacists, accountants, bankers, lawyers, journalists and government officials, alongside other clients such as Premier League Footballers.

Not only does the firm deal with an extensive array of serious crime and regulatory law but it is also proud of its team of highly experienced solicitors, who act for clients facing a wide range of financial crime allegations including; SFO Investigations; FCA Investigations; Investment fraud; insider trading; VAT/MTIC Fraud; high value mortgage fraud; international asset tracing and confiscation.

Principal Areas of Work
ABV Solicitors are routinely instructed on multi-handed organised crimes including; murder; manslaughter / corporate manslaughter; war crimes; serious sexual offences; terrorism; large scale drug operations and violent crimes up and down the country.

Cases of interest over the last 12 months include:

■ Operation Exact - represented a client who is charged with a Premier League footballer in a high-profile multi-rape and sexual assault trial.
■ Premier LeagueFootballer - a high-profile professional footballer in an allegation of assault, where there was a mass pitch invasion of thousands of fans;
■ Premier LeagueFootballer - a high-profile footballer in relation to driving offences, where a conviction would have impacted his ability to play professional football;
■ R v G - highly political prosecution involving serious terrorism charges before the Old Bailey, questioning the interpretation of the current legislation;
■ Operation Maple Lodge- high profile Royal Mail fraud investigation with an alleged loss of £81 million over 9 years, prosecuted by the Royal Mail;
■ SFO Investigation - bribery and corruption allegation of a value of circa $1 billion against a company who faced a parallel investigation conducted by the US Department of Justice where a Deferred Prosecution Agreement was reached and fines of over $250 million.
■ SFO Investigation - bribery and corruption allegation against British American Tobacco.
■ SFO Investigation - fraud investigation into the alleged financial irregularities of the company Patisserie Valerie, linked to a parallel investigation into Grant Thornton.

International
ABV Solicitors is frequently instructed by clients who face extradition proceedings. These matters routinely involve cross-border jurisdictions in countries such as Dubai, Spain, USA, Africa, Switzerland, Pakistan and India.

Specialist teams at ABV Solicitors also represent clients daily at Police stations, Magistrates’ courts and Crown courts nationwide.