Serious Fraud & Financial Crime Investigations

Serious Fraud & Financial Crime Investigations
Our serious fraud and financial crime investigation lawyers have defended some of the UK’s most complex and high-profile cases brought by regulators and enforcement agencies. We have an unrivalled reputation of concluding matters at the investigation stage without having to go to court.

Our team has been defending directors, senior personnel, entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals for more than 20 years. We are at the cutting-edge of serious fraud and white-collar crime investigations and have been involved in many of the major multi-national fraud cases of the last two decades. Our reputation for fighting hard for clients and intricate knowledge of enforcement agencies and investigating authorities has seen the most complex and high-profile investigations brought to a successful conclusion before trial.

Our expertise

Our lawyers

We know that everything is on the line. Coming under the spotlight of enforcement agencies is a stressful time and can have a devastating impact on you and your business. Investigating authorities have the power to seize confidential material and freeze your assets. You and your staff may have to attend compulsory interviews and interviews under caution.

If you or your business is under investigation or facing prosecution, our serious fraud investigations lawyers will guide you through every stage and defend your best interests. Our tactical knowledge of the regulators and how they work is unrivalled and we are not afraid to challenge their demands. We often successfully defend allegations of wrongdoing at the investigation stage, preventing criminal charges and disciplinary proceedings being brought against our clients.

How we can help

We have a wealth experience in dealing with all the investigating authorities including the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), City of London Police and The Pensions Regulator (TPR).

Many of our cases have an international element. Greater collaboration between domestic and international regulators including the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) has seen agencies share information, impacting the reputations of businesses both in the UK and abroad. In recent years, extradition to countries such as the US has been an increasing threat.

We work on the largest and most complex international investigations, quickly dealing with investigators on alleged offences such as serious fraud, money laundering, bribery and corruption and cartels. Our tenacious approach and commitment to clients has secured outstanding results in the most complex and prominent serious fraud and financial crime investigations.

Our work

Advised senior personnel in the SFO investigation into corruption at Rolls Royce. This was a worldwide investigation and added complexity resulted from convictions in the USA of former employees and a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) being reached with the group. No proceedings were brought against our clients
Advised a director in relation to the worldwide SFO investigation into alleged corrupt activities at Una Oil, a Monaco-based advisory company involved in the oil and gas sector. The investigation has recently concluded with no further action taken against our client. Other individuals in connection with the wider allegations have been charged and convicted
Successfully defended a director in a controversial prosecution brought by the Department of Transport. The defence team always maintained that this was an unlawful prosecution and an abuse of process. Investigations spanned various countries throughout Europe. The case was successfully ended. Normally in criminal litigation a successful defendant cannot recover his private costs. However, such was the prosecution’s behaviour the defence team recovered more than £2m in costs
Advising a senior individual of Tata Steel Europe in a case of alleged fraud by misrepresentation on a massive scale. The allegations relate to the supply of steel to various manufacturers in all jurisdictions by Tata Steel of Europe. The SFO and the DoJ in the United States are investigating this matter
Advising a prominent businessman who is under investigation by the SFO in respect of his suspected involvement in an alleged pension fraud. The investigation is multi-jurisdictional and the lead case in a coordinated operation involving the FCA, HMRC, and led by the SFO under Project Bloom
Advising a UK based, former senior executive of a multi-national listed entity in a criminal investigation by the Indian governments’ Enforcement Directorate. The case is being investigated in India and has attracted significant media interest
Advised the defendant in an extremely high profile HMRC prosecution in a £130m-plus alleged tax evasion scheme. The High Court described it as the ‘largest criminal investigation of its kind’. We led a successful application to dismiss the case. Given the gravity of the admitted failings by the prosecution, costs were awarded by the Crown that exceeded £2m in total
Advised three directors in concurrent criminal and civil cartel investigations launched by the CMA. It was the first known case where the CMA actively used covert intelligence to substantiate an investigation. The case involved alleged cartel activity between three prominent companies in the construction industry. During the investigation one director, who was represented by another firm, was charged and pleaded guilty. No criminal proceedings were brought against our clients. We represented the company in the subsequent civil investigation and a settlement was agreed with the CMA. We went on to settle civil liabilities for the company
Advising the directors of large imports and logistics companies in respect of worldwide investigations into the alleged £50m evasion of ‘anti-dumping duties’ imposed by the EU on Chinese manufactured Solar panels. This is the first ‘anti-dumping’ criminal investigation conducted by HMRC