Our serious fraud investigations lawyers have successfully defended directors, professionals, senior management and high net worth individuals in some of the UK’s most serious, large scale and complex frauds. Our reputation for getting cases ‘knocked out’ before trial is second to none.
Criminal prosecutions for serious fraud and financial crime are at unprecedented levels with agencies including the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), City of London Police, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) vigorously pursuing those they suspect of financial wrongdoing.
Investigations usually start with dawn raids and subsequent arrest and interviews under caution. Your electronic data and confidential material are often seized and your assets restrained. Investigations can be a long process with penalties for those found guilty including multi-million-pound fines and lengthy prison sentences.

Our Lawyers

Our serious fraud investigations lawyers will protect you every step of the way. We have successfully defended allegations of wrongdoing at the investigation stage, preventing criminal charges and disciplinary proceedings being brought against our clients.
Our reputation for robustly challenging the demands and conduct of enforcement agencies is unrivalled and we regularly advise on abuse of the prosecution process, legality of orders and judicial reviews – securing excellent outcomes for clients.

How we can help

Increasingly our work has taken on an international dimension. Greater collaboration between domestic and overseas regulators including the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) has seen a rise in international investigations.
Our serious fraud investigations lawyers have a wealth of experience in advising on extradition, multi-agency and cross border crime and can provide help with restraint and confiscation of assets.
We understand that investigations can severely impact your reputation and will work hard to mitigate reputational damage to you and your business.

Our Work

• Advised three 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
• 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
• Advising a senior individual of Tata Steel of 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 DoJ in the US are investigating this matter
• Advised a director in relation to the worldwide SFO investigation into the 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 their private costs. However, such was the prosecution’s behaviour, the defence team recovered more than £2m in costs
• Acted for a company director which was a niche provider of temporary construction units used in the Middle East for workers in the oil fields. The SFO investigated alleged corruption involving companies in the Middle East and Far East through third party agents, no charges were brought against our client
• Acted for director in the SFO prosecution of suspected large scale cartel activity in the generic drugs market. The SFO prosecuted the case as a conspiracy to defraud. Throughout the proceedings we maintained that conduct was not criminal. Complex legal arguments followed, with the House of Lords deciding against the SFO. The failed prosecution cost the public purse in excess of £50m
• Acted for the finance director of collapsed retail chain in an alleged £60m fraud. The prosecution was brought by the SFO. We challenged the incomplete disclosure of material by the SFO and a further warehouse full of material came to light. As a result, we brought a successful Abuse of Process claim and the case was subsequently dropped
• Instructed in the one of the largest alleged mortgage frauds ever prosecuted in this country. The case concerned the fraudulent acquisition of approximately £63m from various commercial lenders. Case required detailed assessment of millions of pages of evidence and challenge of experts as to the duties and responsibilities of a solicitor involved in transactions of this type. Case was complex involving both criminal and regulatory breaches. Defendant unanimously acquitted after a five-month trial