Financial Crime

Alison Pople KC enjoys market acclaim for her fluent interpersonal skills and methodical courtroom manner. Her cases involve allegations of insider dealing, corporate misstatement, and corruption. Pople's client base includes major multinational corporates, as well as top executives and officers.

"Alison is an absolute class act, really clear-headed and calm."

"She is very clear in her advice, willing to evolve in the case as it develops, as well as being a team player and a joy to work with."

"Alison Pople KC is frankly outstanding. She is incredibly bright and a formidable advocate."

Ian Winter KC is a popular choice of senior counsel for advisory matters at the pre-charge stage of criminal matters. He also draws trial mandates in multiple jurisdictions, representing senior executives charged with fraud and corruption in both the UK and Hong Kong. Winter is acclaimed for his aggressive and effective client advocacy. He is noted for his astute advice to corporates on financial crime matters.

"Ian is phenomenal in terms of his mastery of documents, attention to detail and court advocacy. It's a privilege to watch him on his feet with the jury."

"He is one of the hottest criminal silks on the market. Ian has outstanding attention to detail and is a fantastic jury advocate."

"One of the strongest advocates at the criminal Bar, Ian is a real star. I would not want to be cross-examined by him."

"His cross-examination is captivating and measured. He deals easily with cases in the public eye, focusing on what matters and presenting complex information in an easily understood way."

John Kelsey-Fry KC is a star player on account of his truly remarkable performances as a jury advocate. He is regularly selected to advise on high-stakes matters, such as high-profile investigations and prosecutions by the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority. His areas of expertise include international corruption matters ‒ although he has further experience in the full range of fraud and financial crime. He is sought after for his financial crime advice to corporates.

"He is an ultimate tactician who thinks through cases really carefully and has a huge amount of experience."

"John is one of the most established barristers at the Bar and one of the best. Working with him is inspirational and he is a trailblazer for business crime. He is a go-to silk for complicated cases."

"John Kelsey-Fry is a pre-eminent jury trial silk and a real class act."

Nicholas Purnell KC is a highly respected and accomplished silk who continues to impress the market with his performance in leading cases and who is noted for breaking new ground in the area of deferred prosecution agreements. He is highly rated for his comprehensive experience of financial crime cases and provides accomplished counsel on everything from joint investigations by the S and Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority to corporate compliance with bribery rules. His past experience includes advising on cases concerning misstatement of corporate results and the manipulation of rates.

"He is always able to analyse criminal issues with an eye on even the most complicated, commercial perspectives."

"An excellent advocate, Nicholas is completely fearless and fights his corner like a tiger."

Rachel Kapila is a respected financial crime barrister recognised for her strong defence work. She is particularly experienced in fraud, bribery and corruption cases, and is adept at internal corporate investigations.

"If I had to recommend a junior it would be Rachel. She is incisive and will get the legal analysis spot-on and find an argument you don't know is there."

"Rachel is an extremely smart barrister."

"Her attention to detail is outstanding."

Rhys Meggy has a fast-growing reputation for defending individuals facing financial crime proceedings and also provides counsel to corporations on compliance questions. His practice spans tax fraud, money laundering and corruption matters. Meggy is experienced in Serious Fraud Office, HMRC and Financial Conduct Authority investigations.

"Rhys always seems to find a way to surpass all expectations. He's very good at dealing with professional and lay clients and is a real high performer."

"Rhys has a great blend of criminal expertise and an understanding of how corporates work and the commercial world."

"Rhys Meggy is a super-competent advocate ‒ super-intelligent, very engaging and covers everything with real charm and sophistication."

"Rhys is really diligent. He looks at the detail and is concerned about the quality of everything that he does. He's a really good technical lawyer; good at complex legal points while being commercial."

Stuart Biggs is praised for his impressive practice and noted for his expertise in cases involving fraud and money laundering. He both prosecutes and defends, and further undertakes related civil work. Biggs has appeared on numerous occasions in the Court of Appeal. He has increasing experience of acting alone in cases as junior counsel, as well as in private prosecutions.

"He has a really lovely way with the jury and handles the technicalities of a case really well, making it very accessible."

"Stuart Biggs is an exceptional counsel with a very acute mind and problem-solving attitude."

"He is excellent, has a really fantastic court presence and demeanour, and an ability to deal with complex issues."

Tom Allen KC is a silk with deep experience of financial crime. He has handled cases relating to rate manipulation, film finance, and bribery. He is noted for his clear communication skills and approachable manner. Allen has deep experience of handling Serious Fraud Office and Financial Conduct Authority investigations. He also advises corporates on various issues, including allegations of fraud and corruption.

"Tom is very experienced in all sorts of criminal matters. He really is a go-to in terms of complex corporate crime matters. He's approachable, very friendly and a compelling advocate."

"Tom is a brilliant leader. A real jury advocate, he has a warmth that people respond to but also has a great feel for the good points."

"Tom is deeply intelligent but very pragmatic in his application of the law. He gives really brave advice and does not shy away from taking the braver route."

Jonathan Barnard KC has experience acting on hotly contested criminal and quasi-criminal matters concerning corruption, misstatement of financial figures, and fraud. He is prized for his noted ability in bribery and money laundering cases. Barnard both provides high-level advice to major corporates and defends senior executives facing Serious Fraud Office proceedings.

"Jonathan is masterful in his focus, commitment and strategic awareness, as well as knowing how to take advantage of a poorly prepared prosecution."

"Jonathan is very charming and absolutely fearless. He will challenge the court with real grace and charm."

"He is a fantastic leader of a team ‒ calm, invariably the best-prepared lawyer in the room, and utterly dependable. His judgement is consistently spot-on, and his insight and advocacy are fantastic."