Financial Crime: Private Prosecutions

Allison Clare KC is renowned for her lengthy experience advising on financial crime. Recent cases handled have involved the trading of financial instruments and allegations of market manipulation, bribery and corruption. She wins frequent instructions from corporate clients and from the Serious Fraud Office, and has an impressive balance of prosecution and defence work. Clare has notable expertise in matters involving Deferred Prosecution Agreements.

"Allison is completely immersed in the detail of the cases in every aspect. She is a really strong leading counsel."

"Allison is exceptional. Her forensic mind, concise and direct advocacy and ability to judge the mood of the courtroom yields fantastic results. She leads from the front."

"She is so good with clients, organised, and also good with solicitors. She can do massive, complicated cases and you want to work with her."

Gillian Jones KC is an assiduous, quick-thinking and formidable silk whose cases involve allegations of insider dealing, rate rigging and investment fraud. She is experienced in significant bribery and corruption cases, representing individuals and corporates, and is also noted for her significant expertise in private prosecutions.

"Gillian is super. She is a very perceptive and clever barrister who is able to see the other side and approach it with objectivity."

"She is a perfect all-round barrister, a clever and very effective advocate with fantastic work rate. A master of complex cases, she has an extraordinary ability to keep spinning plates in the air."

"Gillian Jones KC is an excellent advocate."

Jonathan Fisher KC is user-friendly, easy to work with, and a great team player. He wins plaudits for his technical knowledge and persistence when tackling high-value accounting fraud and bribery cases. Fisher appears both on the defence and prosecution sides in high-profile matters, winning instructions from corporate clients as well as prosecutors in multiple jurisdictions. He is also valued for his expertise in related POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act) matters.

"Jonathan is a pleasure to deal with. He is supremely knowledgeable and has the ability to quickly get to the crux of the matter and apply the law to it."

"Jonathan is disarmingly gentlemanly and incisive at the same time. He will take very complicated cases and distil them quickly to get to the heart. He engenders confidence from the outset of a call."

"Jonathan is absolutely brilliant. I've never known him to get anything wrong and he will do anything for his clients."

Faras Baloch is well regarded for his handling of complex financial crime cases involving allegations of investment fraud, money laundering and market manipulation. He is also noted for his expertise in international corruption cases.

"Faras has a brilliant legal mind and sees problems long before they become focused. He is also a good advocate and an unusually good lawyer who enjoys the law and the details."

"Faras is brilliant, absolutely clinical in his approach and meticulous in detail. He is able to keep the jury with him and is devastatingly effective."

Jane Bewsey KC is an experienced prosecutor valued for her ability to handle significant cases. She is well versed in money laundering cases and all manner of frauds, particularly those relating to tax. Bewsey is recognised for her calm and fair prosecution style.

"Jane is thorough, clear and very experienced."

Max Baines is a criminal junior with an established financial crime practice. He regularly prosecutes and defends significant fraud cases and has experience in the private prosecution space as well.

"Max is really fantastic. He is a very practical, sensible and knowledgeable operator."

"Max Baines is very versatile, highly practical and very personable. He can be put in any team and inspire confidence and work well with others. He is also thoughtful and cerebral."

Michael Goodwin KC is a well-respected barrister with notable expertise in prosecuting and defending high-value financial crime cases. He has experience in bribery, corruption and tax fraud matters.

"Michael is thorough, clear-sighted and very experienced."

"Michael is exceptional in his cross-examination of the witnesses. He deals with complicated arguments with ease and is very detail focused."

"Michael is one of the brightest King's Counsel out there. He is thorough and organised and his advocacy and drafting are extremely persuasive."

"His attention to detail is amazing. Even on paper-heavy cases, he gets to the salient points very quickly. His submissions in court are very astute and he commands the courtroom."

Tom Forster KC is a barrister who is lauded for going above and beyond the call of duty to secure great results in financial criminal cases. He acts both for the defence and prosecuting authorities, and has experience defending insider dealing cases brought by the Financial Conduct Authority and tax fraud matters brought by HMRC. Forster is also adept at related confiscation proceedings.

"Tom is a great lawyer, with fantastic advocacy skills and excellent advice."

"Tom is terrific. He's ingenious in his arguments and great at finding a way to get to the root of the problem."

"Tom Forster is a top-class, dynamic advocate."

Cameron Brown KC is a highly regarded financial crime barrister with experience acting for the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Crown Prosecution Service in complex serious fraud and corruption cases. He also lends his expertise to financial crime cases involving insolvencies and is routinely instructed by the Insolvency Service.

"Cameron is always the best prepared advocate in the courtroom. He is a difficult opponent, as he knows the brief better than most and has the confidence of the court as a result."

"It's brilliant to work with him; he has forensic attention to detail and is masterful in working as part of a team."

"Cameron's genuinely brilliant. He seems to be able to cut through massive amounts of material with complete ease."

David Etherington KC is well known for his astute and effective counsel across a variety of criminal matters and regularly defends in high-value fraud cases. Interviewees praise him for his attractive advocacy style and diligent case preparation. He is valued for his experience in HMRC cases.

"David is an absolute class act."

David Walbank KC is an experienced prosecutor and former Standing Counsel to the Revenue, who now focuses on defence work. He is highly proficient in complex tax fraud and money laundering cases.

"David is a tremendously articulate advocate and can translate really complex issues well."

David Claxton has a broad and diverse regulatory and criminal skill set with an active practice in financial crime. He is particularly adept at representing prosecution and defence in investigations by the Serious Fraud Office. He also has expertise on money laundering and bribery and corruption cases.

"David's advocacy is very nice, but beyond that his judgement is tremendous. He is very good at seeing the bigger picture."

"David has a really sharp intellect. He is thorough but practical and strategic, highly effective and a dream to work with."

"David provides outstanding client care and representation in court. No case is too big or complex for his ability."

"David is very user-friendly and responsive, with excellent client care skills. He puts clients at ease and gains their trust and confidence very quickly."

Hannah Willcocks KC is a level-headed and reliable barrister with proven advocacy and case management skills. She is sought out by regulatory and prosecuting authorities, including the Crown Prosecution Service, for such matters as suspected insider trading, tax fraud, money laundering and corruption cases. She has a great deal of experience conducting long-running investigations.

"Hannah is excellent, clear-headed and thorough."

Trevor Archer is a well-regarded financial crime barrister who is noted for his expert handling of complex cases involving allegations of bribery, fraud and corruption. He has experience of acting for the Serious Fraud Office and fields considerable expertise in cases involving an international element. He is also called upon to advise private organisations facing investigations from the prosecuting authorities.

"Trevor has a keen eye for detail, is meticulous in his approach and has an in-depth knowledge of legal privilege."

Rebecca Chalkley KC is a respected barrister with noted ability prosecuting substantial fraud, bribery and corruption cases. She is experienced in handling private prosecutions and is recognised for her particular expertise in disclosure matters in financial crime cases.

"Rebecca is a master strategist."

"Rebecca is a highly respected specialist fraud practitioner with a strong reputation for excellence."

"Rebecca is extremely approachable and responsive. She has an insatiable appetite for work and does not appear to be fazed by pressure."

"She has a deep knowledge and is the judge whisperer. An adept advocate, her value lies as a tactician."

Tom Payne KC is a seasoned prosecution counsel who complements his serious general crime practice with a specialism in financial crime-related matters such as money laundering. He also prosecutes tax fraud and acts in a number of cases with a significant international aspect. He is experienced in cases involving the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service.

"Tom is excellent. A very thorough and well-prepared advocate, he is what you want in a complex prosecution."

"Tom is a fantastic fraud specialist with an ability to see the detail in a mass of information and explain it in a clear and concise way."

"Tom is very calm under pressure, deals with judges well and is unflappable, measured and effective in the face of heavy-duty opposition."