Fraud

A leading Criminal Set with a deep-bench of fraud specialists; the concentration of talent on offer at QEB Hollis Whiteman is outstanding.

Overview

QEB Hollis Whiteman is a leading set for fraud. As a set it is ranked in the top band by both Chambers UK and The Legal 500 and our members are consistently ranked as leaders in the fields of financial crime and fraud. We have an established reputation for dealing with serious fraud, Business crime and financial regulation. We are regularly instructed to defend in high-profile, high-value and complex fraud cases or to undertake this work on behalf of specialist prosecution or regulatory authorities; our members are regularly instructed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), as well as by individuals and corporations working in the financial services industry.

Our Experience

Members of QEB Hollis Whiteman have been instructed in most of the significant fraud investigations of recent years, both as prosecution and defence counsel.  These include: Operation Amazon, defending a company director and chief executive officer in an alleged tax cheat worth over £100m; Operation Boromo, the largest joint DWP/Home Office Fraud Prosecution yet brought; Operation Cotton, one of the largest criminal prosecutions ever undertaken by the Financial Conduct Authority; and SFO v Barclays, a case arising from SFO Charges of Conspiracy to Commit Fraud at Barclays. Members of Chambers are adept at dealing with all types of frauds including those involving: share dealing; insurance; mortgage; benefits; tax; revenue; VAT; excise; pension schemes; ponzi schemes; advance fee; fraudulent trading; carbon credit; real estate; and identity.

Members of Chambers represent individuals and corporate clients at every stage of the criminal process including, but not limited to: the provision of advice pre-charge (often resulting in the successful avoidance of criminal proceedings altogether); the provision of advisory and advocacy services before the Criminal Courts; appearances before Regulatory Tribunals; and in Ancillary Proceedings, including restraint, confiscation and directors’ disqualification. Furthermore, Chambers has significant experience in dealing with cases with international or cross-jurisdictional complexities. A number of members of Chambers are appointed to the SFO’s list of Panel Counsel.

Our experience and expertise also includes advising individuals and corporate clients on Private Prosecutions for Fraud.