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VIEW ALLLegal 500 2023Ian Ryan – at the very top of the tree in London. A big reputation which is thoroughly deserved by the service he and his team deliver to Howard Kennedy’s increasingly impressive roster of high profile clients.
About
Recent work
Accolades
Ian Ryan is a white-collar crime lawyer specialising in serious fraud and acting in serious and high-profile matters both domestically and internationally. Ian heads the firm's well regarded Business Crime team.
Ian has over 25 years' experience dealing with a full range of business crime and serious fraud investigations. This includes investigations by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Competition Markets Authority (CMA), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). He advises on investigations from the early stages through to and including contested jury trials.
His primary focus is acting for clients in SFO investigations. He is representing senior individuals in SFO investigations into Euribor, Patisserie Valerie, Amec Foster Wheeler, and ENRC (Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation). Ian successfully represented Achim Kraemer, the only defendant acquitted in the first Euribor trial in June 2018. He has previously acted on the SFO investigations into Rolls Royce, GSK, Tesco, Harlequin and represented Vincent Tchenguiz on his arrest by the SFO and subsequent search of his business premises.
Ian also acts for corporates on production orders, dawn raids, confiscation proceedings, warrants and the extent of legal professional privilege. He has represented both multi-nationals and individuals in numerous internal investigations.
Ian has specialist experience in solicitors' disciplinary work and SRA investigations and is skilled at representing General Counsel caught up in SFO investigations. Ian has a niche specialism in money laundering and was previously a member of the Law Society's Money Laundering Taskforce. He is a member of the Law Society's AML directory providing advice to solicitors.
Ian continues to represent high-net-worth individuals (celebrities, politicians and sports people) in general criminal matters.
Emergency No. T: +44 (0)7802 613477
- Successfully represented Achim Kraemer, a senior Deutsche Bank manager who was the only defendant acquitted in the high profile Euribor trial which concluded in June 2018.
- Advising a senior executive at Patisserie Valerie in relation to the ongoing SFO investigation into serious accounting irregularities.
- Representing a senior manager at Deutsche Bank accused of manipulating the Euribor rate and due to stand trial in June 2019.
- Representing a number of individuals in the SFO Amec Foster Wheeler investigation into alleged bribery and corruption in the oil and gas sector (related to the Unaoil and Petrofac investigations).
- Represented two senior executives in the SFO Tesco investigation into serious financial irregularities which resulted in a profit warning.
- Represented Mark Hanna, the former head of security at News International, who was acquitted of perverting the course of justice in the phone hacking trial in June 2014 which involved Rebekah Brooks.
- Represented senior individuals in the SFO investigations into GSK, Rolls Royce and ENRC.
- Represented Vincent Tchenguiz on his arrest by the SFO and subsequent search of his business premises under a search warrant.
- Represented Harlequin and its Chief Executive in the SFO investigation into an alleged large scale investor fraud in the Caribbean.
- Ranked Band 4, Crime, Chambers 2023
- Ranked as a Leading Individual, Crime, fraud and licensing: Crime: general, Legal 500 2023
- Ranked as a Leading Individual, Crime, fraud and licensing: Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals), Legal 500 2023
- Listed as Key Lawyer, Crime, fraud and licensing: Private Prosecutions, Legal 500 2023
- Listed as Key Lawyer, Dispute resolution: Professional discipline, Legal 500 2023
- ''Ian Ryan heads the team which has shown its quality and experience over the years following significant successes. They are adept at handling large scale financial fraud investigations and prosecutions with huge confidence and skill.'' Legal 500 2023
- ''Ian Ryan has great judgement and tactical awareness. He is a master at negotiating with prosecution authorities and has an excellent team supporting him.'' Legal 500 2023
- ''Ian Ryan is an amazingly robust litigator who is consistently brilliant.'' Chambers UK 2023
- ''He is very well established and respected in this space.'' Chambers UK 2023
- Ranked, Financial Crime: High Net Worth Individuals, Chambers HNW 2022
- "He is a master strategist who brings exceptional expertise and experience." Chambers HNW 2022
- "His strengths come from his background in general crime and his ability to see things right from the beginning through to the end." Chambers HNW 2022
- Listed as Leading Individual, Fraud: White-Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals), Legal 500 2022
- Listed as Key Lawyer, Professional Discipline, Legal 500 2022
- Listed as Key Lawyer, Crime: General, Legal 500 2022
- "Ian Ryan knows the SDT back to front, is very good for tactical considerations, and very engaged." Legal 500 2022
- "Ian Ryan is super experienced and confident. Knows exactly how to try to solve his client’s problems." Legal 500 2022
- "Ian Ryan is a star. Enormously experienced, unflappable and always immaculately prepared, he inspires confidence in the client and the team. Moreover, he is a supreme strategist and tactician." Legal 500 2022
- "Ian Ryan is approaching the role of statesman of the field – he has been one of the top partners working in this field for over 20 years. He has excellent tactical instincts and the level of experience that reassures clients he knows exactly what approach to take." Legal 500 2022
- Ranked, Financial Crime: Individuals, Chambers 2022
- Ranked, Professional Discipline, Chambers 2022
- Ranked, Crime, Chambers 2022
- "He is really well known for defending individuals in complex cases - a go-to guy who knows his stuff. He is able to break down legal jargon in a comprehensive way, is able to dissect a case quickly and accurately and is incredible with clients." Chambers 2022
- Top Recommended, Criminal Lawyers Index, Spear's 2022
