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VIEW ALLChambers UK 2024Ian is a hard-hitting lawyer. He's very direct but it's always done authoritatively and he gets really good results for his clients.
Ian is head of the firm's well-regarded Business Crime team which is ranked in both the Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 directories.
Ian has a range of expertise and advises in SFO, FCA, CMA, NCA, CPS, police and SRA investigations. His clients are typically: corporates; boards of directors, CEOs, senior executives, non-executive directors, General Counsel, compliance and risk officers, financial directors and money-laundering reporting officers.
Notably Ian acted for Mark Hanna in the phone hacking trial in 2014 (acquitted); Achim Kraemer in the first SFO Euribor trial in 2018 (acquitted); Andreas Hauschild in the third SFO Euribor trial in 2019 (acquitted); Martin Backburn in the Gary Senior SDT hearing in 2020 (acquitted); Supreme in a successful private prosecution in 2021; a Middle Eastern bank successfully defending a private prosecution in 2021 (case dismissed and defence awarded costs of £250,000); and for British Gymnastics in the Whyte Review (reported July 2022). He has also been involved in many other high profile SFO investigations including Tesco, Harlequin and Tchenguiz.
In addition to the above, Ian advises corporate clients, including solicitor's firms, on cybercrime issues, 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.
He is also an expert in solicitors' disciplinary work and SRA investigations, having previously prosecuted for the SRA for over 15 years. He acts for individual solicitors, including many at magic circle firms, and solicitor's firms at all stages of the proceedings, particularly on issues of self-reporting.
Ian is also a specialist in money laundering matters. He is currently a member of the Law Society's AML directory, providing ad hoc advice to solicitors and solicitor's firms. He is retained by a number of solicitors and other professional firms to provide AML and regulatory advice. He was also previously a member of the Law Society's Money Laundering Taskforce.
Ian also continues to represent high-net-worth individuals (celebrities, politicians, artists, journalists and sports people) in general criminal matters. As a result of his recent work with a national governing body of sport, he has specialist safeguarding experience.
Due to the nature of the cases Ian works on, many are sensitive and high-profile, so he works closely with the firm's reputation management team to ensure clients' interests are protected.
At present, Ian is acting in many matters including for:
Ian is a proud Trustee of the Schools Consent Project; sits on the England Hockey Disciplinary Complaints panel; and is member of the Sport Resolutions legal advice panel giving advice to sports National Governing Bodies.
Emergency contact: +44 (0)7802 613477
Ian previously acted for News International Head of Security Mark Hanna who was acquitted of perverting the course of justice in the Rebecca Brooks' phone hacking trial at the Old Bailey (2014); (successfully) for two senior executives at Tesco in its internal investigation , the subsequent SFO investigation , and during the trial process and its aftermath (2014-2021) ; and for the ex- CEO of a Colombian subsidiary of JLT Speciality Ltd in a joint SFO/DOJ investigation into allegations of bribery and money laundering in Ecuador.
He has acted for many clients where charges have been avoided following representations to the prosecution and in a number of other significant SFO investigations including Rolls Royce, Amec Foster Wheeler, ENRC, GSK,GPT, Harlequin, Vincent Tchenguiz (on his arrest by the SFO and subsequent search of his business premises ) and Afren.
Ian has many years' experience of preparing and winning trials. His recent experience includes a number of high-profile cases:
Ian has also acted on the following:
Ian is very proud to be a trustee of the amazing Schools Consent Project https://www.schoolsconsentproject.com/ which recently partnered with Jodie Comer during the sellout run of Prima Facie.
Our lawyers are experts in their fields. Through commentary and analysis, we give you insights into the pressures impacting business today.
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