Financial Crime & Regulatory
Business Crime & Fraud Solicitors
Business crime and fraud allegations can be a serious matter that can involve several organisations and individuals. We think our experience will prove invaluable to you when it comes to helping you work towards a positive outcome.
The business crime and fraud team at Hodge Jones & Allen offer expert guidance, can negotiate on your behalf and help you with any damage that an investigation has caused your reputation, or personal finances.
We understand the problems, both professional and emotional, that such a case can present. However, you can be confident in our expertise with dealing with matters and negotiating with a range of investigative agencies, from the police to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), on your behalf.
Our Financial Crime & Regulatory team has been ranked in the Chambers & Partners 2023 legal directory. The team was described as “very friendly and professional” and “effective in the financial crime area.”
“As a firm they have a real team spirit, always sharing knowledge and experience with each other, to the benefit of their clients. They have a superbly dynamic and diverse team of lawyers in the team.” – Legal 500, 2023
“HJA’s criminal solicitors are amongst the leading criminal solicitors in the country. They have been involved in countless landmark cases but also in hundreds if not thousands of important protest cases in the magistrates courts.”- Legal 500, 2023
Why choose Hodge Jones & Allen?
One of our key strengths is our experience and understanding of the business, commercial and financial context in which organisations work. Our decades of experience mean that there are few situations that we have not already encountered. We understand the practicalities and realities as well as the rules and regulations of how a company, NGO or public sector organisation works.
Our team prioritises fairness throughout, handling each case with a tailored approach to ensure a detailed, truthful and ethical outcome.
We combine our financial understanding with our role as experienced criminal litigators to fight for the best results for our clients. Early action on your behalf is vital and we use our knowledge and experience to your advantage. We will help you to navigate investigative interviews, whether voluntary or compulsory. We will be robust in seeking to ensure you do not face prosecution. Should your case proceed to court, our trial experience is second to none.
"WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS LAW FIRM, SERVICE WAS SECOND TO NONE."
Protecting your interests
An effective plan-of-action is the first step, detailing a response to the investigation and case against you.
What our team will do is protect your interests and ensure there is the least amount of disruption to your life, including helping you to minimise any adverse impact to your reputation and standing.
If you are charged, then we will move swiftly to protect your interests. This includes making the strongest possible applications with regard to bail and your liberty.
We will swiftly get to grips with the evidence. We are used to analysing large volumes of complex information with a view to considering applications for dismissal or abuse of process. We search for disclosure errors or unlawful activity by the prosecuting authority such that it might be argued the case should not continue.
Should you be charged, then we will move swiftly to protect your interests. This includes making the strongest possible applications with regard to bail and your liberty.
We will swiftly get to grips with the evidence. We are used to analysing large volumes of complex information with a view to considering applications for dismissal or abuse of process. We search for disclosure errors or unlawful activity by the prosecuting authority such that it might be argued the case should not continue.
We work closely with associated parties, including forensic accountants, business experts and counsel – assembling the best team in the business to defend your rights.
Who can we help?
The clients who we act for in these types of prosecution are frequently:
- Company Directors
- Senior Managers
- Business Owners
- Companies
- Regulated professionals including lawyers, accountants, doctors and dentists
Featured cases
Operation Tabernula
Partner Kiran Mehta acted for a defendant in Operation Tabernula, the Financial Crime Agency’s largest and most complex investigation and prosecution into Insider Dealing. We successfully secured the dropping of the charge against our client relating to insider dealing.
City of London Police
Partner Ruth Harris acted for a defendant in a large £7m carbon credit fraud. The trial collapsed following successful disclosure requests about the prosecution expert, who was discredited, and the matter investigated by City of London Police.
Global electrical retailer
Partner Kiran Mehta acted for and advised a Middle Eastern businessman in relation to a circa £10 million fraud on a global electrical retailer. The matter successfully concluded without any further prosecuting action being taken.
City of London Police
Partners Kerry Spence and Leo Martin acted for the directors of a wine investment company in a boiler room fraud investigated by City of London Police. Successful pre-charge representation including identification of key evidence to support the defence case that no criminal activity had taken place. This led to the Crown Prosecution Service recommending that no further action be taken.
Barclays Plc
Partner Raj Chada acted for a Barclays plc trader prosecuted for involvement in conspiracy to defraud by agreeing with others to rig Euribor interbank lending rate.
Featured Cases
What type of offences have HJA acted in?
- Bribery and Corruption
- Money Laundering
- Insider Dealing or Market Abuse
- Cartels and Price Fixing
- Libor and Euribor and derivatives fraud and manipulation
- False Accounting
- Boiler Room Schemes
- Land Banking frauds
- Missing Trader Intra Community frauds (MTIC)
- Diversion Fraud including Alcohol and Tobacco Smuggling
- Tax Fraud and Tax Evasion
- Wine Investment Schemes
- Invoicing and factoring fraud
- Telecommunications fraud
- Insurance and mortgage fraud
What legislation can the prosecutors rely on to investigate and prosecute me?
There are numerous statutes which a prosecuting agency rely on to investigate and prosecute allegations of Financial Crime including:
- The Fraud Act 2006
- The Criminal Justice Act 1993
- The Financial Services Act 2012
- The Bribery Act 2010
- The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
- The Theft Act 1968
- The Competition Act 1998
- The Enterprise Act 2002
Our experience means we have absolute mastery of these laws. This assists us to swiftly identify the defences available to you and deploy them to maximum effect. We are known to be fearless in our protection of our client’s interests.
Quite often, business crime, fraud and financial crime investigations and proceedings are accompanied by Restraint and Asset Seizure action. We are experts in this field and can also help to ensure that the impact on you and your loved ones is minimised, whether through applying to discharge Restraint or Freezing Orders or through varying them to ensure you can cover reasonable expenses and minimise the disruption to your daily life, your business and your family.
As soon as you become aware that you are being investigated or prosecuted for financial crime, it is vital to secure specialist legal representation. We are available 24 hours a day to assist you in successfully navigating your way through the complexities of a fraud, financial or business crime matter.
