Chambers & Partners Rankings Released for 2023

33 Chancery Lane

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 1
A highly praised set with experience across the full spectrum of POCA matters, which is especially noted for its expertise in money laundering investigations. Members act for defendants and prosecutors alike in cases which are often high-profile and international in nature. They also frequently represent receivers and third parties with regard to issues ranging from civil recovery and restraint proceedings to regulatory advice. Intrusting solicitors note: "The individuals here have an impressive ability to grasp cross-jurisdictional issues, however esoteric, arising within the context of confiscation cases. All are exceptionally diligent."

Financial Crime
Band 3
The barristers at 33 Chancery Lane offer expertise spanning the full range of financial crime matters. The set is regularly instructed to act for both the prosecution and defence in complex bribery and money laundering cases, and members are also well versed in the handling of HMRC investigations. Asset recovery matters are a key area of strength for the team, owing to the set's recognised prowess in POCA proceedings. The set's enviable client list includes both leading corporations and individuals. Recent work highlights include acting for the SFO in R v Skeene and Bowers (Global Forestry Investments) relating to investment schemes in a sustainable and ethical teak forest.

Client service

"The clerks are commercial, efficient and helpful."
"They are very responsive and always select the right person for the case."
"Martin Adams and Chris Chiles are amazing to work with. Nothing is too much and they always offer helpful advice to improve the service they can offer."
"The clerks are very commercial."

Kennedy Talbot KC

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Star Individual
Kennedy Talbot KC is a highly regarded silk who frequently handles civil recovery, restraint, receivership and confiscation cases. Clients include private individuals and financial institutions. His practice covers advice on money laundering obligations compliance and novel regulatory developments.

Financial Crime: Corporates
Band 2
Kennedy Talbot KC acts for and advises major corporate clients on a wide range of financial crime matters. He fields significant expertise in anti-money laundering, and is regularly instructed by financial institutions to advise on their responsibilities.

"Kennedy is very commercially minded and really responsive."
"Kennedy is one of the best in the business."
"He has an extremely good knowledge of the law and delivers practical and meaningful advice to clients. Rather than merely identifying challenges and problems, he actively seeks solutions."

Andrew Mitchell KC

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Star Individual
Andrew Mitchell KC is a famed individual, extensively experienced in POCA work, whose practice covers a wide array of cases including those concerning money laundering, asset recovery, bribery and corruption. Frequently instructed in high-profile and complex matters, he is considered to be a master litigator who represents clients at the top level including in the Court of Appeal. The matters he undertakes regularly include international elements.

Financial Crime
Band 1
Andrew Mitchell KC is a well-known heavyweight silk who is a great choice of leading counsel for high-value matters connected with financial wrongdoing. His reputation has spread far and wide, ensuring he is instructed to advise on marquee matters both at home and abroad. He offers particular expertise in large-scale bribery and corruption investigations, and is also valued for his expertise in related POCA proceedings.

"Andrew demonstrates extraordinary advocacy skills and experience."
"He has eyes for details and an ability to painstakingly simplify complex and complicated issues of law and facts, with exemplary forbearance and superb delivery."
"His reputation as a quintessential advocate is arguably now of regional and international knowledge."
"Andrew has an encyclopaedic knowledge of POCA."
"A consummate professional who provides definitive advice."

Alistair Webster KC

Financial Crime - The Regions (Bar)
Band 1
Alistair Webster KC is a highly experienced silk who excels in complex cases involving allegations of loan, tax and pension fraud, among other matters. He regularly represents the SFO in both fraud and proceeds of crime cases.

"Alistair has vast experience."
"He is a very well-regarded barrister."

Amanda Pinto KC

Band 1 – Financial Crime
Band 1 – Financial Crime: Corporates
Amanda Pinto KC acts for the prosecution and the defence in serious financial crime cases, including those involving misstatement of financial accounts, investment frauds and money laundering. Interviewees reserve special mention for her easy-going manner and clear commitment to obtaining the best result for her client. She is valued for her advice to corporates on financial crime matters, and also has experience of dealing with private prosecutions.

"Amanda is an extremely impressive barrister."
"Amanda is brilliant and quick."
"She is such a joy to work with."

Mark Rainsford KC

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 2
Mark Rainsford KC handles specialised financial crime, proceeds of crime and asset recovery cases, and boasts particular expertise in money laundering matters. His clients include major financial institutions and private individuals. Rainsford is further instructed by prosecution agencies.

Financial Crime
Band 4
Mark Rainsford KC has superb legal knowledge and great judgement in how best to advance the client's cause. He regularly handles corruption cases and all manner of investment frauds, including those relating to Ponzi schemes, and is noted for his skill in money laundering cases. He draws on complementary expertise in confiscation matters and those with a civil fraud aspect.

"The thoroughness of Mark's research cannot be compared. He tackles extremely complex areas with grace, utilising his impressive analytical skills to deliver results."
"The advice he gives is thoroughly researched."

Graham Brodie KC

Financial Crime
Band 2
Graham Brodie KC is a silk noted for his attractive presentation style in court and for being a good team player. He regularly advises on allegations of money laundering and overseas corruption, and he is also experienced in related POCA work. He provides expert counsel to a variety of corporate clients, and has a particular focus on cases with overlapping civil and criminal elements.

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 3
Graham Brodie KC acts for claimants and defendants in proceedings relating to allegations of commercial wrongdoing, and is renowned for his involvement in civil fraud and asset forfeiture cases. He handles cases concerning restraint, freezing and confiscation of assets in both the civil and criminal spheres. Brodie is regularly instructed in POCA cases that are multi-jurisdictional in nature.

"Graham is a force of nature."
"He has a fabulous level of intelligence and acumen."
"Graham is always proactive and willing to assist. He is very creative and has good ideas."
"He is a really polished performer. He thinks outside the box."
"Always proactive and willing to assist, he's a man who has good, creative ideas. always producing a clear plan of how to achieve the client's aims."
"A man you can turn to for difficult cases and someone whose judgement you can really trust." 

Martin Evans KC

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 1
Martin Evans KC boasts expertise in both POCA and criminal fraud matters, and is particularly adept at restraint, confiscation and civil recovery cases. He represents defendants, receivers, companies and prosecuting agencies, among others. Evans has been instructed in numerous cases in the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

"An established KC involved in many of the leading cases in this field."
"Expert at handling money laundering cases that touch on other legal areas such as trusts and family law."

Narita Bahra KC

Band 4 - Crime
Band 4 – Financial Crime
Narita Bahra KC is noted for her expert defence of clients in financial crime matters. She handles cases involving allegations of tax evasion, fraud and money laundering.

"Narita is fearless in court and works tirelessly on her cases. Her case preparation is meticulous."
"Clients really appreciate her ability to dissect cases and get to the heart of issues."
"Narita is fearless in court and meticulous in her preparation of a case, which makes her the perfect counsel for cases requiring further disclosure from the Crown. She will stop at nothing to achieve the best result for her client."
"Narita is fearless in court and works tirelessly on her cases. Her case preparation is meticulous."
"Clients really appreciate her ability to dissect cases and get to the heart of issues."

Barry Stancombe

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 1
Barry Stancombe is a POCA and asset forfeiture specialist with noteworthy experience in civil recovery and receivership. He acts for prosecuting agencies such as the SFO and FCA, as well as receivers, defendants and companies. His work includes fraud-related restraint and receivership matters. Instructed in high-profile cases, often with international components, Stancombe has had involvement in a number of matters that have helped to develop the law relating to asset recovery.

"Barry is an exceptional figure in the POCA world, who both acts for enforcement agencies and defends those involved in complex proceedings."
"Very knowledgeable, authoritative and pragmatic, he delivers complex advice in a clear and digestible way."

Penelope Small

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 2
Penelope Small is recognised for her specialist expertise in POCA proceedings, asset recovery and restraint orders in both the civil and criminal spheres. She represents prosecuting authorities and defendants, and regularly tackles cases with cross-border aspects to them. Small has particular expertise in third-party representation.

"Outstanding, particularly in terms of her written work, she goes into tremendous detail and leaves no stone unturned."
"Confident with clients, she has the ability to be candid and tell them the hard truth - she speaks very honestly about the prospects of a case and gains people's trust."

Christopher Convey

Financial Crime
Band 1
Christopher Convey is recognised for the diligence, great attention to detail and fine advocacy skills that he brings to the defence of fraud and financial crime cases. Rate rigging and corporate theft matters feature highly in his caseload, as do complex money laundering matters. He is experienced in advising clients on international matters. Convey further offers counsel on compliance issues.

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 2
Christopher Convey frequently acts for defendants and third parties in POCA proceedings relating to allegations of business crime and corporate wrongdoing, regularly appearing before the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He has particular experience of advising offshore trusts on money laundering and compliance issues.

"Christopher is an exceptionally good barrister. He is extremely diligent."
"Christopher is a first-rate counsel. He is good with his paperwork and on his feet. He is very hard-working and diligent."
"Christopher is really empathetic with the client."
"Chris has a comprehensive academic knowledge of POCA which he applies very well in court. He is also really good with clients."
"A junior with long experience and profound expertise in POCA."

Fiona Jackson

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 1
Fiona Jackson is experienced criminal counsel who assists defence and prosecution clients with fraud, POCA and asset recovery matters. She is frequently instructed in cases with international elements, including those relating to international mutual legal assistance and international regulatory work. Jackson is experienced at representing clients at all court levels and is a regular in the High Court and Court of Appeal.

"Fiona is hugely likeable and a really strong operator with first-rate POCA knowledge."
"She is meticulous in her preparation and supremely well informed."

Faisal Osman

Financial Crime
Band 1
Faisal Osman is a careful barrister with great powers of factual recall who adds clear value to proceedings. He is highly rated for his astute defence of clients in financial crime cases. His experience includes advising on high-value allegations of tax fraud and international money laundering. He offers additional expertise in asset recovery, including those cases concerning highly complex, cross-border matters.

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 3
Faisal Osman is a POCA practitioner specialising in domestic and international civil recovery stemming from commercial wrongdoing. He advises claimants and third parties on asset recovery matters, and also handles confiscation, fraud and regulatory enforcement cases. He is regularly instructed in appeals against confiscations, and his clients include governments and commercial organisations, among others.

"Faisal is exceptional, hard-working, committed and a joy to work with."
"He is very efficient."
"Faisal has an incisive mind."
"A hard-working barrister, who has great understanding of enforcement strategy."
"He is able to work effectively in a team, handling individuals with different types of personalities in multiple jurisdictions."

Ian Smith

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 2
Ian Smith is a commercial litigator and criminal lawyer who has a specialist knowledge of POCA. He is known for handling more general complex commercial cases with a fraud element. Smith is experienced in civil recovery restraint orders and enforcement proceedings, both domestically and internationally. He also covers advisory work on anti-money laundering regulation.

Fraud: Civil
Band 3
Ian Smith is a civil and criminal fraud specialist comfortable managing complex proceedings involving such issues as asset recovery and money laundering. Much of his work pertains to overseas jurisdictions. He is adept at both bringing and defending claims

"Ian has stellar intellect. He is thoughtful, strategic, incisive and incredibly commercial in his approach."
"Ian understands civil and commercial law. He is level-headed, understands the risk and is willing to be bold with advice."
"Level-headed and willing to be bold in his advice, he understands the risks involved in litigation."
"Ian delivers when you need genuinely expert advice."

John Townsend

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 3
John Townsend offers a wealth of experience of advising in criminal and civil disputes and acts on behalf of both claimants and defendants. He is noted for his strong expertise when it comes to serious financial investigations and money laundering, and he demonstrates proficiency in confiscation orders, civil recovery proceedings, and asset forfeiture orders.

"A top-quality advocate, well liked by both clients and judges, who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of all law relating to confiscation issues."

Catherine Collins

POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture
Band 3
Catherine Collins is experienced in both the prosecution and defence of asset forfeiture issues. She frequently advises and represents third parties on a broad range of POCA and financial crime cases, particularly matters with a civil and criminal law crossover. Collins is appointed to the SFO Proceeds of Crime B Panel and the SFO Prosecution B Panel.

"A barrister with incisive intellect who is supremely diligent. She has the ability to be sympathetic to clients, whilst dispensing vigorous and frank advice relating to difficult issues."
"Her attention to detail is forensic and her work ethic second to none. She achieves outstanding results on every occasion."