Nicola Briggs

Lauren Calvert

Partner

——————————————

 

Nicola is a leading criminal defence expert in white collar and business crime, general criminal defence, and proceeds of crime and asset forfeiture.

White collar crime, business crime, fraud and investigations

  1. Over the last 25 years she has been involved in many of the most high-profile, complex criminal and regulatory investigations and prosecutions, both in the UK and in matters which span jurisdictions.
  2. She represents high net worth individuals, multi-national corporate clients, financial institutions and professional firms in investigations and proceedings brought by all the UK enforcement agencies including the SFO, FCA, CMA, HMRC, NCA,  Food Standards Agency, the Environment Agency, the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and other prosecuting bodies.
  3. She also advises on matters relating to extradition and mutual legal assistance.
  4. Her expertise includes dealing with cartels, bribery and corruption, insider dealing, money laundering, fraud and director’s disqualification.
  5. She routinely advises on cross border and domestic investigations across a wide range of industry sectors including financial services, construction, property, telecommunications and mining.
  6. She conducts and advises in internal investigations and is regularly appointed as an independent legal advisor.
  7. She is ranked as a Leading Individual in the Legal 500, the International Who’s Who of Business Crime Defence Lawyers.
  8. She is a well-respected contributor to legal publications and is often quoted in the press on legal issues of the day.

Criminal defence and police investigations

  1. Nicola has a wider criminal defence experience, including rape and other sexual offence cases, drugs, violence, misconduct in a public office, blackmail, harassment and electoral offences.
  2. Her vast experience of representing suspects during the investigatory stage or while held in police custody and during police interview is often regarded as being key to securing a favourable client outcome.
  3. She has acted for many high profile individuals who have needed advice on criminal matters which potentially impact on their reputation and freedom to enjoy international travel.
  4. She sits as a Magistrate in London.

Proceeds of Crime and Asset Forfeiture

  1. Nicola advises on all aspects of money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA).
  2. She is regularly consulted by individuals and institutions in the regulated sector in respect of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017.
  3. She deals with all aspect of asset forfeiture, asset freezing and related proceedings.
  4. She is currently advising several investors (both individual and institutional) in respect of POCA and the legalisation of cannabis in Canada and various Universities as to money laundering protocols.
  5. She was part of a small group of practitioners who took part in the recent review by the Law Commission of the Confiscation regime.

Background

  1. Previously, she was a partner at Corker Binning for over 13 years (2000-2014) having started her career at Peters & Peters (1992-2000).
  2. In 2014 she was appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice to the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Pentonville and by the Lord Chancellor as a London Magistrate.

 

NOTABLE CASES

  1. currently advising a number of individuals in relation to investigations into alleged Competition Act 1998 infringements by the CMA and the FCA;
  2. presently instructed in a number of insider dealing cases being investigated by the FCA. She has acted in several FCA prosecutions for insider dealing (including Operation Tabernula – the FCA’s largest insider dealing case to date);
  3. represented individuals in relation to criminal cartel investigations by the CMA (and OFT) in various sectors;
  4. advised a high profile businessman in respect of an investigation by the NCA into alleged donor offences relating to the EU referendum – the investigation was discontinued following successful representations;
  5. advising an individual in respect of the high profile collapse of Russell Hulme;
  6. advising a corporate on a high profile investigation by the Environment Agency;
  7. acted for 2 people investigated by the GLAA in respect of allegations of modern day slavery. Following extensive representations the case was discontinued;
  8. acted in the first case prosecuted by the SFO under the Bribery Act 2010;
  9. advised a participant in the Leveson Inquiry;
  10. advised a number of suspects in Operations Weeting and Elveden (the police investigation into journalists for hacking and corruption);
  11. acted for a director of Madoff Securities International Ltd;
  12. acted for various clients in SFO investigations/prosecutions including R v Achilleas Kallakis, the high profile SFO prosecution in respect of Allied Irish Bank and HBOS;
  13. acted for a peer in the parliamentary expenses scandal;
  14. advised in relation to the LIBOR investigation in the UK and US;
  15. acted for professionals accused of fraud for criminal wrongdoing including a barrister cleared of VAT fraud and a London solicitor acquitted of a multi-million pound mortgage fraud;
  16. acted for a defendant acquitted of conspiracy to supply class A drugs;
  17. acted for Anne Darwin, in the ‘missing canoeist’ insurance fraud case.

 

Nicola Briggs

Criminal Ligitation

Contacts

Contact Us