Due to their extensive involvement in business and financial activities, HNW individuals can be at the forefront of complex legal challenges. White-collar crimes, such as fraud, embezzlement, insider trading, money laundering, and tax evasion pose significant risks.
In these circumstances, a criminal lawyer specialising in white-collar crime becomes indispensable. A skilled criminal lawyer understands the unique legal and regulatory landscape HNW individuals navigate and can also provide services in cases of regulatory investigations such as those brought about by the FSA or Competition Appeal Tribunal.
They work to protect their clients’ interests, aiming to mitigate risks and resolve issues, providing crucial services such as meticulous investigation, strategic defence planning, and adept negotiation with authorities.
HNWs who are the victim of crime may also have cause to engage a criminal lawyer to provide advice and/or bring a prosecution. Due to their considerable wealth, high-net-worth individuals are often targeted by criminals, making a good criminal lawyer essential to defend their clients where necessary.
The Spear’s index of lawyers for criminal and white collar crime is an invaluable resource to find the very best defence and prosecution solicitors and barristers who specialise in high-value financial crime, fraud and regulatory wrongdoing.
- Jump to: Methodology
- Jump to: Best lawyers for criminal and white collar crime: the complete list
- Jump to: Find out more
Henrietta Ronson – Returning to Top Recommended
Firm: Simons Muirhead Burton
Simons Muirhead Burton partner Henrietta Ronson handles a ‘varied portfolio’ of private client cases for elite sports stars, investment bankers and property tycoons that span the full range of criminal law.
Her clients are often dealing with questioning from regulatory bodies including the FCA and HMRC, or are tangled up in investigations by the Serious Fraud Office. She also has experience helping media clients involved in the fallout of potential phone-hacking crimes.
Read Henrietta Ronson’s full profile on Spears500.com
Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky – New Addition
Firm: BCL Solicitors
Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky is a partner at specialist firm BCL Solicitors. He defends his high-profile and high-net-worth clients against charges relating to business, regulatory and general crime.
Read Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky’s full profile on Spears500.com
Neil Hay – Returning to Top Recommended
Firm: Levy & McRae
Based in Edinburgh and London, Levy & McRae partner Neil Hay is the solicitor of choice for a number of law firms across England and Scotland thanks to his great expertise in criminal law, particularly cases involving high-net-worth and high-profile clients. He has represented landowners, politicians, celebrities and investors. Corporate clients include large companies, pressure groups and charities.
Read Neil Hay’s full profile on Spears500.com
Content from our partners
Louise Hodges – New Addition
Firm: Kingsley Napley
With clients including Charlie and Rebekah Brooks, as well as some of the world’s largest companies, Louise Hodges is experienced across the fields of corporate criminal liability, financial crimes and corruption cases. She is head of the criminal litigation team at Kingsley Napley.
Read Louise Hodges’ full profile at Spears500.com
Stephanie Roe – New Addition
Firm: Roe Lawyers
The founder of the eponymous Roe Lawyers, Stephanie Roe is committed to providing clients a full-service criminal defence offering. The firm also provides support in related fields including reputation, regulatory and employment issues.
Read Stephanie Roe’s full profile at Spears500.com
Phil Smith – Returning to Top Recommended
Firm: Simons Muirhead Burton
Head of the crime and regulatory team at Simons Muirhead Burton, Phil Smith attracts a broad range of high-net-worth clients seeking a professional and discreet service.
His department specialises in representing clients on allegations of criminality, fraud and corruption from the point of their initial arrest and detention at the police station, or wherever they may be, and upon being questioned by the investigatory authorities.
Read Phil Smith’s full profile at Spears500.com
Rebecca Meads – New Addition
Firm: Greenberg Traurig
A trusted adviser to UHNW and high-profile clients, Rebecca Meaeds is experienced in providing inter-jurisdictional legal services to a highly international set of both individuals and corporations. ‘I see a lot of money laundering and bribery, corruption, and serious and complex fraud,’ she says.
Read Rebecca Meads’ full profile on Spears500.com
Mark Jones – New Addition
Firm: Payne Hicks Beach
‘Definitely, definitely criminal,’ is how Mark Jones of Payne Hicks Beach describes his practice. The firm’s criminal defence work sits within the dispute resolution team but Jones is on hand to ‘get ahead of the curve’ and make contact with clients as early as possible – even if that means going to police cells.
Read Mark Jones’s full profile on Spears500.com
Henry Watkinson – New Addition
Firm: Payne Hicks Beach
With a background in recruitment, commercial and criminal litigator Henry Watkinson now relishes acting for individuals and corporate clients under investigation by UK authorities and regulators.
Read Henry Watkinson’s full profile at Spears500.com
Methodology
In selecting and ranking the best lawyers for criminal and white collar crime, the Spear’s Research Unit conducts extensive research of the market, including interviews with well-informed observers, industry insiders and of course the advisers themselves. These take place both face-to-face, and on video and telephone calls. Candidates for inclusion are asked to fill in a form to provide data and a description of their work and client base. In finalising its selections and rankings, the Spear’s Research Unit employs a proprietary methodology that includes a weighted scoring system. This takes into account factors including an adviser’s standing, reputation, client base, recommendations and testimonials, the firm they represent, their level of engagement with the process and certain industry-specific criteria.
Best lawyers for criminal and white collar crime: the complete list
Click on the individual names to be directed to more detailed profiles of each adviser on The Spear’s 500 website. The table is ordered by ranking and then alphabetically by surname.
Find out more
To explore all the Spear’s indices, and to use our find-an-adviser tool to identify the private client adviser who is right for your specific requirements, go to the Spear’s 500 website.
To receive relevant research updates from Spear’s – and thereby give you and your firm the best chance of being included in future Spear’s indices – please register here. If you are an adviser featured in an index and would like to update your profile or provide additional information, please email research@spearswms.com. If you are not featured but would like to be, please fill out our form.
