Proceeds Of Crime (POCA) And Asset Forfeiture

Leading Silks

Martin Evans KC –33 Chancery Lane ‘Martin has as encyclopaedic knowledge of proceeds of crime law and practice, across both civil and criminal jurisdictions and an ability to weave the most complex of cases interlaced with novel points of law into compelling legal arguments with an ease and a delivery style which sits well with the judiciary. ’

Jonathan Fisher KC –Red Lion Chambers ‘Jonathan possesses technical brilliance with a commercial mind.'

Andrew Mitchell KC –33 Chancery Lane

Tim Owen KC –Matrix Chambers ‘Tim is incredibly commercial, and he gets the balance of rigorous legal analysis in a commercial setting perfectly.’

David Perry KC –6KBW College Hill ‘David is one of a small number of criminal barristers whose criminal law practice is located within a broad common law expertise. This means that he is able to consider criminal law matters not only in respect of the criminal law context but also public and civil law.’

Mark Rainsford KC –33 Chancery Lane ‘Mark is very thorough in his approach. He is able to quickly digest material and advise as to the key aspects.’

Andrew Sutcliffe KC –3 Verulam Buildings

Kennedy Talbot KC –33 Chancery Lane ‘Kennedy’s reputation in respect of all matters relating to POCA is entirely deserved. He advises with a complete and justified confidence that arises from his incredible knowledge of all aspects of the law in this area.’

Andrew Bird KC – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Andrew has an encyclopaedic knowledge of POCA – he is the absolute go-to in all POCA-related matters.’

Graham Brodie KC –33 Chancery Lane ‘Graham is hugely confident and knowledgeable in this area. He is very engaging and authoritative in court.’

Richard Fisher KC –Doughty Street Chambers ‘Richard is a brilliant strategist and a very safe pair of hands in the courtroom.’

Hugo Keith KC –Three Raymond Buildings

Nicholas Medcroft KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Nicholas is very strong on POCA and brings experience of litigating POCA matters in the commercial and criminal courts.’

Alexander Cook KC – 4 Stone Buildings ‘Alexander is a seriously impressive advocate. He is extremely bright, organised and has a charming manner, with a deep knowledge of the law and an ability to identify the points that truly matter.’

Paul Jarvis KC – 6KBW College Hill ‘Paul's knowledge of POCA work is second to none and truly encyclopaedic. Whether advising on technical points or dealing with strategic litigation issues, Paul brings an unrivalled depth of understanding to every case. He can cut through complexity and present arguments that resonate with both judges and opponents alike.’

Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC –Three Raymond Buildings

Robin Barclay KC – Fountain Court Chambers ‘Robin is razor-sharp and all over the detail.'

Charles Bott KC –Mountford Chambers

Jonathan Hall KC –6KBW College Hill

Gillian Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers

Jonathan Lennon KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Jonathan is a first-rate barrister.’

2025 Silks

Nicholas Yeo KC – Three Raymond Buildings

Edward Craven KC – Matrix Chambers ‘Edward has an amazing legal brain. He is superb at strategy and exceptionally bright.’

Oliver Powell KC –Outer Temple Chambers

Leading Juniors

Anita Clifford – Red Lion Chambers ‘Anita is extremely bright but capable of distilling potentially complex legislation into clear, easy-to-understand advice. Her technical knowledge of POCA is absolutely first-class and well beyond her years of call.’

Catherine Collins –33 Chancery Lane

Christopher Convey –33 Chancery Lane

James Fletcher –5 St Andrews Hill ‘James is at the top of his game when it comes to POCA work and other areas that are on the interface between civil and criminal law. He is tenacious and he knows the area inside out. It is only a matter of time before he takes silk.’

Barnaby Hone –5 St Andrews Hill

Fiona Jackson –33 Chancery Lane

Michael Newbold –Foundry Chambers

Faisal Osman –33 Chancery Lane ‘He has a wonderful ability to deal with complex POCA matters. A very good tactician who plans his moves well ahead of his opponents.’

Gary Pons – 5 St Andrews Hill

Tom Rainsbury –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Having been a leading practitioner in the area for a long time, Tom’s knowledge of POCA is unrivalled.’

Ian Smith –33 Chancery Lane ‘Ian gives quick and wise practical advice.’

Barry Stancombe –33 Chancery Lane ‘Barry has an encyclopedic knowledge of POCA law and real practical experience of cases before the courts.’

John Carl Townsend – XXIV Old Buildings ‘John is incredibly bright with an extensive knowledge of POCA and is unflappable when delivering advice on the most technical conundrums. A number 1 go-to Senior Junior barrister and POCA expert.’

Sarah Wood –5 St Andrews Hill ‘Sarah is excellent with clients, opponents and tribunals. She has a quiet confidence and authority. She is engaging and engaged.’

Richard Hoyle – Essex Court Chambers

Anne Jeavons – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Anne is bright, hardworking, responsive, decisive, and has exceptional strategic judgement. A ruthless advocate.’

Anna Keighley – 187 Chambers ‘Anna is effective in court, and friendly and approachable outside court.'

John McNamara –5 St Andrews Hill ‘John is excellent with clients and instructing solicitors, perfectly balancing charm, charisma and empathy with an ability to have difficult conversations and provide frank advice. He is operating at a level significantly above his level of call in this field.’

Sophie O’Sullivan – Outer Temple Chambers ‘Sophie is extremely knowledgeable on POCA and excellent on written submissions.’

Penelope Small –33 Chancery Lane ‘Penelope is an absolute star and the font of all knowledge when it comes to POCA work. She very quickly understands the key issues and presents all angles to clients in a clear, unambiguous and commercially sensitive way.’

Ryan Dowding – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Ryan is a clever and thoughtful barrister who is incredibly knowledgeable on POCA and asset forfeiture.’

Jack Talbot - Red Lion Chambers

Ian Whitehurst - Exchange Chambers

Philippa Eastwood – Doughty Street Chambers

Rachel Ferrari – 33 Chancery Lane ‘Rachel produces strong written advocacy and is extremely bright.'

Lisa Freeman –Furnival Chambers ‘Lisa is a very organised advocate and always measured on her feet.’

William Hays –6KBW College Hill ‘Will is rapidly developing a stellar reputation for calm and clear advice on legally complex and factually novel matters.’

Thomas Hoskins – Foundry Chambers

Ciju Puthuppally – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Ciju has incredibly strong technical written ability and knowledge.’

Gemma Rose – 5 St Andrews Hill

Theodor van Sante –3 Verulam Buildings

Christopher Sykes – 33 Chancery Lane ‘Christopher is exceptionally responsive and practical, capable of delivering comprehensive advice on complex instructions even when received at short notice, providing advice that is grounded in common sense and commercial awareness.’

Benjamin Waidhofer – Foundry Chambers ‘Benjamin brings a fearless approach to his advocacy, underpinned by a strong command of the law and meticulous preparation.’

Rising Stars

Rebecca Thomas – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Rebecca is the absolute best in her field at this level in POCA work. Solicitors have been extremely impressed by her. ‘

Tim James-Matthews – Matrix Chambers ‘Tim's academic ability enables him to think creatively outside the box, which very often gives the edge to ensure the best chance of achieving a positive result. This is combined with first-class oral and written advocacy skills.'

Proceeds of crime (POCA) and asset forfeiture in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

33 Chancery Lane

33 Chancery Lane remains one of the ‘strongest chambers nationally for POCA’, offering expertise in criminal and civil asset recovery, account freezing and confiscation orders, and advisory work regarding sanctions-related POCA issues. Andrew Mitchell KC acts for the Turks and Caicos Islands prosecuting authorities in the ongoing prosecution and civil recovery of high-ranking public figures arising out of charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering. Kennedy Talbot KC is involved in complex confiscation proceedings following an attempt to smuggle cocaine worth £32m into the UK, while Martin Evans KC acts for the CPS in a civil recovery case surrounding a cryptocurrency wallet held by a UK citizen living in the UAE. Joining as Chief Executive and Director of Clerking in August 2024, Sam Carter brings a wealth of experience to the clerking team.

Les références

‘Martin Adams and his team are easy to deal with and willing to accommodate late instructions. They are always willing to go that extra yard to assist those instructing chambers.’

‘The clerk team provide an excellent service, particularly from Chris Chiles.’

‘Joe Lynch, who is the Assistant Practice Manager at 33 Chancery Lane is an excellent communicator and is always happy to assist instructing solicitors, whether this is by bringing information to the urgent attention of counsel or scheduling time in counsels for a conference or court attendance.’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 2 sets

5 St Andrews Hill

5 St Andrews Hill have established a ‘very strong reputation in all POCA related matters’, possessing ‘a wealth of expertise at all levels’. Members specialise in asset recovery, account and property forfeiture, unexplained wealth orders and cross-over related work including cryptocurrency. Andrew Bird KC is acting for the DPP in a civil recovery case regarding London properties allegedly procured through funding from foreign criminals. Gary Pons acted in a complex case involving the interplay between a Crown Court and High Court receivership involving the same receiver who applied to vary a restraint order relating to a multi-million-pound North London property. Sarah Wood successfully secured the return of funds to a third-party victim who had been barred from accessing frozen cryptoassets.

Les références

‘The clerk team are all ready to help – they are superb.’

‘Highly efficient clerks room and Dean is excellent, always ahead of the game.’

‘The clerks are superb. Their commitment to business development is very strong, particularly Chambers Director Dave Scothern. They go out of their way to assist with finding suitable counsel for a case. Dean deserves special mention in this regard: he is extremely helpful, warm and friendly, and he has an instinctive understanding of what is needed on a case and who is best placed within chambers to offer the expertise.’

Principaux dossiers

Three Raymond Buildings

Three Raymond Buildings is a strong set with ‘first-class talent across a range of legal specialists’ and members regularly acting in restraint, confiscation and civil recovery proceedings as well as providing expertise in defending applications for orders for asset forfeiture. Hugo Keith KC continues to act in the long-running POCA proceedings relating to the grandson of late Uzbek president Islam Karimov. Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC represented a defendant in a £50m contested confiscation proceedings. Since taking silk, Nicholas Yeo KC has represented two Chinese nationals in civil recovery proceedings brought by the NCA arising from alleged fraud worth £27bn. In the clerks' room, Emma Makepeace joined as Deputy Senior Clerk in September 2024 and Carlie Tennent in May 2024.

Les références

‘Senior Clerk Eddie Holland is always able to resolve any issues.’

‘In Emma Makepeace Three Raymond Buildings have a super recruit, she works hard and is very responsive.’

‘Christina Eleftheriou is a particularly helpful clerk’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 3 sets

3 Verulam Buildings

3 Verulam Buildings provides a strong POCA offering, including civil recovery proceedings and property freezing orders, as well as providing advice to regulators, government agencies and private clients regarding their POCA duties. Andrew Sutcliffe KC is acting for the NCA in the English elements of long-running cross-border proceedings aiming to recover the proceeds of a payroll fraud scheme valued at £30m. Regularly instructed by major enforcement agencies, Tom Rainsbury is acting for the Director of Public Prosecutions in a major money-laundering case valued in the region of £4bn of bitcoin, successfully applying for a property freezing order.

Les références

‘An excellent set well known for its strength and depth in banking and other financial disputes, with excellent counsel at all levels.’

‘3 Verulam Buildings have a stable of well-known and highly regarded names in the POCA field, with expertise at all levels of call.’

‘Good chambers.’

Principaux dossiers

6KBW College Hill

A strong POCA set, 6KBW College Hill’s capabilities include experience in overseas restraint and forfeiture applications, POCA cases involving corporate interests and cases at the criminal-civil interface. Paul Jarvis KC is acting for CPS in several fraud and money-laundering related POCA cases, whilst William Hays is advising an Azeri businessman, in a multi-jurisdictional civil recovery investigation resulting from a money laundering operation. After 25 years working at 6KBW College Hill, Richard Summerscales was made Senior Clerk May 2024.

Les références

‘Richard Summerscales and Mark Essex are excellent.’

‘6KBW College Hill is a top tier criminal set with an emphasis on prosecution.’

‘6KBW College Hill overall is a class act, so many excellent practitioners.’

Classements par PratiqueLondon Bar