Addleshaw Goddard‘s private prosecutions team sits within the firm’s wider global investigations practice, with the assistance of the firm’s reputation management team, and is heavily engaged in high value, often multi-million-pound private investigations, including those arising from fraudulent investment schemes. The group acts in a range of courts, spanning local, criminal, and high courts, as well as family courts. The firm also stands out for its ability to assist at all stages of criminal proceedings. Polly Sprenger is at the helm, an experienced prosecutor who is well established in the space, often advising other private investigators on ensuring the lawfulness of their activities. Sprenger is ably supported by managing associate and financial crime expert Matt Stockton who specialises in advising corporates and individuals in relation to alleged bribery, corruption, money laundering, market abuse and fraud matters. Charlotte Moss also stands out for her experience investigating financial crime.

Described as ‘the pioneering firm to focus exclusively on private criminal prosecutions‘, Edmonds Marshall McMahon can be distinguished as a firm of a boutique nature with a focus on private prosecutions, while still retaining a multidisciplinary model. Among its varied workload, which extends to criminal fraud prosecutions, are complex civil corruption prosecutions. The team hosts a deep bench of practitioners with particular areas of expertise, including fraud, an area in which the practice has adapted to represent victims, and advises both individuals and large corporations. Tamlyn Edmonds, Andrew Marshall and Kate McMahon oversee the department, and McMahon has a strong track record in financial investigations, while Edmonds and Marshall often represent high-net-worth individuals who have been defrauded, as well as a broad range of civil corruption and fraud cases.

Noted for its ability to handle private prosecutions which have a ‘complex and unusual factual background’, BCL Solicitors LLP specialises in defending against such prosecutions, and excels in complex, large-scale multi-jurisdictional fraud cases. The team represents clients in courts of all levels, from appearing in the Magistrates’ Court decision to grant a summons to appearing in Civil Courts and the Crown Court. Richard Sallybanks heads up the team, and is well supported by Anoushka Warlow who acts in judicial reviews. The group supplements its practice with financial crime expertise, such as demonstrated by John Binns.

Howard Kennedy LLP‘s practice particularly centres on high-profile investigations in the retail arena, including representing well-known fashion brands and some of the UK’s leading retailers. The team forms part of the broader business crime and regulatory team at the firm. Practice head Ian Ryan is strong in serious fraud, financial crime and regulatory work both in the UK and globally. Elsewhere, Jennifer Harper focuses on white-collar crime and regulatory investigations, often multi-jurisdictional in nature. The group also includes barristers such as Angharad Hughes, who utilises experience both in-house and at the Bar to represent clients in court within large cross-border private prosecutions relating to matters such as the procurement of confiscation orders, and general crime matters such as violent crime incidents. Specialist financial crime and regulatory lawyer Kyle Phillips is another integral team member.

Described as ‘industry leaders‘, Mishcon de Reya LLP specialises in ultra-high value private prosecutions within fraud, including large-scale property fraud. ‘Tactically brilliant’ barrister Gareth Minty heads up the team and has been involved in criminal enforcement matters running in concurrence with civil proceedings, representing victims of crime, benefitting from strong knowledge of the law enforcement agencies involved. The practice saw the addition of Sam Smart in March 2024, previously an in-house counsel who acts as a trial advocate as well as a lawyer, with a particular focus on fraud, money laundering, and offences committed by company directors.

Notably active on the defence side of private prosecutions, Peters & Peters Solicitors LLP‘s practice lies in the firm’s wider business crime and investigations group and is accomplished in a wide range of criminal and civil investigations, particularly fraud such as investment fraud and money laundering. The team is notable for its ability to act in pre-investigation matters, prosecution in the courts such as court of appeal, as well as post prosecution actions such as professional negligence claims. Experienced criminal defence lawyer Nick Vamos, who runs the group, is often instrumental in such claims, and ‘knows every trick in the book from his time in the specialist crime division of the CPS’. Additionally, Michael O’Kane has a history of acting in high-profile fraud, terrorism, espionage and special interest criminal matters, and Charlotte Tregunna is a key team member for high-profile business crime and fraud cases.