Chris has over 15 years’ experience advising both companies and individuals facing internal, regulatory and criminal investigations.
His practice covers the full range of legal, reputational and privacy issues arising from such matters, and he has longstanding expertise in advising clients on complex multi-jurisdictional matters.
Throughout his career, Chris has worked closely with government regulators and prosecutors on appropriate disclosures and the handling of sensitive material. He has particular experience working on matters involving the United States Department of Justice, the UK Serious Fraud Office, the UK Financial Conduct Authority, the UK National Crime Agency, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK Competition and Markets Authority and the Metropolitan Police.
Chris further advises multinational organisations on regulatory compliance, global policy design and the implementation of controls to manage legal, financial and reputational risk. His work includes multijurisdictional internal investigations and responding to external regulatory scrutiny, including in time-pressured situations.
He has acted on matters and for clients in the United States, Azerbaijan, Brazil, the Cayman Islands, China, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Guernsey, India, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.
Chris’ practice also covers the civil disputes issues arising from white collar and investigations – such as prosecuting and defending civil fraud claims and asset tracing. With this range and depth of experience, Chris provides a comprehensive service to clients to enable them adopt the most pragmatic solution to their issue.
Chris’ recent cases include:
- Acting for a global multinational investigated by the UK Serious Fraud Office and US Department of Justice for to allegations of bribery and corruption in multiple jurisdictions, in breach of the UK Bribery Act and US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
- Successfully advising a UK publicly listed company investigated by the SFO and DOJ for allegations of bribery in the Middle East, in breach of the FCPA and UKBA.
- Acting for a listed multinational media and entertainment company, investigating and prosecuting a civil fraud claim regarding foreign exchange trades, including where employees were involved, and settling shortly before the start of the five-week trial in the High Court.
- Successfully advising an international asset manager pursuing civil fraud and breach of warranty claims against the sellers of a hedge fund of funds in a dispute worth US$65 million. This required applications for freezing injunctions in offshore jurisdictions to prevent the dissipation of assets.
- Acting for a Japan-headquartered multinational bank on a whistleblowing investigation. The whistleblower had alleged specific acts of racism against themselves, and wider systemic racism in the London office.