Will Martin

Business Crime & Financial Services

Will specialises in defending and prosecuting cases of business and white collar crime, including high value fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy and insolvency offences.

Will has extensive experience in SFO and FCA cases. He spent a year seconded to the FCA working on Operation Tabernula, the largest ever insider trading prosecution brought by the regulator, and Operation Cotton, a multi-million pound land banking fraud.

Will is experienced in complex confiscation proceedings at first instance and before the Court of Appeal.

Will has niche expertise in the field of Legal Professional Privilege (LPP). He was instructed as independent counsel by the FCA in relation to an investigation into an alleged $1bn tax fraud, and by Herbert Smith Freehills in relation to an investigation into a £200m fraud perpetrated by employees of a multination bank.

Recent Cases:

Insolvency Service v A, B & C

Advising the directors of a MedTech company in relation to an Insolvency Service investigation into an alleged failure to notify creditors of an application to strike off a company.

Operation Grapevine

Leading junior defending a disqualified company director accused of the laundering the proceeds of a £13m Ponzi scheme. The trial at Southwark Crown Court lasted two months. Instructed by Shearman Bowen solicitors.

Lam v R

Appeal against first instance judge’s determination of a wife’s interest in assets available to satisfy confiscation order (the marital home) following the husband’s conviction for tax evasion. Reported at Lam v R. [2022] EWCA Crim 448.

Operation Warship

Prosecution (alone) of £1m multi-handed conspiracy to defraud car buyers using false online car companies. Instructed by CPS Specialist Fraud Division.

Operation Serpent

Prosecution (alone) of multi-handed conspiracy to defraud Howdens Joinery using false trading accounts set up by hijacked or false companies. Instructed by CPS Specialist Fraud Division.

SFO v Thomas & Ors

Led junior defending the CEO of an international fibre-optic / infrastructure company alleged to have played a significant role in a factoring fraud perpetrated against Barclays and KBC banks to the value of £160m. The trial at Southwark Crown Court lasted five months. Instructed by Janes Solicitors.

Investigation X

Assisted in the internal investigation of a large multinational company for alleged breaches of the Iranian sanction regime, following investigation by the US Department of Justice. Instructed by WilmerHale.