A diamond boiler room fraud in excess of 3 million pounds collapsed following the discovery by Narita Bahra QC leading Nichola Higgins (Matrix) that the prosecution’s expert had a commercial relationship with the Metropolitan police and significant disclosure failings. The exposure resulted in the acquittal of their client and all defendants. Press coverage: The Times […]
In Spring 2015, claimant personal injury law firm, Slater and Gordon, completed its acquisition of Quindell PLC’s (now Watchstone PLC) Professional Services Division, for a reported £637 million. The purchase was later described by the Law Society Gazette as one of the most “contentious acquisition deals in legal history … the most expensive ever by […]
Jonathan Kinnear QC and Howard Watkinson (along with Tom Payne from Red Lion Court) acted for the SFO in the prosecution and sentence of Petrofac Limited. On 1 October 2021 Petrofac entered guilty pleas to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery, contrary to s.7 of the Bribery Act 2010 in respect of corrupt contracts […]
SFO press release: On 19 July 2021, the SFO received approval by Mrs Justice May for separate Deferred Prosecution Agreements entered into with two UK-based companies for bribery offences. The two DPAs share a common Statement of Facts. The criminal conduct saw bribes paid in relation to multi-million pound UK contracts. The two companies will […]
Kate Blackwell QC was recently interviewed by The Times and named Lawyer of the Week. Kate has been Counsel to the Daniel Morgan Inquiry Panel for the last 8 years during which there has been forensic scrutiny of the numerous investigations and operations surrounding the murder of Daniel Morgan. The time taken by the Panel […]