Louise Hodges > Kingsley Napley LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Hailed by clients as ‘simply the best,’ Kingsley Napley LLP maintains a leading criminal litigation practice with expertise spanning the full range of white-collar crimes. Seasoned financial crime specialist Louise Hodges oversees the department and routinely acts for high-net-worth individuals facing investigations by the SFO and FCA. The ‘very skillful‘ Jonathan Grimes leads on high-value civil asset recovery proceedings, sanctions, and fraud issues, while Nicola Finnerty handles criminal cartels, corruption, and money laundering allegations. Caroline Day specialises in business crime; Rebecca Niblock handles extradition, Red Notices, and sanctions matters; and David Sleight is a key contact for tax evasion and overseas corruption investigations. Also in the core team are financial services specialist Jill Lorimer and former SFO general counsel Alun Milford. The team is ably assisted by the ‘tactically astute‘ Sophie Wood and the ‘supremely talented‘ Gemma Tombs.

Louise Hodges leads the corporate crime and investigations team at Kingsley Napley LLP, which is regularly instructed on the full range of corporate criminal investigations and cases with a notable emphasis on ESG and human rights issues as well as regulatory investigations. The ‘focused and strategic’ Hodges has notable expertise advising corporates on bribery and fraud issues, while Caroline Day specialises in criminal and internal investigations. The core team also includes former SFO general counsel Alun Milford, criminal defence expert Nicola Finnerty, and the ‘supremely talented’ Gemma Tombs, whose broad practice covers POCA matters, AML issues, and sanctions advice.

Kingsley Napley LLP provides ‘high-quality advice’ to individuals, particularly in the context of contentious financial services matters where accusations of criminality are involved. As well as continuing to regularly handle fraud-related enforcement actions, the firm is increasingly prominent at handling non-financial misconduct matters and has developed a discrete sexual misconduct group bringing together criminal, regulatory and employment specialists to assist senior managers navigate these potentially career-ending allegations. ‘Brilliant’ team head Jill Lorimer  is a ‘clear-headed and insightful lawyer’, traits which are invaluable for individuals accused of insider dealing and market abuse, as well as small-mid-sized authorised firms facing FCA regulatory scrutiny. Drawing upon skills developed in-house at the FCA’s enforcement team, James Alleyne is able to provide excellent insight for clients facing regulatory enforcement proceedings, particularly in relation to supervisory matters. As well as handling conventional fraud and market abuse cases, he also has a keen interest in ESG matters and regularly advises clients accused of “greenwashing”. Louise Hodges  heads up the criminal litigation offering.

Kingsley Napley LLP, ‘a Rolls-Royce outfit’, offers a wide range of legal services for high profile and media-sensitive clients. Louise Hodges heads the criminal litigation team, while Sandra Paul and David Sleight co-lead the general crime division. Described as ‘absolutely exceptional and at the top of her game’, Paul is an expert in matters concerning homicide drug offences, and sexual misconduct. Sleight represents a range of clients and is often sought after by Premier League football clubs. Regarded for her expertise in extradition matters, Rebecca Niblock represents clients regarding submissions from INTERPOL and international counsels. Matthew Hardcastle acts for clients on a variety of sensitive issues, including representation in Parliamentary Standards Authority investigations. Edward Jones supports the practice with ‘great strategic and tactical skills’ on a wide range of matters, including murder, manslaughter, and rape.