Ian has over 25 years experience at the Bar specialising in serious organised crime, financial crime, confiscation and asset recovery as well as cyber crime. He prosecutes and defends and has substantial experience in cases involving complex international tax fraud, asset recovery in multiple jurisdictions, covert surveillance, interception of communications and cross jurisdictional investigations.  He has been ranked now for several years in the leading legal directories as a Leading Counsel in the areas of crime, financial crime, confiscation, business crime and regulatory work.

He regularly appears as Leading Counsel and has advised overseas individuals and companies as well as previously acting for the Prosecution in a corruption case involving the Attorney General of a U.K. dependent territory. Ian is an experienced trial advocate and regularly appears in the appellate courts and regulatory tribunals across several jurisdictions.

In addition to his professional practice, Ian lectures to graduate students in the UK and Overseas as well as law enforcement agencies, law societies, prosecutorial authorities and defence lawyers on financial crime, serious organised crime, asset recovery and cyber related offending.

Due to his expertise and interest in cyber crime and its impact on international criminal law, Ian is regularly in demand to advise and lecture on these areas.

Ian also practises from Exchange Chambers, Liverpool.

Appointments and Awards

Professional Appointments:

Admitted to the List of Counsel at the International Criminal Court

Admitted to the List of Counsel (Defence/Victims) at the Kosovo Special Chambers

Specialist Serious Crime Group Panel (Level 4) (CPS) 

Specialist Proceeds of Crime Panel (Level 4) (CPS)

General Crime Panel (Level 4) (CPS)

Specialist Fraud Panel (Level 3) (CPS)

Specialist Regulatory Panel Advocate (List B) 

Disclosure Counsel for Serious Fraud Office (SFO)

Licensed Advocate Isle of Man

Arbitrator appointments

Ian is listed as an arbitrator with the following arbitral institutions:

Hong Kong Maritime Arbitration Group [supporting member]

The Centre of Arbitration in Mexico [CAM]

Arbitration Ireland

The Arbitration Institute of The Stockholm Chamber of Commerce

The Madrid International Arbitration Centre

The Vienna International Centre

The London Arbitration Centre

Danish Institute of Arbitration

EBA Mediation and Arbitration Centre – Georgia

Ljubljana Arbitration Centre, Slovenia

Maldives International Arbitration Centre [secondary list]

Libyan Centre for International Arbitration

Academic Appointments:

Honorary Lecturer at Aberdeen University in International Criminal Law (2023-)

Honorary Assistant Professor at Nottingham University (2023 - )

Associate Lecturer at John Moores University, Liverpool & Northumbria [2020 – present]

Guest lecturer at the Universities of Nottingham, Ulster & Galway [2021 – present]

Visiting Lecturer at the University of Lancaster [2019]

Guest Lectures:

Cyber Law & Commercial Arbitration [Aberdeen University, May 2022]

International Criminal Law - Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada [January 2022]

Cyber Crime in the U.K. – Cranfield University [February 2022]

Cyber Crime & Data Regulation: Comparative Analysis with the UK & US – Brooklyn Law School, NY [February 2022]

Ransomware & Economic Terrorism – Chartered Institute of Information Security [February 2022]

Cyber Crime – New York County Bar Association [December 2021]

Awards:

Chief Constable of Merseyside’s Commendation for Prosecuting Organised Crime

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Honourable Society of Inner Temple

Criminal Bar Association

Revenue Bar Association

International Technology Law Association

Private Prosecutors’ Association

Northern Circuit

New York County Bar Association

California Arbitration

New York City Bar Association

Silicone Valley Arbitration & Mediation Centre

University of Hull (LLB Hons) 1993

Inns of Court School of Law (1994)