Blackfords LLP

Blackfords LLP

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Daniel Cundy
Daniel Cundy
Partner, London office Specialising in white-collar criminal defence, crisis management and the co-head of the firm’s dispute resolution department, Daniel advises company directors and officers and private individuals. He represents those facing serious and often highly sensitive enquiries and investigations. Daniel is regularly instructed to advise and to defend in large and complex cases, which involve allegations of corporate wrongdoing, corruption, bribery, sanctions breaches, corporate and personal tax evasion, VAT and duty evasion and allegations of frauds involving investments, pensions, property, mortgages and insurance, banking and insider dealing, brought by and involving authorities including the Serious Fraud Office, National Crime Agency, HMRC, Financial Conduct Authority, US Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Office of Public Prosecution (Germany), the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate (India) and the police. Daniel provides discreet advice and assistance to high profile, high net and very high net worth individuals and to a number of national organisations. Daniel currently acts for a client in what is the highest profile case on the world stage in the last century. Daniel is experienced and adept at dealing with multi-media, multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional working groups. He works with a network of lawyers internationally and is praised for tactical and strategic acumen, clear and comprehensive advice, strong guidance and client support and fearless dogged tenacity. Daniel advises and assists in relation to a range of regulatory matters involving various specialist bodies, which have included the Electoral Commission, the Charity Commission, the Financial Conduct Authority, the England and Wales Cricket Board and National Trading Standards. Daniel is highly experienced at providing effective representation for persons being interviewed by investigative bodies and dealing with the realities and aftermath of raids and search warrants – including judicial challenges to them, as well as legal professional privilege matters. He has brought about high profile stays of prosecution in a number of large cases, for reasons of successful abuse of process arguments and he has brought about a change to the BBC Trust policy and protocol for film crews attending raids, as a result of a successful application for a stay of prosecution for reason of a rare, ‘limb two’, abuse of process argument, resulting from the conduct of the police and the BBC in the course and conduct of a criminal investigation. Daniel acted for the first defendant in what is said to have been the largest and most complex tax fraud case ever prosecuted by HMRC and he continues to represent general counsel from a large mining company which is subject to very long-running SFO multi-jurisdictional investigation. He has acted for senior journalists, politicians, well-known personalities, sportsmen and senior royalty. Daniel deals with proceeds of crime and money laundering matters, including cash detention and forfeiture, account freezing orders, restraint orders, freezing orders and confiscation proceedings.
Diana Payne
Diana Payne
Partner, Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Court criminal proceedings) Heads up one of the busiest general crime departments in the country.   Diana specialises in serious crime and those matters whereby it is of the utmost importance that the correct outcome be achieved. As a consequence, Diana’s client base consists regularly of professionals. Extensively experienced in matters including: - Murder, manslaughter, serious violence Sexually related matters including historical allegations High value fraud All drugs related matters Robbery, blackmail, kidnapping and misconduct Diana has a niche practice in motoring law and understands that the outcome needs not to impact prejudicially upon a client’s livelihood. A particular expertise in representing young people who find themselves in conflict with the criminal justice system. Diana is fortunate to be in a minority of lawyers who have represented clients before the House of Lords (now the Supreme Court). Notable cases: R v Mills & Poole (House of Lords) 1997.
Gary Rubin
Gary Rubin
Partner and Head of the Regulatory & Health & Safety Teams A specialist in health and safety, regulatory and criminal litigation, Gary regularly defends organisations and individuals, including directors and senior managers in complex Police, HSE and HMRC investigations and prosecutions. He has extensive experience of defending those accused of gross negligence manslaughter and health & safety breaches, arising from workplace fatalities across a wide spectrum of industries including railways, construction, electrical & engineering, gas and the medicine and care sectors. He is currently instructed in a number of high profile work place fatality cases and represented the driver of the Tram in the Croydon (Sandilands) tram crash during the police investigation. Gary also acts for a number of clients in the Grenfell Inquiry and associated police investigations. Previous high profile cases include defending the train drivers following the Watford & Southall train crashes and appeared in the Southall & Ladbroke Grove public rail inquiries. Gary was instructed to represent the machine operator in the Tebay disaster where 4 trackworkers were fatally injured, and acted in the corporate manslaughter charge of a construction company and health & safety charges of its’ senior director at the Old Bailey in 2017, for the fatality at Cadogan Square when a balustrade collapsed during the lifting of a sofa killing two operatives. In December 2007 Gary represented the Purley train crash driver in his successful appeal against conviction for manslaughter following the crash in 1989. This was unique as the appeal was made 17 years out of time and the driver had pleaded guilty. He is currently acting for client’s in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Gary also advises and represents companies, directors and senior officers, both self-employed and employees in relation to enforcement action taken by regulatory bodies and represents proper interested parties at Coroner’s Inquests, including Article 2 inquests where there has been a death at work or in police custody.  He is currently instructed for the tram driver in the Sandilands Inquests (Croydon). Commanding a thorough understanding of regulatory and disciplinary codes of conduct, Gary represents police officers, professionals including Doctors, nurses, paramedics and social workers at disciplinary hearings. This experience has proved invaluable when instructed in serious criminal cases where there has been significant overlap between the criminal liability and regulatory and employment matters. Gary also has several years experience of representing police officers and police staff in Post Incident Procedures where there has been a fatality involving police contact. He has over 20 year’s experience of representing clients in the police station, Magistrates and Crown Court.
Gary Bloxsome
Gary Bloxsome
Partner, Solicitor-Advocate. Gary has been described both in the National and International media outlets as a formidable and brilliant lawyer, and is recognised worldwide for providing clear, comprehensive and strategic legal advice to both individuals and organisations. Gary’s specialist and almost unique legal portfolio means that he is often instructed to defend both high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals who are subject to both criminal investigations and multi-jurisdictional legal problems.Gary’s work is purely recommendation referrals often from clients, previous clients and other lawyers. Gary’s client base includes individuals , CEOs, solicitors, barristers, accountants together with public figures including royalty, politicians, celebrities and professional sports persons (football, cricket, rugby and boxing). Gary’s strategic judgement when advising on  written submissions to prevent or stop investigations on both public interest and evidential grounds pre and post charge is second to none. Gary is acknowledged for his expertise in dealing with reputation issues and crisis management of individuals and companies. Gary’s current instructions include advising an individual (UK) in the highest profile US investigation into trafficking young females worldwide,  individuals under investigation for corporate manslaughter and health and safety allegations arising from the police investigation in the Grenfell Inquiry. Gary is  instructed in a number of fraud, money laundering, insider trading and bribery and corruption matters.Gary has also been instructed to defend the largest ever cryptocurrency case in Europe. Gary is one of the leading private crime solicitors and his work apart from above also includes investigations of historical sexual allegations ,art and antiquities investigations and firearm related offences.  
Nicola Chamberlain
Nicola Chamberlain
Partner, Head of Family Team Nicola is known for providing clear, practical legal advice in plain English. Nicola practises exclusively in family law, including:- Children: Child Arrangement Orders Leave to Remove applications Parental Responsibility Orders Special Guardianship Orders Relationships/Matrimonial: Civil Partnership Dissolution Cohabitation Disputes Divorce Enforcement Proceedings Financial Arrangements Pre-nuptial Agreements Other: Forced Marriage Orders Non-Molestation Orders Occupation Orders Nicola carries out a full range of family law cases, predominantly privately funded, working on cases in the local courts and nationally, as well as complex cases in the High Court. In addition to her legal work, Nicola is a Resolution qualified family mediator, mediating in both children and financial issues for privately funded clients.
Philip Williams
Philip Williams
Specialises in all forms of criminal and regulatory defence work, including financial crime, serious crime and assault. His regulatory work encompasses prosecutions brought by HSE, Environmental agency, trading standards, care inspectorate, along with public inquiry and professional disciplinary work. Represents high net worth individuals, acting for current and former professional footballers, rugby players and jockeys.
Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis
Managing Partner, Solicitor-Advocate. Trevor specialises in regulatory investigations and enquiries, crisis management and reputation protection for ultra high net worth clients, serious fraud, money laundering and high value confiscation and restraint issues and Coroner Inquests. Current instructions include corporate manslaughter and other health and safety matters, electoral law issues, defamation actions, Trading Standard investigations and proceedings, Insider trading, high value white collar fraud, bribery and corruption and high value international civil fraud and asset recovery.