Keystone Law

Crime, Fraud and Licensing: Crime

Claire is a highly experienced business crime specialist with over 25 years’ experience in advising on all aspects of White Collar Crime. This includes responding to and defending SFO cases and other Government and Regulatory investigations, the review of and/or implementation of anti-bribery policies and practice, corporate internal fraud and corruption investigations, and providing advice on directors’ liability under the criminal law.

Uniquely placed as a lawyer who has worked in defence practice, as an SFO prosecutor and as specialist in-house counsel at a corporate target of multiple investigations, Claire has therefore seen large-scale investigations from all sides and has a deep understanding of the Government agency approach to investigations, as well as having been the client in such a crisis situation.

She has an in-depth knowledge of complex international cases, instigated against corporates and individuals by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), other UK and European Government agencies, and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and has advised both corporate and individual clients extensively, from dawn raids and police station attendance through to negotiated settlement or trial and appeal. She has handled cases involving various multilateral development banks, including the World Bank, and is familiar with the sanctions proceedings conducted by those bodies. As a result of this wide-ranging experience, Claire has extensive expertise in corporate strategy, particularly in cross-border situations and managing teams of investigators and large quantities of forensic evidence, as well as negotiating case resolution.
Claire provides Boards with advice on business continuity and corporate governance, not only in the context of companies being targeted by a judicial authority but also on a pre-emptive and preventative basis. She has also run large, urgent and extensive internal investigations on behalf of corporate clients.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

• Fraud and corruption investigations
• Representation of individual executive corporates from police station/dawn raid advice to trial
• Conduct of internal investigations for corporate clients
• Anti-bribery advice to Boards
• Compliance health checks and reviews
• Due diligence investigations and advice
• Investigation management
• Crisis management
• Change management
• ABC and ethics training

Qualified as a solicitor in 1991, joined Keystone in 2017