Eversheds Sutherland

Ranked in the last three editions of Chambers and Partners, and formerly at the London Bar, Ruth has developed a highly specialist fraud and financial regulatory practice. She is frequently engaged to provide strategic advice and representation to city firms, financial institutions and regulators, with extensive experience in the financial regulatory sphere. Most recently she acted as lead lawyer for the London division of a two-year regulatory investigation (equivalent to a s.166 Skilled Person report) into the activities of a global bank, examining complex and wide-ranging issues of corporate governance, risk management and AML, managing twenty lawyers and AML professionals.

She is ideally placed to advise on matters that fall at the juncture of crime and regulation, having defended in the early insider dealing case of FSA v Rollins, and conducted many high-profile jury trials including fraudulent trading, fraudulent misrepresentation, construction industry/mortgage fraud and POCA offences.

Ruth has also worked with all the major prosecution agencies, recently undertaking a six-month appointment for the FCA as Independent LPP Counsel in respect of various investigations into alleged FSMA offences, s.89 FSA misleading statements, and insider dealing/market abuse. Whilst there she developed a particular specialism in relation to legal professional privilege and the crime/fraud exception. Other engagements include twelve months with the RCPO as counsel to a specialist disclosure review team; with the SFO advising on disclosure in complex fraud cases; an appointment with the Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board as counsel investigating an aspect of the Equitable Life affair; prosecuting for FACT and the GSCC; and providing advice on sufficiency of evidence for the Crown Prosecution Service as a Grade III prosecutor and CPS specialist panel advocate for the Serious and Organised Criminal, POCA, Fraud and Rape lists.

Of Counsel