Hickman & Rose

Partner. Barrister. Business Crime.

Christopher Houssemayne du Boulay is a partner and barrister who specialises in serious and complex financial crime.

He plays a key role in Hickman & Rose’s business crime team, preparing some of the firm’s most complex criminal and regulatory cases. He often represents businesspeople – usually directors or senior executives – who require legal representation when the companies they work for are under investigation.

A talented litigator with a forensic mind, Chris has established a formidable reputation for identifying and exploiting weaknesses in the opposition’s case. As a barrister, he is also able to conduct advocacy on behalf of his clients in all courts in England & Wales.

Chris has developed particular expertise defending individuals accused of complex allegations of accounting fraud. His high profile cases include:

• The successful defence, prior to trial, of the former Managing Director of G4S Care and Justice Services in criminal proceedings brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), concerning an alleged fraud against the government over a ten-year period. The case involved the analysis of highly complex financial modelling documents and accounting records.
• The successful acquittal of the former Managing Director of Tesco UK on criminal charges brought by the SFO relating to an alleged £250 million accelerated revenue recognition accounting fraud.
• The ongoing defence of the former VP Finance of Autonomy Corporation PLC before the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) in connection with allegations made by Hewlett-Packard of a $5 billion accounting fraud.

Chris has also advised individuals in connection with the SFO investigations into ENRC, Rolls Royce, Airbus, Greenergy, BAT, the Price Stone Group, and Libor and Euribor manipulation. He also has experience of investigations and proceedings brought by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Financial Reporting Council, HMRC and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Chris has pioneered the use of technology to help fight cases, and regularly provides advice as to how it can be effectively deployed across all of the firm’s practice areas.

Called to the Bar in 2012, Chris completed his pupillage at leading criminal chambers, QEB Hollis Whiteman. During his pupillage Chris was seconded to HMRC where he assisted with trial preparation in relation to two Missing Trader Intra-Community (MTIC) VAT fraud cases in the tax tribunal.

Prior to pupillage Chris worked on the successful defence of singer and X-factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos against drug supply allegations following an undercover sting by Sun journalist Mazher Mahmood (the ‘Fake Sheikh’). The trial was stayed as an abuse of process and Mazher Mahmood was subsequently prosecuted and convicted for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Chris is a former Chair and Treasurer of the Young Fraud Lawyers Association, and is a member of the International Bar Association, Financial Services Lawyers Association and the City of London Law Society.

Chris has a BA in Jurisprudence from Mansfield College, Oxford, and was graded as ‘outstanding’ on the Bar Professional Training Course at the College of Law, London.