Criminal defence boutique firm Bark&co ‘always goes the extra mile’ when representing senior executives, non-executive directors, and clients in the finance sector across the full spectrum of fraud issues. Founding partner Giles Bark-Jones is ’commercially astute and tactically aware’; he leads the criminal fraud department and takes point on international fraud and corruption cases. David Byrne focuses his broad practice on regulatory investigations, particularly HMRC investigations. For insider dealing and boiler room fraud mandates, Peter Finbow is the name to note, while Maria Stalbow is a key contact for individuals in the financial sector.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The whole team at Bark & Co always goes the extra mile to make sure they have covered all angles to get justice in a case. Their attention to detail is second to none.’

  • ‘Excellent service and commitment to the client.’

  • ‘Giles Bark-Jones is very experienced and knows how to ensure his client's interests are best looked after. He is commercially astute and tactically aware. His experience is unrivalled.’

  • ‘Giles Bark-Jones is still one of the real heavyweights of the criminal defence world. He is actively involved in client management and providing high-level strategic and tactical advice. Clients really know that he is on their side.'

  • 'David Byrne has a remarkable knack of finding the fault-lines in a case that no one else spots. He has decades of experience of the biggest cases, and has lost none of his hunger for the fight.'
  • 'Peter Finbow is someone who provides a reassuring presence in any case. He has excellent instincts, and is adept at spotting and resolving issues long before they become a problem.'
  • 'Maria Stalbow gets under the skin of a case and has a knack of getting straight to the heart of the case. Clients like her and she's always on top of the detail.'
  • ‘The team has excellent breadth and depth in the field of financial crime, and is one of the stand out firms doing legal aid work.’

Work highlights

  • Acting for an individual in relation to an HMRC investigation concerning online gambling activity in Turkey.
  • Acting for a former employee of Glencore Energy UK Limited, Glencore’s UK subsidiary, following the conclusion of the SFO’s investigation into the company; the SFO is investigating further potential charges against individual employees.

Lawyers

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Leading partners
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Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Giles Bark-Jones

Other key lawyers

David Byrne, Maria Stalbow, Peter Finbow