England - London • Crime, fraud and licensing
Mishcon de Reya LLP
A ’fantastic team across the board’, Mishcon de Reya LLP’s white-collar crime practice is routinely involved in high-profile SFO and INTERPOL cases, demonstrating significant strength in cross-border cases. Within the team’s core advisory areas of fraud, bribery, and money laundering, there is in-depth experience representing individuals subjected to investigations brought by the NCA, HMRC, and FCA. Johanna Walsh is a ‘first rate team leader’, offering vast expertise in domestic and international serious fraud and corruption proceedings, while Ben Brandon regularly advises HNW individuals in complex extradition matters and sanctions claims. Matthew Ewens specialises in handling multi-jurisdictional bribery investigations and tax fraud litigation, and Alison Geary focuses on corporate crime elements spanning market abuse to cartels. Managing associates Celia Marr and Christopher Gribbin are both noted for their criminal and regulatory work.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Fantastic team across the board. No stone left unturned. Experience in dealing with high net worth individuals and business crime cases. They give a personal service and provide tenacious legal representation.'
' Jo Walsh is an absolute star. She is a strategic thinker and a fantastic ally for clients and foreign counsel - a very talented and effective lawyer.’
- 'Matthew Ewens - tremendous tactician, eye for detail and errors, personable and trusted by clients.’
‘Jo Walsh has achieved an outstanding result in a recent Serious Fraud Office cases securing an acquittal after a long running investigation. She is a first rate team leader- wonderfully insightful.'
‘Matthew Ewens: I have not met many solicitors who involve themselves as deeply in their cases. He cares deeply and is intent on doing the best, time after time. He has judgement and courage - and will take risks if carefully measured. A really good tactician. Subtle and thoughtful.’
‘The team is very ably led by Jo Walsh - a fantastic lawyer with great judgement and experience. Matthew Ewens is a great person to work with, with really deep knowledge and instincts. At the associate level, Jessica Dunk, Celia Marr and Chris Gribbin all stand out.’
Work highlights
- Acting for Robb Simms-Davies, a former executive of a design and build fit out company, in a Serious Fraud Office investigation and prosecution that concluded in January 2023 with the client's acquittal.
- Advised Peter Hebblethwaite, the Chief Executive of P&O Ferries, in relation to criminal liability under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
- Advised a highly successful professional gambler and high net worth individual in respect of a complex and high value money laundering investigation and highly contentious account freezing order proceedings. Both were successfully concluded.
Lawyers
Rising stars
Leading individuals
Johanna Walsh is a Partner in the White Collar Crime & Investigations Group. She has experience in domestic and international serious fraud, corruption and money laundering cases, acting for senior individuals in prosecutions brought by the SFO, FCA and CPS, as well as investigations by the NCA. Johanna has also acted for a range of corporates, from SMEs to FTSE 100 companies in relation to allegations of fraud and corruption, conducting internal investigations and representing them in external investigations and prosecutions. Johanna is named in Legal 500 in 2018 and 2019 for Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime. She is named as a leading individual in Business Crime Defence in the 2019 edition of Who's Who Legal, as well as an Investigations Future Leader in Who's Who Legal's 2019 and 2018 editions, which notes that "her expertise in multi-jurisdictional investigations involving state authorities makes her a go-to practitioner." She was also recognised in the 2017 edition of 40 Under 40 by the Global Investigations Review, recognising accomplished young investigations lawyers who will help shape the future of this fast-evolving area of law. Johanna is a member of the Fraud Lawyers Association and the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association.
Next Generation Partners
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Johanna Walsh