England - London • Risk advisory

Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP

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Acting on many high-profile, complex financial crime cases in both London and internationally, Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP is consistently called on by clients for advice on anti-bribery and corruption, sanctions, and modern slavery-related matters. With a strong European offering, along with a network of US offices, the team is well equipped to manage cross-border investigations brought by domestic and international enforcement agencies, including the SFO, SEC, and US DOJ. Peter Burrell leads the group, focusing on multi-jurisdictional disputes involving financial fraud, tax evasion, and financial reporting issues, while Rita Mitchell concentrates on sanctions and money laundering matters. The ‘really talented’ Simon Osborn-King works on complex criminal and internal investigations for corporates. At the more junior end, Michael Thorne and Cristina Caggiano are noted for their regulatory and civil work.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Very strong double act of Peter Burrel and Simon Osborn-King. Capable of dealing with white collar crime investigations, related civil actions, compliance and sanctions matters.’

  • ‘Simon Osborn King is really talented. He is very popular with clients who love his work ethic and clear pragmatic advice.’

  • The Willkie team is a perfect fit for our business which is very dynamic. They are capable of providing us with pragmatic advice and help us protect our business efficiently while being mindful of costs/benefit.

  • 'Rita Mitchell - very practical in approach and very responsive.'

Key clients

  • CITGO Petroleum Corporation
  • Essentra plc
  • General Electric/Alstom
  • Tate & Lyle plc
  • MAN Group plc

Work highlights

  • Defending CITGO Petroleum in response to a Department of Justice investigation under various federal criminal statutes. It's a highly complex matter involving representation of the U.S. subsidiaries of Petróleos de Venezuela, PDVSA, the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company.
  • Acts as ongoing sanctions counsel for Essentra FZE Company Limited in relation to UK, US and EU sanctions questions including in relation to trade and export control and in response to sanctions on Russia and Belarus.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame

The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.

Peter Burrell

Peter Burrell

Hall of fameWillkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Peter Burrell is Chair of Willkie’s Litigation, Compliance, Investigations & Enforcement, and White Collar Defence Practice Groups in London. He is the Managing Partner of the London office. Peter is recognised as one of the UK’s leading specialists in corporate crime and compliance matters. His practice includes advising on compliance issues relating to money laundering, bribery and corruption, sanctions and fraud; conducting complex internal corporate investigations; and defending companies and individuals in investigations and enforcement actions by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, Financial Conduct Authority, HM Revenue and Customs, and other law enforcement and regulatory agencies. He also handles complex High Court litigation and arbitration proceedings in London, with a particular focus on financial fraud, securities disputes and financial reporting issues.

Rising stars

Michael Thorne

Michael Thorne

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Michael Thorne is an associate in Willkie’s Litigation Department. His practice covers a range of criminal, regulatory and civil matters with particular focus on compliance and enforcement, internal investigations and white-collar defense.

Leading individuals

Rita Mitchell

Rita Mitchell

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Rita D. Mitchell is a partner in Willkie’s Compliance, Investigations & Enforcement and White Collar Defence Practices in London. Dual-qualified in the US and the UK, her practice includes advising and defending corporations in a variety of criminal and civil investigation and enforcement matters, conducting complex, worldwide internal investigations in relation to bribery, corruption, fraud, sanctions, human/business rights, and money laundering, advising on and developing and benchmarking compliance programs, conducting pre-merger and third party due diligence, and providing day-to-day counseling and training on compliance with US and English laws, including the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and UK Bribery Act 2010 (Bribery Act).

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Peter Burrell

Other key lawyers

Rita Mitchell, Simon Osborn-King, Michael Thorne, Cristina Caggiano