5 Trends to Watch: 2023 UK White Collar Defense

Rebecca Meads is a Shareholder and Chair of the London White Collar Crime & Investigations Team, focusing on business crime and regulatory investigations. Rebecca acts for individuals and corporates in cases of complex fraud, white collar crime, bribery and corruption, and regulatory matters. She has wide-ranging experience in domestic and international investigations and prosecutions, including those brought by the Serious Fraud Office the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Crown Prosecution Service, and those brought by, or on behalf of, overseas enforcement agencies. Rebecca acts for a range of corporates, across various sectors, conducting complex and often sensitive internal investigations; providing representation in external investigations; and giving advice on compliance issues. Due to her multi-jurisdictional practice, Rebecca’s clients are often the subject of cross-border investigations and litigation. She has extensive experience advising in parallel proceedings and in coordinating multi-disciplinary teams of professionals. Rebecca’s work includes acting for HNW and high-profile individuals facing extradition proceedings and providing advice on mutual legal assistance. She regularly advises on INTERPOL Red Notice matters and has an excellent success rate securing their deletion. She has represented high-profile individuals and corporates involved in major public inquiries and inquests, including involvement in the Stockwell inquiries/ inquest, Leveson inquiry and Grenfell Tower inquiry. Her inquest work includes acting for a high-profile diplomat, as well as corporate bodies. Rebecca is regularly invited to speak and chair panels on her areas of experience at key industry events, hosted by leading organisations across Europe. Concentrations Complex fraud Inquiries and inquests Extradition Mutual legal assistance Interpol Red Notices Money laundering Internal investigations Bribery and corruption Sanctions and export controls

Gavin Costelloe is a senior associate in Greenberg Traurig’s White Collar Defense & Special Investigations Practice in London. Gavin is a former lawyer and prosecutor for the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Gavin advises companies and individuals on internal, government and regulatory investigations and compliance issues related to the UK Bribery Act, fraud, market manipulation, anti-money laundering, economic sanctions, and other serious and complex cross-jurisdictional matters. Gavin has considerable experience assisting with diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and other investments including in jurisdictions with high corruption risk. Gavin’s practice is focused on business crime investigation, defence, compliance, and risk mitigation. This includes assisting companies with internal, government, and regulatory investigations (including those conducted by the SFO, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)), individual defence for senior executives and compliance professionals, and devising and implementing internal training and compliance progammes. Gavin is experienced in liaising with overseas law enforcement including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG), as well domestic UK law enforcement, in relation to parallel investigations.

A highly knowledgeable Senior Associate with considerable experience across a wide range of complex and high-profile criminal matters, Alex focuses in white collar crime, including allegations of bribery and corruption, fraud, and money laundering. Alex has deep experience advising high-profile individuals and corporates at all stages of domestic investigations and prosecutions conducted by the SFO, the CPS, HMRC, the NCA, and the FCA (including in ancillary matters such as cash forfeiture, restraint and confiscation proceedings), as well as challenging the designation of individuals on sanctions lists. Alex’s portfolio of work regularly involves complex cross-border matters, including handling domestic cases with parallel investigations or prosecutions taking place in other jurisdictions, such as France, Gibraltar, India, and the USA. He is skilled at managing the competing complexities of inter-connected proceedings and engaging with a range of law enforcement agencies, including the US DOJ, the SEC, the French PNF, and the Indian CBI and ED. A qualified Higher Rights solicitor-advocate with experience of representing clients both at the police station and in court, Alex has an array of advisory and litigation skills. He focuses on tactics, appreciating the need for a coherent and strategic approach from the outset, and adept at distilling legal and procedural complexities into clear, comprehensible advice. Coupled with his personable approach, this ensures that his clients are fully informed and supported throughout their matter. Alex was educated in Australia and Japan, before reading law at the University of Westminster. He speaks both Japanese and Hindi. Alex is the European Regional Forum Liaison Officer for the International Bar Association’s Business Crime Committee.