Anthony Wilson is a highly experienced Financial and Economic Crime specialist who brings a broad experience of different areas of law and business sectors to bear when seeking solutions to clients’ legal problems. He advises high net worth families, professional service firms, financial institutions and governmental bodies.
He has extensive international experience from prosecuting serious fraud to leading international investigations at the Serious Fraud Office in London and as a contact point for the UK at the European Judicial Network and UK representative at the OECD Anti Bribery Group.
Mr Wilson was in private practice England for 20 years, advising banks, liquidators, financial institutions and entrepreneurs in a range of commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes, after which he moved to prosecute complex and serious fraud at the Serious Fraud Office, becoming Head of the International Assistance Unit in the Director’s office in 2005.
He was responsible for reviewing evidence and recommending cases to investigate and for policy development and training. He oversaw and advised on prosecutions and investigations, gathering evidence for overseas fraud and corruption prosecutions, assisting with the freezing of criminal proceeds in and extraditions from the UK. During his tenure the team furnished evidence and assistance facilitating notable prosecutions in the UK, the US and numerous other jurisdictions.
Expertise
His areas of expertise are:
- International Arbitration
- Commercial Litigation
- Fraud and Regulatory Law
- Investigations & Mutual Legal Assistance
- Intellectual Property
Example cases
Investigations and Mutual Legal Assistance:
- Advising and assisting a Middle Eastern prosecution department on the process, procedure, and evidence required to locate and freeze the proceeds of a massive fraud which came to light as a result of the collapse of a banking institution.
- Liaising with prosecution bodies and regulators in the US, UK, and Canada on the appropriate investigation body and means of sharing and transferring evidence in relation to the alleged manipulation of the financial markets in multiple jurisdictions.
- Investigating those responsible for an alleged fraud on a German Landesbank, involving interviewing witnesses, and professional firms and successfully applying for warrants for the search and seizure of evidence.
- Obtaining warrants from the Crown Court to search solicitor’s offices and other premises for evidence on behalf of a US investigation concerning a project in Bonny Island, Nigeria. Resisting judicial review applications of decisions to investigate and search premises in connection with allegations of corruption and money laundering arising out of an Eastern European power contract.
Commercial Litigation:
- Defending two individuals on a claim brought by an international investment bank for £100m arising out of a sale of a commodities business to Phibro, involving worldwide freezing orders and appointment of a receiver over assets in inter alia Switzerland, Canada, and Japan.
- Working as part of a team on behalf of a consortium of Swiss banks seeking to recover SFR 80m from Lloyd’s underwriters.
- Representing a mechanical and services engineer in the Official Referee’s court and the Court of Appeal in relation to the construction of a hospital following a major collapse of the construction.
International Arbitration:
- Representing a manufacturer of specialist weapons technology in an ICC arbitration.
- Acting as second counsel on litigation strategy in Bermuda, Dominica, and Grenada involving international arbitration, statutory appeals, judicial review of central government, and certain constitutional issues.
- Advising a grain exporter on an appeal to the High Court under s. 69 Arbitration Act 1996 from a GAFTA award.
Regulatory Law:
- Advising a not-for-profit organization on its implementation of the data protection regulations.
- Considering a prosecution authority’s obligations under data protection legislation, the US Privacy Shield and EU Directive 2016/680 with respect to its cross-border transfer of data for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection, or prosecution of crime.
- Reviewing a professional services firm’s responsibilities under anti-money laundering laws and regulations.
Intellectual Property:
- Advising an author in relation to alleged copyright infringement and liabilities for misuse of private information and breach of data protection legislation.
- Passing off, patent, copyright, and trademark infringement actions and applications for interim injunctions and search orders.
- Advising a theatrical releasing agent of a famous cartoon film of its worldwide merchandising rights in scenes from the film.
Education
MA (Jurisprudence), Physics and Law, Trinity College, University of Oxford
Membership and Appointments
- Key contact for the UK at the European Judicial Network (2005-2014)
- Committee Member of the European Criminal Law Association (UK)
- Associate Member, Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys
- Private Practice (1982-2001, including Partner at Speechly Bircham (London) (1992-1999), Senior Solicitor at Denton Wilde Sapte (1999-2000) and Senior Solicitor at Steptoe & Johnson (London) (2000-2001)).
- Prosecutor & Senior Legal Advisor; Head of International Assistance Unit at the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (2001-2014)
