Alison's practice focuses on corporate crime involving fraud, bribery, corruption, market abuse, cartels and money laundering. She acts in Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and World Bank investigations. She has extensive experience in advising UK companies and individuals subject to investigation by international authorities including the Department of Justice (USA), Securities Exchange Commission (USA), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (USA), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (USA), European Commission (EU), Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland and Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) (Brazil).
She was nominated for Best in White Collar at the Euromoney Women in Business Law Awards 2019, and is recognized in Legal 500, Who's Who Legal: Investigations and Chambers and Partners, where she is described as "extremely capable, very well researched and very commercial with her advice."
Alison acts for both individuals and corporations. She assists organisations in achieving negotiated settlements with the authorities and has also represented individuals in many high profile investigations. She has previously acted for high-profile individuals in the SFO's investigations into foreign exchange benchmark manipulation, LIBOR manipulation, corruption in the mining industry and corruption in the aviation sector, as well as the investigation by the Metropolitan Police into phone hacking.
Alison has extensive experience conducting internal investigations, often spanning many jurisdictions. She also advises corporations being investigated by the World Bank Integrity Vice Presidency and other multi-lateral development banks.
Alison regularly provides commentary on white collar crime matters and has been quoted in publications such as The Times (London), The Guardian and Reuters. She is one of the leaders of the Women in White Collar Defense Association's London Chapter and a member of the Fraud Lawyers Association.
Alison is featured in 2022's Who's Who Legal Investigations Legal Marketplace Analysis, that recognises lawyers globally for their first class work in investigations. Highlighted as a Leading Individual under Future Leaders, Alison is described as standing out for her work "advising corporations and individuals under investigation for white-collar crimes such as money-laundering, corruption and bribery".
Key Experience
- Acting for an individual prosecuted for multiple fraud offences by the Serious Fraud Office
- Acting for a multinational corporation under investigation for corruption related offences by authorities in three jurisdictions
- Conducting internal investigations for corporate organisations on a wide range of issues including accounting fraud, data theft, corruption, hostile working environment and sexual harassment
- Acting for a corporation subject to an SFO dawn raid
- Acting for high-profile individuals under investigation by the SFO
- Advising an individual in relation to the FCA investigation into market abuse
- Advising a trader on parallel US and UK investigations into complex algorithmic trading strategies
- Acting for a senior bank official in relation to an EU commission investigation
- Acting for corporations subject to World Bank INT investigations and other multi-lateral development bank investigations
- Advising clients in various sectors on anti-money laundering controls
- Advising on policies and procedures intended to prevent economic crime
Career History
Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, Taylor Wessing
Counsel, WilmerHale
University of Nottingham, Social Policy & Administration
BPP, LPC and GDL