Helen is an Associate in the White Collar Crime & Investigations Group.
She has a range of experience advising both individuals and corporate clients in investigations and criminal defence proceedings. Her cases involve advising corporate clients conducting internal investigations and defending clients facing allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption, and money laundering, as well as other serious regulatory and compliance matters.
Helen has acted for clients being investigated by authorities such as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Serious Fraud Office (SFO), National Crime Agency (NCA), HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). She has particular experience of advising on asset freezing and forfeiture cases, including challenging restraint orders and account freezing orders (AFOs).
Helen also has international experience having advised clients in relation to cross-border investigations brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), as well as being involved in Interpol matters and defending extradition requests.
Before joining Mishcon de Reya, Helen trained and qualified with a specialist white collar criminal defence firm, where she developed her expertise in cryptoasset related matters.
Helen is a member of the Young Fraud Lawyers Association and the Female Fraud Forum.
Key Experience
White-collar crime
- Representing an individual under investigation for suspected fraud and money laundering and subject to several high-value Account Freezing Orders
- Representing a company director under investigation for fraud by false representation through his involvement in a fraudulent investment scheme
- Representing directors of a company whose assets were subject to several Account Freezing Orders relating to suspected drug offences, and defending subsequent forfeiture proceedings
- Representing several individuals in relation to SFO investigations into overseas bribery and corruption
- Representing organisations and individuals involved in investigations into suspected multi-national tax fraud (Cum-Ex investigations)
- Defence of a European derivatives trader facing a civil lawsuit filed by the CFTC alleging commodities fraud and market manipulation
- Advising a corporate client on an MTIC fraud case brought by HMRC
- Representing of an individual in a Russian extradition request which was refused by Westminster Magistrates’ Court
- Advising a client on extradition proceedings and Interpol issues arising from European Cum-Ex investigations
- Providing extradition advice to a corporate client with regard to alleged involvement of current and former company executives in an international corruption investigation
- Defence of a private healthcare provider in allegations of corporate manslaughter and neglect
Crypto-related
- Advising crypto firms and exchanges in relation to their regulatory compliance responsibilities and also in relation to high-value civil frauds and online hacks
- Advising a UK and European-based cybersecurity firm on compliance with UK, US, and EU sanctions
- Advising a Saudi-based cryptoasset company in relation to establishing its anti-money laundering and anti-bribery compliance programme
Internal investigations
- Representing a regulating body in an internal investigation into potential wrongdoing by current and former employees
- Assisting with a complex global internal investigation for a corporate client in relation to allegations of complicity in human rights abuses in a large number of foreign jurisdictions
Career History
Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Trainee Solicitor, Rahman Ravelli
BPP Law School, LPC and LLM
University of Law, GDL
University of Manchester, BA(Hons) History