Johanna Walsh is head of Mishcon de Reya’s White-Collar crime and Investigations Group. She has experience in domestic and international serious fraud, corruption and money laundering cases, acting for senior individuals in investigations and prosecutions brought by the Serious Fraud Office, Financial Conduct Authority, National Crime Agency (NCA), Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Crown Prosecution Service. Johanna has also acted for a range of corporates, from small and medium-sized businesses to FTSE 100 companies in relation to allegations of fraud and corruption, conducting internal investigations, advising on remediation and representing them in external investigations and prosecutions. She has experience in negotiating deferred prosecution agreements and civil recovery orders.
Johanna is experienced in advising in connection with proceeds of crime investigations, particularly those brought by the National Crime Agency. She represented the respondents to three unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) obtained by the NCA in what was the first successful challenge to UWOs since their introduction in 2018.
Johanna is an editor of Global Investigations Review's Guide to Compliance which examines financial crime compliance requirements and enforcement across the world with specific practical advice for companies and their lawyers and a consideration of emerging compliance fields such as ESG and crypto currency.
Johanna is recognised as a leading individual in white-collar crime and corporate crime and investigations in all of the major directories, where she is described as “an outstanding lawyer and investigator who stands in the front rank of her profession.” She has been named as a Thought Leader in Investigations by Who's Who Legal and, in 2021, was named by Global Investigations Review on its Women in Investigations list – a global list of 100 women who are leaders in the field of investigations.
Key Experience
Career History
Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Partner, Kingsley Napley
Articles and Publications
- Financier Worldwide - Strengthening AML protection through AI - 1 July 2018
- Expert Guides: Rising Stars 2018, 4th edition
- Practical Guide: Anti-Money Laundering for Remote Casino Operators in the UK, February 2018
- Global Investigation Review 40 under 40, September 2017
- Volkswagen Under Siege: Unprecedented Search, Unanswered Questions April 2017, Forbes
- Directors face criminal charges and unlimited fines under new regulation, April 2017, Financial Director
- New law forces big firms to come clean on gender pay gap, April 2017, The Times
- Companies to be on the hook to reveal details of how they pay suppliers, April 2017, City A.M.
- Global focus on bribery remains on the individual, October 2015, Solicitors Journal
- DPA corporate monitorships in the UK, September 2015, Global Investigations Review