Expertise

Nichola is a Partner in our Global Investigations team. She specialises in advising financial institutions, corporates, directors and senior management on financial and corporate crime issues. Key areas involve advising on and carrying out investigations relating to corruption, sanctions, money laundering, terrorist financing, extradition, information security and fraud issues.

Her practice includes:

• Investigating corporate collapse and advising companies, directors and auditors on regulatory proceedings arising from such instances
• Advising on auditors disciplinary
• Conducting internal investigations into breaches of sanctions, corrupt conduct, money laundering, and terrorist financing. She has advised corporates and individuals on investigations by the Serious Fraud Office, the Police, HMRC, the Office of Fair Trading, the Financial Services Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. She also regularly advises on investigations in multiple jurisdictions
• Advising on financial and trade sanctions legislation, including setting up compliance systems, and on the impact of sanctions legislation on existing operations. During the last few years Nichola has acted for a large number of multinationals, including BP, on the impact of sanctions on their existing operations. She has worked with a number of energy and resource companies in Africa on dealing with the impact of sanctions and how to maintain compliant business operations, including obtaining licences or utilising exemptions
• Advising on and conducting due diligence programmes relating to financial and corporate crime risks, for mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other third parties, including representatives, agents, suppliers, etc
• Advising on, setting up and reviewing compliance programmes, including providing training

As Nichola regularly investigates compliance failings; she can therefore provide specialist non-contentious advice on what to look out for, how matters can go wrong and how to minimise that risk. In relation to contentious matters, as Nichola works regularly with clients to conduct due diligence/implement compliance programmes; she has an excellent understanding of industry standard practice and what procedures should have reasonably been put in place to prevent compliance failings.

Nichola regularly lectures to clients and at trade association conferences, including the UK Finance, C5 and the Anti-Money Laundering Forum.

She has been named in the Hot 100 2017, as a leading individual in Who's Who Legal: Investigations 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 and in Business Crime Defence 2018 and in 40 under 40 published by Global Investigations Review listing the world's leading investigations lawyers.