Nicola Finnerty

White Collar and Financial Crime

Nicola is one of the UK’s foremost white collar crime defence lawyers, with over 30 years of experience handling the most serious and complex fraud, bribery, corruption, and regulatory investigations. She acts for a wide range of clients including, directors, executives, professionals, and high-net-worth individuals as well as corporates and financial institutions facing investigation or prosecution by the SFO, FCA, HMRC, NCA, CPS, and other domestic and international enforcement bodies.

Her expertise spans the full spectrum of business and financial crime, encompassing fraud, bribery and corruption, insider dealing, market abuse, tax investigations, corporate criminal liability, directors’ disqualification and mutual legal assistance. She is also experienced in multi-jurisdictional cases involving parallel UK and overseas investigations where her ability to navigate competing regulatory and prosecutorial regimes is a significant asset to clients.

Nicola’s broad industry experience includes the art market, food sector, financial services, construction, property, telecommunications, private equity and mining. She is regularly appointed as an independent legal advisor in sensitive internal investigations, where her combination of technical expertise and sound judgement is highly valued.

Notable cases

• Advising a number of directors and non-executive directors in connection with the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.
• Representing an individual in the Turks and Caicos accused of money laundering
• Advising several directors investigated by the SFO for corruption in the insurance market. The case was successfully discontinued in respect of all individuals
• Advising an individual in connection with an investigation by the DoJ into fraud.
• Advising a law firm facing allegations of fraud.
• Advising an individual investigated by the Insolvency Service for allegedly assisting a disqualified director.
• Acting for an individual in connection with the Partygate investigation into alleged breaches of Covid-19 lockdown regulations at the heart of government.
• Acting in several FCA prosecutions for insider dealing (including Operation Tabernula – the FCA’s largest insider dealing case to date);
• Advising a high-profile businessman in connection with an investigation by the NCA into alleged donor offences relating to the EU referendum – the investigation was discontinued following successful representations;
• Advising an individual in connection with the high-profile collapse of Russell Hulme;
• Advising a corporate in a high-profile investigation by the Environment Agency;
• Acting for two individuals investigated by the GLAA (now Fair Work Agency) in respect of allegations of modern slavery. Following extensive representations the case was discontinued;
• Acted in the first case prosecuted by the SFO under the Bribery Act 2010;
• Advising a participant in the Leveson Inquiry;
• Advising a number of suspects in Operations Weeting and Elveden (the police investigation into journalists for hacking and corruption);
• Advising a director of Madoff Securities International Ltd;
• Acting for various clients in SFO investigations/prosecutions including R v Achilleas Kallakis, the high profile SFO prosecution in respect of Allied Irish Bank and HBOS;
• Acting for a peer in the parliamentary expenses scandal;
• Advising in relation to the LIBOR investigation in the UK and US;
• Acting for professionals accused of fraud for criminal wrongdoing including a barrister cleared of VAT fraud and a London solicitor acquitted of a multi-million-pound mortgage fraud;
• Acting for Anne Darwin, in the ‘missing canoeist’ insurance fraud case

Competition and Antitrust

Nicola advises and represents individuals and corporates in competition law investigations and proceedings, with a particular focus on criminal and civil enforcement by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and other regulators.

She has represented individuals in criminal cartel investigations conducted by the CMA across a range of sectors

Nicola understands the serious personal and commercial consequences that competition investigations carry including the risk of criminal prosecution, director disqualification, and reputational damage. She advises clients at every stage of the process, from dawn raid response and initial investigation through to responding to statement of objections, leniency applications, settlement negotiations and Competition Disqualification Order (CDO) proceedings.

Notable cases

• Advising a large corporation and its directors on allegations of bid rigging;
• Attending and advising on a three-day dawn raid by the CMA;
• Successfully defending a non- executive director at risk of a Competition Disqualification Order (CDO) following allegations of abuse of a dominant position by the corporate;
• Advising a number of individuals from an investment house in connection with CMA and FCA investigations into alleged Competition Act 1998 infringements;
• Advising a number of directors in respect of compulsory interviews conducted as part of competition investigations;
• Representing a number of individuals in connection with criminal cartel investigations by the CMA (formally OFT) across various sectors;
• Preparing compliance policies and handbooks for a corporate client.

Proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering

Nicola has extensive experience advising individuals and corporates on all aspects of proceeds of crime law and money laundering spanning both contentious enforcement matters and day-to-day compliance challenges faced by those operating in the regulated sector.

She regularly advises those in the regulated sector on a wide range of issues, including the preparation and submission of suspicious activity reports (SARs), seeking a defence against money laundering (DAML) and challenging moratorium periods; areas where timely, specialist advice can be critical to protecting a client’s position.

She had significant experience handling law enforcement applications to freeze assets including, account freezing orders (AFOs), unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) and property freezing orders (PFOs).  She acts across all aspects of confiscation proceedings, including third party applications and restraint order proceedings and is well versed in the tactical and procedural complexities these matters involve.

Within Kingsley Napley, Nicola serves as Deputy Money Laundering Nominated Officer and is the editor of the firm’s Proceeds of Crime Newsletter.

Nicola also regularly delivers POCA and anti-money laundering (AML) training to organisations both within and outside the regulated sector, across a wide range of industries including law, accountancy, art, finance, estate agency, letting agents, high value dealers, tax advisory, and gambling.

Notable cases:

• Advising a number of law firms on suspicious activity reports (SARs) and applications for a defence against money laundering (DAML)
• Acting for a number of individuals subject to Account Freezing Orders (AFOs)
• Advising numerous law firms on a broad range of POCA-related issues
• Advising an Isle of Man insolvency practitioner on the application of POCA provisions in the UK
• Providing POCA and AML training for Art Market Participants
• Advising a large gambling operator on POCA compliance issues
• Advising a trading platform on POCA considerations arising from trading in shares in the cannabis sector overseas
• Advising an international tax accountancy firm on POCA matters
• Advising a property company in connection with frozen funds
• Advising a number of regulated entities on registration requirements with their AML supervisor

What clients and directories have said

“Nicola Finnerty is a senior partner with a no-nonsense style; she is direct with clients and prosecutors in equal measure. Her advice is excellent.” – Financial Crime – Chambers HNW 2026

“There is nothing she hasn’t done; you will go to her with your problem and she will know exactly how to get out of the woods and how to avoid certain things.” – Financial Crime – Chambers HNW 2026

“Nicola is very easy to deal with, direct and great with her clients. She has a very good style with clients under pressure.” – Financial Crime – Chambers HNW 2026

“Nicola is superb.” –Chambers & Partners 2025

“She is a fabulous advocate.” – Chambers & Partners 2025

“Nicola Finnerty’s commercial vision is very strong. She’s excellent in all types of criminal work.” – Chambers High Net Worth 2024

“Nicola Finnerty’s commercial vision is very strong. She’s excellent in all types of criminal work.” – Chambers and Partners – High Net Worth 2024

“Nicola was invaluable and very calming to have in the room.” – Chambers UK 2024

“She is a tenacious solicitor to have on your side.” – Chambers UK 2023

“Nicola Finnerty is strategically very astute.” – Chambers UK 2023

“Her remarkable drive and innovative thinking have cemented her reputation as an opponent to be admired and feared.” – Legal 500 2022

“We were impressed with Nicola’s thoroughness and strategy and the way she was able to keep the client on board through a very difficult process.” – Legal 500 2022

“Nicola Finnerty is an exceptionally able lawyer with a great breadth of experience across crime and regulatory. Spiky and determined. A pleasure to work with.” – Legal 500 2022

“She is very talented, and is passionately committed to her clients.” – Chambers and Partners 2022

“One of the great lawyers of her generation.” – Legal 500 UK

“She is a very capable lawyer. She has great knowledge.” – Legal 500 UK

“Outstanding ability to guide clients through extremely stressful processes of investigation and prosecution… praised for her ability to manage large-scale complex litigation.” – Chambers and Partners

“A force to be reckoned with, she’s a fighter and a thinker who relishes new law and the toughest of challenges.” – Legal 500 UK

“A fierce defender who’s utterly client-focused.” – Chambers and Partners

“She is smart, experienced and approachable.” – Chambers High Net Worth Guide

“Nicola Finnerty is “Well established” and noted for being able to quickly pick up a case and “achieve results” without getting intimidated.” – Chambers and Partners

Sources admire Nicola Finnerty for her “excellent client management skills,” “great understanding of the issues and ability to identify weak spots in the prosecution’s case.” – Chambers and Partners

Nicola Finnerty is applauded for the strong rapport that she builds with clients. Sources are impressed by her commitment, noting “her efforts to secure the right result were exceptional.” – Chambers and Partners

Nicola Finnerty garnered votes for her “sound commercial judgement “ and “client friendly manner”. – Who’s Who Legal, Business Crime Defence Lawyers

Nicola Finnerty is strongly acclaimed for her “fabulous tactical sense, and extremely good client skills.” She advised a high-profile peer in relation to the fallout from the UK parliamentary expenses investigation, and is also involved in major SFO prosecutions.” – Chambers and Partners

Nicola Finnerty’s “work rate is phenomenal” and she is “unflappable”. – Legal 500

“Nicola Finnerty is a great addition to the team and has brought a huge back catalogue of high-profile experience.” – Legal 500

“(Nicola) has arrived in a major way: the quality of her work is superb and she is very bright, with exceptional people and organisational skills.” – Chambers and Partners

“A practitioner with a wealth of experience; who leaves no stone unturned; her preparation and understanding is impeccable.” – Chambers and Partners

“Excellent client management skills, great understanding of the issues and ability to identify weak spots in the prosecution’s case.” – Chambers UK

“Immensely experienced” and “excellent.” – Legal 500

“Applauded for the strong rapport that she builds with clients… her efforts to secure the right result were exceptional.” – Chambers UK

“Terrific with the most demanding of clients, incisive and tactically very astute.” – Legal 500

“Admired for her strong commitment to her client’s best interest.” – Chambers UK

PUBLICATIONS, PRESS HIGHLIGHTS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Independent Rankings and other Information

• Legal 500: Leading Individual – Fraud: White Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals) (2026)
• Legal 500: Leading Individual – Fraud: White Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals) (2025)
• Chambers & Partners: Financial Crime – Individuals UK (2026) and ranked for the previous 12 years) and Chambers & Partners HNW Individuals (Financial Crime) 2026.
• Listed in the Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers 2025/2026
• Listed in the Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers 2024/2025
• Listed in Leaders League 2024 in Compliance – Individuals as Leading
• Legal 500: Leading Individual – Fraud: White Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals) (2024)
• Legal 500: Leading Individual – Risk Advisory: Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates) (2024)
• Best Lawyers: Lawyer of The Year in Criminal Practice 2024, and ranked since 2021
• Leaders League: Compliance and Fraud – Leading Individual (2023)
• Lawyer of the Year in Criminal Practice in London (2023)
• Who’s Who Legal: Business Crime Defence (2023) – recommended leader
• Who’s Who Legal: Investigations (2023) – recommended leader
• Legal 500: Leading Individual – Fraud: White Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals) (2023)
• Ranked in the top 200 Cannabis Lawyers (2023)
• Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Guide: Financial Crime Individuals (2023)
• Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Guide: Financial Crime Individuals (2022)
• Ranked in the top 200 Cannabis Lawyers (2022)
• Legal 500: Leading Individual – Fraud: White Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals) (2022)
• Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Guide: Financial Crime Individuals (2021)
• Global Investigations Review: Women in Investigations 2021
• Legal 500: Leading Individual – Fraud: White Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals) (2021)
• Who’s Who Legal: Business Crime Defence (2021) – recommended leader
• Listed in Leader League as Incontournable for Compliance and Fraud – Individuals