Nicola Finnerty

Nicola is a leading defence lawyer specialising in high profile and complex Government enforcement cases, proceeds of crime, white collar crime, fraud, asset forfeiture, investigations and AML in the UK and internationally.
 

With over 30 years of expertise, she represents and advises individuals, multinational corporations, and financial institutions in cases involving agencies including the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), CPS, Companies House, Food Standards Agency, the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and the National Crime Agency (NCA). Her expertise includes cartels, bribery, corruption, insider trading, money laundering, fraud, directors' disqualification and mutual legal assistance. Nicola’s broad industry experience includes the art market, food sector, financial services, construction, property, telecommunications, and mining. She is regularly appointed as an independent legal advisor in internal investigations.

Nicola also advises on all aspects of money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) and the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 in all sectors.

She is recognised in both Chambers High Net Worth UK and Chambers UK, and is listed as a Leading Partner in The Legal 500 UK. She is also ranked in the Lexology Index Investigations Report 2025 and Leaders League. In addition, Nicola features in the Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers Directory.

Nicola is a Fee-Paid Judge of the First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) and a magistrate in the adult criminal court.

what clients and directories have said

Nicola Finnerty's commercial vision is very strong. She's excellent in all types of criminal work."

Chambers 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

NOTABLE CASES

• currently advising a number of individuals in relation to investigations into alleged Competition Act 1998 infringements by the CMA and the FCA;
• presently instructed in a number of insider dealing cases being investigated by the FCA. She has acted in several FCA prosecutions for insider dealing (including Operation Tabernula – the FCA’s largest insider dealing case to date);
• represented individuals in relation to criminal cartel investigations by the CMA (and OFT) in various sectors;
• advised a high profile businessman in respect of 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 respect of the high profile collapse of Russell Hulme;
• advising a corporate on a high profile investigation by the Environment Agency;
• acted for 2 people investigated by the GLAA in respect of allegations of modern day slavery. Following extensive representations the case was discontinued;
• acted in the first case prosecuted by the SFO under the Bribery Act 2010;
• advised a participant in the Leveson Inquiry;
• advised a number of suspects in Operations Weeting and Elveden (the police investigation into journalists for hacking and corruption);
• acted for a director of Madoff Securities International Ltd;
• acted 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;
• acted for a peer in the parliamentary expenses scandal;
• advised in relation to the LIBOR investigation in the UK and US;
• acted 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;
• acted for a defendant acquitted of conspiracy to supply class A drugs;
• acted for Anne Darwin, in the 'missing canoeist' insurance fraud case.

PUBLICATIONS, PRESS HIGHLIGHTS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• UK’s New Corporate Fraud Offence: Strategic Guidance for U.S Lawyers, ABA, August 2025 (This content is only available to ABA subscribers)
• Art & Cultural Property Law Newsletter Edition 2, November 2024
• Proceeds of Crime Newsletter Edition 3, September 2024
• Food Safety and Hygiene Newsletter Edition 3, August 2024
• US authorities charge three UK nationals in Evolved Apes NFT fraud scheme, The Art Newspaper, June 2024
• LexisNexis Contributing Author: Corporate Crime
• Cordery on Legal Services: Author of the Bribery Chapter
• Ignorance ‘foiling medical cannabis use’, The Times, February 2024
• AML in the Art World - The Latest Update & Guidance - MBL webinar
• Bellway in £100m buyback; William Hill faces AML fines, This is Money, March 2023
• BUSINESS CLOSE: Experts react to record William Hill regulatory action, igamingbusiness.com, March 2023
• The will to find a way: POCA and criminal confiscation, Solicitor's Journal, December 2022
• Failure to prevent: Will more money for HMRC mean enforcement at last? December 2022
• Co-author of the bribery chapter in Cordery on Legal Service; the authority on every aspect of professional conduct, obligations and liability for those in the legal profession.
• Law Commission recommendations for confiscation reform: Is there the will to find a way? November 2022
• House of Lords fraud review highlights gaps and urges introduction of new failure to prevent offence, November 2022
• Kingsley Napley contributes to significant Law Commission criminal justice reform project, November 2022
• Environmental Law Quarterly Update - Q2 2022, August 2022
• HMRC Targets Bigger Cases Using Civil Forfeiture Toolkit, GIR, July 2022
• SFO accepts ‘sobering’ results of Unaoil, Serco case reviews,  Compliance Week, July 2022
• UK Targets Dirty Money Flows Through Universities - Quoted in Wealth Briefing, June 2022
• Anti Money Laundering: Shining a Spotlight on Compliance - This article first appeared in the July 2022 issue of PLC Magazine.
• New Treasury Fraud Squad - Tax Journal, May 2022 
• Sunak announces new ‘fraud squad’ to target Covid losses - Small Business, April 2022
• Beware the hidden cost of furlough abuse - Business Matters, April 2022
• Government fraud taskforce launched – Accountancy Daily, April 2022
• The UK should follow Biden's lead on money laundering - FTAdvisor.com, February 2022
• Gambling Sector: Compliance and Enforcement Report reveals concerns over weak AML controls, December 2021
• Environmental Law Quarterly Update - Q2 2021, July 2021
• AML and the Art Market: HMRC publishes its first risk assessment, July 2021
• The FCA proposes new listing guidance for cannabis-related businesses – a positive step for investors concerned about the Proceeds of Crime Act, July 2021
• COVID-19 Fraud: HMRC ramps up its investigations activity, June 2021
• What do universities need to know about the UK's Anti-Money Laundering Regime? - Wrote for University Business, May 2021
• Listed in GIR Women In Investigations special 2021 which recognises remarkable women in the field of White Collar Crime & Investigations  - May 2021
• How immune are COVID-19 relief scheme fraudsters from law enforcement action? April 2021
• "How to prevent Monet Laundering" - Nicola was quoted in The Times, March 2021
• Is the art world AMLD5 ready? New programme announced to support the UK art market with its anti-money laundering obligations as registration deadline looms - Press Release, March 2021
• COVID-19 Fraud: New TaxPayer Protection Force -  Nicola was quoted in various sources including: Reuters, Daily Mail Online, This is Money, Yahoo Finance UK, London South East News & MSN Ireland. This was also re-published by International Law Office in their Corporate Tax Newsletter, March 2021
• The risks and penalties of money laundering for charities and how to guard against it, March 2021
• COVID-19 Fraud: An Emerging Risk for Companies - Wrote for PLC Magazine, January 2021
• COVID-19 Fraud: New Taxpayer Protection Taskforce, March 2021
• Speaker at the Thoughts Leaders 4 event on FIRE Year in Review: A Year Like no Other - December 2020
• Speaker at The KNetflicks Alternatives webinar series - November 2020
• International Insights in Criminal Law Podcast Series: Episode 3, Extradition outside the EU - October 2020
• Criminal gangs steal £2bn through furlough fraud - Quoted CityAM, October 2020
• Cannabis and the UK investor - two years on - Wrote for Law360, October 2020
• Is the grass always greener? The legalities of investing in cannabis for UK Investors - Wrote for Investment Week, October 2020
• City may face flurry of litigation after ‘FinCEN’ dirty money revelations - Quoted in The Times, September 2020
• Furlough fraud: the offences and sanctions - Wrote for Practical Law Company's employment blog, September 2020
• Clothing fibres can transfer without contact, study finds, posing issues for future criminal investigations - Quoted in The Telegraph, August 2020
• Fraudulent UK packaging waste exports leads to dumping - Quoted in Materials Recycling World, July 2020
• HMRC to clampdown on businesses that have abused the Furlough scheme - Wrote for Business Matters, July 2020
• Serious Fraud Office under fire over big investigation failures and lack of convictions - Quoted in The Times, July 2020
• Beware the hidden cost of furlough abuse - Wrote for SME, April 2020
• Nicola Finnerty presents at the Tuition Fee Fraud Summit: AML and Universities Sector, April 2020
• The (quiet) extension of the AML regime: an overview –  Compliance Matters, January 2020
• Crime agency gets record reports of suspicious financial activity - Quoted in Financial Times, November 2019
• Money Laundering Bulletin article: Roadmap, November 2019
• Financial crime: Tax schemes and investigations - Quoted in Citywealth, October 2019
• Money Laundering Bulletin article: Roadmap, September 2019
• AML: HMRC flexes enforcement muscle to the tune of £7.8 million, September 2019
• 'Flipping defendants' – a new emphasis or a recycled aim? – Lexis Nexis (subscription required),  September 2019
•  Crime agency in the dock over standard of expert witnesses - Quoted in The Times, June 2019
• EU Council Disowns Money Laundering Blacklist - Quoted by ACAMS Moneylaundering.com, March 2019
• Nicola Finnerty writes for E Financial News on money laundering clampdown, E Financial News (subscription required), December 18
• Corporate Crime analysis: What are the main provisions and implications of the new EU Directive on money laundering?, Lexis Nexis, October 2018
• Investigators eye up unexplained wealth , Quoted in The Times, October 2018
• Dirty money: why can't banks clean up their act?, Quoted in The Telegraph, September 2018

Independent Rankings and other Information

• 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
• Chambers & Partners: Financial Crime - Individuals UK (2024 and ranked for the previous 10 years) 
• 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 Fraude – Individus