Mark O’Neill
Team Leader
+44 (0)20 7842 3777
Click here to email
Call 2003
"Has strong analytical skills and is very good with clients." "She has excellent judgement."
Chambers & Partners
Mark O’Neill
Team Leader
+44 (0)20 7842 3777
Click here to email
Jamie Thomas
Team Leader's Assistant
+44 (0)20 3873 6851
Click here to email
Eleanor Davison specialises in international civil and criminal fraud, bribery, money laundering, market abuse and insider trading, sanctions and banking, financial services, regulatory and disciplinary investigations.
She is described as “a brilliant lawyer” and “a delight to work with” with “a rare expertise in both financial services regulation law and those aspects of criminal law which engage with regulated financial activity,” and is recommended in various legal directories including in Who’s Who Legal where she is listed as a future leader in investigations.
Eleanor’s advocacy experience spans the Commercial Court, the Crown Court and criminal Appellate Court, the FCA, and other regulatory and disciplinary tribunals. Her practice includes a range of interim applications and other matters including civil and criminal search orders, freezing injunctions, directors’ duties and liabilities, internal investigations, company announcements, corporate self-reports and deferred prosecution agreements, unexplained wealth orders, legal privilege, privacy and confidentiality, sanctions and criminal confiscation and compliance with requests for mutual legal assistance.
She is instructed by government, enforcement agencies (the Serious Fraud Office – Prosecution Counsel A Panel, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulatory Authority and other regulators) as well FTSE100/250 companies and high net worth individuals. Uniquely, she has been seconded to a FTSE 100 financial institution in legal and compliance, spent 18 months at the FCA instructed as senior external counsel by the Enforcement division in the Standard Chartered Bank (Standard Chartered) whilst also acting for those within the regulated sector.
Bank of England (Prudential Regulatory Authority) Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Citibank N.A. London branch & Citibank Europe Plc UK branch
Advising the Bank of England in its PRA’s first case against a category 1 systemically important institution for failings in relation to internal controls and governance arrangements underpinning compliance with PRA regulatory reporting requirements.
Re the Post Office (Horizon)
Advising in relation to the Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy investigation regarding the Post Office’s Horizon IT platform.
Dame Linda Dobbs Review
Acting as specialist financial crime and financial services counsel to the review into whether the issues relating to HBOS Reading were investigated and appropriately reported to authorities at the time by Lloyds Banking Group.
FCA & Standard Chartered Bank
Acting in this case where the second largest financial penalty for AML control failings was imposed by the FCA.
SFO v Barclays Plc & Barclays Bank Plc
Acting in the criminal, regulatory and civil cases arising from the 2008 share issuance.
Eleanor’s expertise in cross border criminal and regulatory investigations is unrivalled. She has expertise in all areas of financial crime including advising firms being investigated by the SFO and those which may be seeking a Deferred Prosecution Agreement. She also advises on compliance with money laundering and sanctions regimes, with requests under the Crime (International Co-operation Act) 2003, as well as third party disclosure issues. Her practice also extends to enforcement cases.
Eleanor also has a strong Health and Safety practice defending corporations. She was instructed for the defence in the first Corporate Manslaughter prosecution R v Cotswold Geotech and regularly acts for companies and individuals charged with offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Eleanor was also instructed by Berrymans Lace Mawer in a health and safety and personal injury case arising from an accident on the James Bond film set of A Quantum of Solace.
Acting for the Home Office in a cross border world bank investment which raised issues relating to sanctions, money laundering and terrorist financing.
Acting for the Department for International development (now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) in a cross border world bank investment which raised issues relating to sanctions, money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Dame Linda Dobbs Review: Acting as specialist financial crime and financial services counsel to the review into whether the issues relating to HBOS Reading were investigated and appropriately reported to authorities at the time by Lloyds Banking Group.
Acting for the private investment arm of DFiD regarding financial crime concerns on a World Bank Investment in Sierra Leone.
SFO v Barclays Bank Plc
Acting for the corporate in the SFO and FCA proceedings as well as the civil case brought by PCP for six years.
SFO v A Company
Acting for a multinational corporate in the construction sector in a bribery and competition law investigation.
Advising law firms on production in response to requests for material from overseas prosecutors under the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003.
Advising an insurer on the risks associated with insuring medicinal and recreational cannabis in the UK and abroad.
SFO v A Bank
Advising on the first ever warrant application for privileged material brought against a corporation in the UK which engaged complex argument on privilege and corporate liability.
Re BB Plc
Acting in a criminal and regulatory global Libor investigation.
Acting for a bank in the global Forex investigations.
Advising Credit Suisse on a range of matters from criminal investigations to third party disclosure obligations.
Eleanor also has a strong Health and Safety practice defending corporations and regularly acts for companies and individuals charged with offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
R v Cotswold Geotech
Instructed for the defence in the first Corporate Manslaughter prosecution.
James Bond film set of A Quantum of Solace
Instructed by Berrymans Lace Mawer in a health and safety and personal injury case arising from an accident on set.
Eleanor acts in the County Court and the High Court on civil fraud matters as well as in pure commercial disputes. She has experience in the aviation sector and has acted in a high value contractual dispute between two national airlines. She regularly acts in case management hearings and pre action disclosure applications as well as settling pleadings.
Eleanor is recognised as a leading junior in financial services law. She is instructed by the FCA, companies and individuals on enforcement actions as well as compliance with the FCA’s regulatory requirements. Eleanor’s expertise in this area is highly sought after as she led an internal FCA investigation for Enforcement for 18 months. Eleanor was seconded to group litigation at Barclays Bank providing invaluable knowledge of how a major banking institution functions.
Eleanor regularly advises senior executives on FCA compliance including those holding positions under the Senior Managers Regime.
Advising the Bank of England in its PRA’s first case against a Category 1 PRA-regulated firm (i.e. a systemically important institution) for failures in its regulatory reporting systems, controls and governance arrangements.
Acting as senior external counsel instructed by the Enforcement Division of the FCA in the Standard Chartered Bank (Standard Chartered) case where the second largest financial penalty for AML control failings was imposed by the FCA in a case that involved considerable cross border co-operation. Her role included leading a team of investigators, including 8 other counsel, to assess evidence on financial crime risk; as well as drafting internal memos to brief the head of enforcement, Mark Steward, on novel investigative points. Eleanor’s role, leading part of the case team, was very unusual and has given her an unrivalled insight into how Enforcement investigates and prepares a case.
Statutory ring fencing schemes
Advising two banks on the interaction of the ring fencing scheme with the requirements of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, with Michael Moore KC, Erskine Chambers.
Acting as specialist financial crime and financial services counsel to The Dame Linda Dobbs Review, which is considering Lloyds Banking Groups regulatory reporting obligations.
FCA v AB
Appeared in the RTC in this change in control matter led by Andy George KC.
Acting for a banking institution in respect of the FCA FOREX and LIBOR investigations.
Acting for Barclays Bank in respect of concurrent SFO, FCA, DOJ, SEC and FED investigations into the 2008 capital raisings from Qatar.
Advising a bank on the application of PRA guidance relating to malus and remuneration.
Advising a client in respect of asset recovery for funds allegedly taken by an IFA.
Advising a financial institution in respect of s166 reports.
Advising on non-contentious and other matters such as change in control issues.
Mark O’Neill
Team Leader
+44 (0)20 7842 3777
Click here to email
Jamie Thomas
Team Leader's Assistant
+44 (0)20 3873 6851
Click here to email