Call 2009
“Clever, diligent, charming to deal with - a safe (and smooth) pair of hands.”
Legal 500
Mark O’Neill
Team Leader
+44 (0)20 7842 3777
Click here to email
Jamie Thomas
Team Leader Assistant
+44 (0)20 3873 6851
Click here to email
Robin Lööf is an experienced junior specialising in commercial crime, financial and trade sanctions, and financial regulation. He is also a member of the Paris Bar and is polylingual.
Robin is regularly instructed as sole or leading junior to handle high-stakes litigation. He regularly appears in the Commercial Court, the King’s Bench Division, and the ADGM Court, and is also instructed in matters before the Court of Appeal (both as leading and led junior). In addition, Robin has conducted litigation before the EU General Court. Robin is also called upon to advise on highly sensitive and business-critical matters.
Primarily acting for companies and individuals facing criminal and/or regulatory enforcement risk, particularly in relation to sanctions violations, money laundering, financial regulatory violations, and corruption, Robin is also instructed offensively to safeguard the rights of victims of such conduct. Robin is particularly sought after to act in relation to contempt of court proceedings, including offshore where he acted on the first successful contempt of court application before the ADGM Court.
Described as “one of the go-to barristers for AML/CTF regulatory advice” and “an absolutely superb financial services lawyer”, Robin’s recent experience in financial regulation includes acting on three FCA AML enforcement actions against financial institutions, in which context he has appeared before the RDC.
Robin regularly advises on various aspects of sanctions regimes, in particular asset-freezes, under both UK and EU law. Robin also advises and acts for entities and individuals on challenging their designations under UK and EU sanctions regimes, including applications to the General Court of the EU.
Robin frequently provides strategic advice to businesses seeking to mitigate compliance risks, particularly under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, be it as part of internal compliance reviews or M&A-related due diligence, or in relation to the structuring of business activities and regulatory interaction, particularly in the financial sector (e.g. the offering of cryptocurrency-related products and services, or the provision of banking services to high risk clients).
Robin started his career at the criminal bar after which he joined the white collar defence team of a large international law firm, working out of their London and Paris offices. As a qualified French lawyer, Robin is sought after to advise in cases involving cross-Channel issues. He is used to acting in multi-jurisdictional matters with experience of investigations in a number of jurisdictions, including the UK, the US and France. He has a particular interest in EU criminal law and the application of EU instruments of legal cooperation.
Acting for a nigh net worth individual in relation to public law challenges to aspects of multi-jurisdictional investigations into money laundering and sanctions violations.
Acting for an investment fund against a south-east Asian commercial airline in relation to various aspects arising out of a collapsed aircraft leasing arrangement, including contempt of court and anti-suit proceedings.
Acting for financial services companies in three FCA AML enforcement actions.
Acting in high-profile challenges to EU sanctions designations before the General Court of the EU.
Advising a crypto wallet provider on the structuring of its general terms and conditions (including their articulation with French law), as well as the terms and conditions of a crypto credit product offer.
Advising a fintech in relation to the UK regulatory status of the cryptocurrency it created.
Acting for a high net worth individual in relation to public law challenges to aspects of multi-jurisdictional investigations into money laundering and sanctions violations (led by Richard Lissack KC).
Advising investment firms on potential money laundering issues and risks arising in relation to various proposed corporate transactions.
Advising a former Caribbean head of government in relation to corruption allegations arising out of his time in office.
Advising a law firm acting for corporate bond-holders on the compatibility with MAR of certain novel and developing market practices.
Advising an academic institution on the application of export control rules to cross-border research co-operation involving potential military- and WMD use concerns.
Advising a foreign company and directors in relation to allegations of crimes against humanity (led by Tim Dutton KC and Richard Lissack KC).
Advising an exporter following a customs seizure of goods under the Russia sanctions regime.
Advising provider of forensic intelligence in relation to information-gathering practices (led by Richard Lissack KC).
Advising a tax advisory in relation to a money laundering investigation by HMRC.
Advising companies involved in logistics, commodities brokerage, and real estate on the implications of recently imposed and extended sanctions regimes.
Advising an Eastern European businessman in challenging conclusions in a UN Security Council expert panel report into embargo violations.
Advising a Bermudian physician in a challenge to his arrest and the search of his home which led to their quashing by the Bermuda Supreme Court (Sannapareddy v The Commissioner of the Bermuda Police Service [2017] SC (Bda) 51 Civ (23 June 2017)), a decision upheld by the Bermuda Court of Appeal (The Commissioner of Police v Sannapareddy [2020] Bda LR 21 (20 March 2020)).
Advising on several successful requests to delete INTERPOL Red Notices.
Advising Société Générale in securing a deferred prosecution agreement and first coordinated resolution between the DOJ and France’s Parquet National Financier regarding claims of potential corruption of foreign officials in Libya.
Advising a former Prime Minister of an Asian country in relation to several investigations arising out of his time in office.
Advising individuals in a challenge to a Crown Court Order freezing their assets at the request of a Middle Eastern government in the context of a multi-jurisdictional criminal investigation (including appeal to the Court of Appeal: A & A v Director of Public Prosecutions [2016] EWCA Crim 96).
Advising a hedge fund in allegations of market abuse and criminal investigations in three countries.
Advising a Monegasque bank targeted by a production order relating to several of its clients in the context of a multinational bribery and money laundering investigation.
Managing an investigation into suspected VAT-related misconduct by the West African subsidiary of a UK Plc.
The Titan Group v Okunola litigation
Bringing proceedings for harassment, breach of confidence, and contempt of court on behalf of a financial services group and two of its senior executives (leading Marcus Field; [2024] EWHC 2585 (KB); [2024] EWHC 2586 (KB); [2024] EWHC 2641 (KB) (on appeal); [2024] EWHC 2718 (KB)).
The FWA v VietJet litigation
Acting for an investment fund against a south-east Asian commercial airline in relation to various aspects arising out of a collapsed aircraft leasing arrangement, including contempt and anti-suit proceedings (acting alone as well as led by Richard Lissack KC and Akhil Shah KC, and with Niamh Cleary, Jacob Turner and Orestis Sherman; [2024] EWHC 1904 (Comm); [2024] EWHC 1945 (Comm); [2024] EWHC 3337 (Comm)).
The NMC restructuring litigation before the ADGM CFI
Instructed in various matters arising out of the collapse of the NMC Group, including in contempt proceedings against a local financial institution (led by Richard Lissack KC; [2023] ADGMCFI 0003); [2023] ADGMCFI 0016), and a pending USD 5billion+ fraudulent trading claim (led by Bankim Thanki KC and Henry King KC, and with Nico Leslie, Damien Bruneau, and Alexandra Whelan).
Acting for a European engineering contractor in a USD 1billion+ dispute arising out of the termination of a large infrastructure project in the context of the imposition of EU restrictive measures (led by Michael McLaren KC, with Christopher Knowles).
Acting for an investment company in a claim for breach of contract involving alleged violations of a non-disparagement clause in a financing agreement (led by Richard Lissack KC).
Advising numerous law firms in relation to acting on behalf of sanctioned entities.
Advising several parties to litigation on the application of English privilege rules to their disputes.
Acting for a several financial institutions in FCA enforcement actions for violations of anti-money laundering systems and controls requirements (Al Rayan Bank, ADM Investor Services, and Metrobank), including in a successful challenge to the RDC against a proposed financial penalty (ADM Investor Services) (led by Robin Barclay KC).
Advising an offshore financial regulator in relation to several enforcement proceedings.
Advising an outsourcing company on regulatory requirements for debt recovery and payment services.
Advising an insurance company in a successful informal settlement with the FCA relating to long-standing allegedly unfair consumer contract terms.
Advising Russian-owned UK ltd on securing auditors following refusal by insurers to extend PII for audit work.
Advising insurance companies on the winding down of transactions with sanctioned entities under an OFSI general licence.
Advising a plc on a complaint to the FCA on violations of regulations around margin trading (led by Richard Lissack KC).
Advising financial institutions on whether customer entities are “owned and controlled” by persons designated under UK and EU asset-freezing legislation.
Advising a large Middle Eastern bank on the jurisdictional competence of an offshore financial regulator (led by Bankim Thanki KC).
Advising a large crypto exchange on its application for registration under the MLR 2017 and attendant AML programme modifications.
Advising a crypto wallet provider on the structuring of its general terms and conditions (including their articulation with French law), as well as the terms and conditions of a crypto credit product offer.
Advising the London branch of a foreign bank on its obligations in relation to deposits by the Afghanistan central bank following the Taliban takeover, including considerations of financial sanctions, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing laws.
Advising a crypto exchange on the FCA’s refusal to authorise.
Advising two financial services providers on their AML and sanctions policies.
Advising employees of a leading investment bank in US and UK investigations into alleged manipulation of the foreign exchange market.
Acting in high-profile challenges to EU designations before the General Court of the EU.
Representing a high profile former Eastern European politician in an application to the General Court of the EU to annul his sanctions designation.
Advising a Middle Eastern businessman on challenging his EU sanctions designation.
Advising several persons on challenges to their UK sanctions designations (alone and led by Robin Barclay KC and Clare Sibson KC).
Advising companies involved in logistics, commodities brokerage, and real estate on the implications of recently imposed and extended sanctions regimes.
Advising an Eastern European businessman in challenging conclusions in a UN Security Council expert panel report into embargo violations.
Advising numerous law firms in relation to various issues arising when acting on behalf of sanctioned entities.
Advising Russian-owned UK ltd on securing auditors following refusal by insurers to extend PII for audit work.
Advising insurance companies on the winding down of transactions with sanctioned entities under an OFSI general licence.
Advising financial institutions on whether customer entities are “owned and controlled” by persons designated under UK and EU asset-freezing legislation.
On 24 June 2025, the Court of Appeal (Popplewell, Asplin and Zacaroli…
The Court of Appeal has recently refused permission to appeal an order…
On 25 October 2024, Mrs Justice Hill handed down judgment in Titan Wealth…
Mark O’Neill
Team Leader
+44 (0)20 7842 3777
Click here to email
Jamie Thomas
Team Leader Assistant
+44 (0)20 3873 6851
Click here to email
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