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Harbottle & Lewis launches financial crime practice for corporates and individuals

Harbottle & Lewis launches financial crime practice for corporates and individuals

Harbottle & Lewis has announced that it is extending into a new service area with the launch of a white-collar and corporate crime practice, spearheaded by partner Steve Smith who arrives from Eversheds Sutherland.

Co-managing partner Tony Littner said:

“We are delighted to welcome Steve to Harbottle & Lewis to launch and, over time, grow our white-collar and corporate crime practice. Steve’s arrival enables us to enter into a strategically important business area which complements many other areas of our practice. We pride ourselves on being there to support our clients through every step of their journey, whether they are individuals, early-stage businesses or global corporations, and adding this new specialism will further enhance our offering to them. This addition reflects our concerted strategy of broadening our expertise to meet the evolving needs of our clients.”

Steve Smith commented:

“I am excited to be joining Harbottle & Lewis and establishing its first financial crime practice. The firm’s reputation, client base and sector focus make it an ideal environment for my white-collar and corporate crime offering. Harbottle provides a genuinely compelling platform for me to build my practice and work alongside the firm’s high calibre clients, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Steve advises both individuals and corporate clients on regulatory and criminal issues, from compliance through to enforcement. His work includes defending regulatory and criminal investigations as well as supporting clients with the design, implementation and review of financial crime compliance frameworks.

Steve arrives with a wealth of experience in white-collar and corporate crime, including both defending and prosecuting, having worked in various senior compliance roles in industry at the likes of the FCA, Barclays and Nomura International. He spent nearly eight years as a partner at Eversheds Sutherland before joining Harbottle at the start of this month.

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Tony Littner Co-Managing Partner

Tony Littner is the firm's co-managing partner and co-lead of the firm’s venture capital and emerging companies practice.

Tony Littner is the firm's co-managing partner and co-lead of the firm’s venture capital and emerging companies practice.

Tony advises on a wide range of corporate transactions, including investments and venture capital deals, buying and selling businesses and shareholder arrangements. Tony is widely recognised as one of the leading venture capital lawyers in the UK and is a trusted adviser to entrepreneurial businesses and to the investors in such businesses, with a particular focus on the technology, media and entertainment sectors.

Tony frequently advises emerging companies and the founders behind such companies on their full lifecycle from inception of an idea through to funding rounds, exit and beyond as well as the venture capital funds and investors that invest in such high growth businesses.

Tony is recognised as a "Leading Partner" by The Legal 500 and ranked by Chambers in venture capital work.

Steve Smith Partner

Steve advises corporates and individuals facing regulatory and criminal issues. He is a leading expert in financial crime compliance and a trusted advisor to a wide range of financial institutions, regulated firms, corporates and senior individuals.

Steve advises corporates and individuals facing regulatory and criminal issues. He is a leading expert in financial crime compliance and a trusted advisor to a wide range of financial institutions, regulated firms, corporates and senior individuals.

When a criminal concern becomes an investigation, when an allegation threatens a business, or when a regulator starts asking tough questions, Steve helps clients work out what matters, what does not, and what to do next.

As one of the few people who has defended, prosecuted and worked in senior compliance roles in industry, his background gives him a 360-degree view on the entire spectrum of issues faced by his clients. He is adept at finding pragmatic and commercial solutions to complex issues linked to white collar and corporate crimes and is a “go to” lawyer for individuals and firms regulated under the UK anti-money laundering regime. His depth of experience means that he has regularly been appointed by the UK FCA as a Skilled Person to investigate and report on the adequacy of financial crime systems and controls of regulated firms.

Steve deals with the full spectrum of financial crime, from compliance issues through to enforcement. This includes defending regulatory and criminal investigations but also supporting with the design, implementation and review of financial crime compliance frameworks. His practice lies at the intersection where compliance, enforcement and reputation overlap.

His practice covers:

  • Advising and supporting firms to get set up for success with appropriate compliance arrangements to meet legislative and regulatory requirements
  • Conducting internal investigations and advising individuals who are subjects of internal investigations, including advising firms on the self-reporting of issues to regulators and enforcement authorities to help find early resolution
  • Defending firms and individuals robustly when facing investigation and prosecution of white collar crime issues, typically linked to money laundering, fraud, bribery and corruption

Steve has a leading reputation in the financial crime ecosystem and ranked by Lexology as Highly Recommended for both Business Crime Defence and Investigations. He is lauded as exceptional by the Legal 500.