Sarah decided to specialise in criminal fraud cases from an early stage in her career and, as a result, she now practises predominantly in this complex area of work.
She was instructed to advise the SFO as junior counsel in 2000 when she was only 5 years call and was then instructed as junior defence counsel for Mr Clough in the SFO prosecution arising out of the collapse of the Versailles group in 2003. Since then, she has established and built up a busy fraud practice, both prosecuting and defending, in lengthy and complex matters prosecuted by the SFO and the Fraud Prosecution Service. In recent years, this has included successfully prosecuting a major nationwide series of trials following the much publicised collapse of the UK Government ILA scheme.
Sarah appears both as a led junior and as sole instructed counsel. She has developed the forensic skills required for this highly specialised area of work and the associated restraint and confiscation proceedings.
Sarah also has considerable experience of regulatory work and has represented pharmacists at hearings of both the Pharmaceutical Society and associated Crown Court hearings. Similarly she has regularly appeared on behalf of Companies accused of Trading Standards and Health and Safety offences.
Sarah has experience of attending as independent Counsel at searches conducted on behalf of the SFO and the FSA. She offers expert advice on all matters concerning the legality and scope of such searches, along with related issues concerning privilege.
Sarah writes on her areas of legal speciality and is the author of the chapter “Fraudulent Trading and other frauds on creditors” in Butterworths “Fraud: Law, Practice and Procedure” and she was formally a chairman of the YFLA (‘Young Fraud Lawyers Association’).
KEY CASES
- Instructed as junior counsel to prosecute a nationwide series of complex and separate trials arising out of the collapse of the Government ILA scheme, including R v Robertson (2004); R v Leary & others (2005); R v Iqbal & others (2009); R v Smallman & others (2008) and R v Brumskill & others (2008). One trial remains outstanding.
- R v De Rome and others (2009): $30 million Ponzi Fraud prosecuted by the SFO.
- R v Thorne (2009): Off shoot of a larger SFO investigation and trial arising from the collapse of the Ken Thorne Group of Companies.
- R v T and others (current): Multi-handed mortgage fraud prosecuted by the Fraud Prosecution Service
- R v H and others (current): Alleged fraud in the building industry
Contact Sarah Wood
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7242 3555
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7242 2511
Email: clerks@7br.co.uk