Fraud: Cases
Pratice Area Cases
Barlow Clowes
In this case hundreds of investors in Barlow Clowes gilt edged bonds were left with nothing after Peter Clowes used their money for other investments or to support his own lifestyle. Peters & Peters represented Christopher Newman, the Group Finance Director who was acquitted.
Print this pageBlue Arrow / County NatWest
Peters & Peters acted for Nicholas Wells. The case centred on the takeover of employment agency Manpower by Blue Arrow and allegations of rigging the price of Blue Arrow shares. The case lasted over a year and although the jury convicted some of the individual defendants, all convictions were overturned on appeal and the case is the leading authority on how large fraud cases should be managed by a Judge.
Imperial Consolidated Group plc
Peters & Peters act for the former Finance Director in what the SFO describes as its largest ever fraud prosecution. Imperial Consolidated Group, a global investment business, collapsed in 2002 with a shortfall of over £100 million in its UK operation. The Serious fraud Office alleges a fraud against investors in multiple countries over a four year period. The case involves expert evidence in relation to accounting practices and management of mutual funds.
Kevin Maxwell
In connection with the collapse of the Maxwell Group of Companies and the investigations and prosecutions that followed, Peters & Peters successfully acted for Kevin Maxwell (son of the late Robert Maxwell) who was alleged to have put at risk Maxwell Group Pension Funds. In order to ensure a fair trial in the light of the very significant prejudicial publicity following Robert Maxwell’s death, this was the first case in which the Court selected a jury along American lines of jury selection.
Morgan Grenfell
Peters & Peters acted for Peter Young, fund manager at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell. The allegations concerned concealing material facts and manipulating the conversion of bonds for personal benefit.
The Guinness Case
This was the first of the high profile fraud cases of the 1980s. Peters & Peters acted for one of the principal defendants in this case which involved a so-called share support operation in connection with the heavily contested takeover bid by Guinness PLC for Distillers PLC.
Theft of Secret Intelligence
Peters & Peters act for a client who is a former employee of the British Secret Intelligence Service (also known as MI6). He faces allegations of theft of material whilst employed and attempting to sell this secret material to another Government.
Versailles
Peters & Peters represented Carlton Cushnie, the former Chairman and Chief Executive of Versailles, who, with his Finance Director, faced allegations of conspiracy to defraud shareholders and other investors in respect of the fraudulent operation of the Versailles trade finance business.
Wickes
Peters & Peters represented Trefor Llewellyn, the Group Finance Director of Wickes, who faced allegations of fraudulent trading and overstating company profits. The trial itself lasted 11 months but the jury took just over 7 hours to acquit Mr Llewellyn.