Neil Swift

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Partner in the Business Crime department. He has extensive and broad experience in business crime, advising individual and corporate clients in relation to investigations and prosecutions by all major UK agencies, in particular the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Conduct Authority and HM Revenue & Customs. He also advises individuals who are subject to internal investigation by their employer.  He frequently advises professionals and professional firms in relation to their regulatory obligations, both from a risk management perspective and in response to requests from law enforcement and regulators.  He also advises clients who are the subject of law enforcement enquiries overseas, and who are or may be the subject of Interpol notices or extradition proceedings.

Neil regularly represents clients in high -profile corruption cases, acting for both company directors and companies in relation to enquiries being conducted by the SFO, often in conjunction with overseas law enforcement, particularly the US Department of Justice. Much of Neil’s work involves him advising as part of multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary teams of professionals.

Neil was a contributing author to Blackstone’s guide to the Bribery Act 2010. In 2018 he was invited to give evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Bribery Act. He is a frequent speaker, writer and commentator on fraud, corruption and money laundering.

Neil is regularly ranked in leading legal directories. In Who’s Who Legal 2018 Neil is described as “a great, down-to-earth lawyer” by sources, who commend “his first-rate work on major investigations by UK agencies”.  In Chambers and Partners 2019, Neil is ranked in Crime: Extradition, Financial Crime: Individuals, POCA Work & Asset Forfeiture and Tax: Contentious, with referees describing him as “a very good criminal lawyer”, commenting on his “sensible, thoughtful and calming approach”, and noting that he is an “effective operator” who is “very calm and very experienced”.  Sources declare that “he has extensive experience of Bribery Act work and is a good strategic thinker.”

In Legal 500 (2019) Neil is described as “unassuming, calm and sympathetic”, “understands the issues at stake and provides commercial and strategic advice” (Financial Services Contentious), and provides “sound, logical and well-considered advice” (Fraud: White-Collar Crime).  He is recommended for his work in Crime: General, and VAT and Indirect Tax.