Claire Cross

Partner

"Claire Cross is fantastic for all white-collar cases and particular for FCA criminal / regulatory defence work. As a former lawyer with the FCA Criminal Prosecutions Team, she knows the regulator inside out. She is a star performer. Well recommended."

THE LEGAL 500 2022

Claire Cross
BIOGRAPHY & EXPERTISE
Claire is an experienced lawyer in all areas of white-collar law, with particular expertise in criminal, regulatory and disciplinary cases relating to financial services.

Prior to joining Corker Binning, Claire spent a number of years as a Senior Lawyer at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the Enforcement Division, advising and prosecuting the full spectrum of enforcement action. Claire is recommended by The Legal 500 UK 2021 in the following practice areas: Financial Services: Contentious, Fraud: White-Collar Crime, and Professional Discipline. In Chambers and Partners 2021, Claire is ranked in Financial Crime: Individuals and Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory. She is described by the Legal 500 UK 2022 as “a star performer” and “fantastic for all white-collar cases, particularly FCA criminal / regulatory defence work.”

 

Areas of expertise

Claire has expertise in all areas of white-collar crime, with considerable and proven experience in complex FCA criminal and regulatory investigations, money laundering, fraud, bribery/corruption, asset forfeiture and cartel cases. Her practice includes cross-border investigations and prosecutions where she advises both suspects and witnesses. She also regularly acts for individuals in corporate investigations.

Claire’s prior experience at the FCA and CMA has given her an invaluable insight into the investigation and decision-making procedures and policies employed by regulatory and prosecutorial authorities in both the UK and US, which she effectively deploys to her clients’ advantage.

In respect of her contentious financial services practice, Claire has advised individuals in proceedings involving insider dealing, misleading statements and impressions, market abuse and breaches of various regulatory regimes such as the SMCR, APER Principles for individuals, MAR and Money Laundering Regulations. She has also acted in investigations by foreign exchanges and professional bodies seeking to sanction or expel their members.
Claire also maintains a general crime practice advising in matters ranging from Trading Standards investigations to sexual offences prosecutions.

WORK HIGHLIGHTS
  • Representing a suspect in the London Capital and Finance investigation.
  • Representing an individual in a multi-jurisdictional spoofing investigation.
  • Representing senior individuals in compelled interviews by the SFO and FCA.
  • Acting for an individual in FCA/DoJ investigation into bribery in Mozambique.
  • Acting for an individual in an internal investigation relating to sanctions breaches.
  • Advising an individual in respect of an SFO Ponzi Scheme Fraud investigation.
  • Acting for a Senior Director of a listed company in an investigation relating to breaches of the Market Abuse Regulations.
  • Advising a trader deposed in a US Anti-Trust Class action.
  • Advising a Global Head of a bank in respect of an internal investigation into potential mismarking.
  • Acting for a senior manager in an FCA regulatory case relating to breaches of APER Principles 1, 2 and FIT.
  • Representing a senior manager in respect of an FCA prohibition order.
  • Acting for a Partner of a multi-national company in respect of a large-scale conspiracy to defraud.
  • Advising a company in respect of a Trading Standards investigation.
Career

Claire joined Corker Binning as Of Counsel in October 2016, having previously acted as a Senior Lawyer in the FCA’s Criminal Prosecution Team, since 2008. From October 2015 to July 2016, Claire also acted as the Assistant Director in the Cartels and Criminal Group for the Competition and Markets Authority.

Prior to joining the FCA, Claire worked at SOCA/RCPO/Inland Revenue from 2005, prosecuting a wide range of cases relating to large scale drugs importation, VAT fraud, missing trader fraud, money laundering, and CITES offences.

News & Insights
Testimonials
"Claire Cross is excellent with clients, very down to earth and easy for them to engage with. She instils confidence in them very quickly."

Chambers UK 2023

"Claire Cross is very good at courtroom tactics."

Chambers UK 2023

"Claire Cross is fantastic. She is phenomenally clever, extremely experienced and a safe pair of hands for any client in difficulties with the FCA."

Legal 500 2023

"Claire Cross is extremely collaborative and immediately inspires confidence from clients."

Legal 500 2023

"She is bright, thinks outside the box and has excellent client care skills."

Chambers HNW 2022

"She is an excellent lawyer with really good knowledge."

Chambers UK 2022

"She is excellent on market abuse cases and she is great with clients - she has a lovely manner and is very relatable."

Chambers UK 2022

"Claire Cross has a wealth of experience, including in her previous role within FCA Enforcement, and is great at getting to the key issues."

THE LEGAL 500 2022

"Claire Cross is fantastic for all white-collar cases and particular for FCA criminal / regulatory defence work. As a former lawyer with the FCA Criminal Prosecutions Team, she knows the regulator inside out. She is a star performer. Well recommended."

THE LEGAL 500 2022

"Significant expertise in financial services investigations and cross-border cases."

THE LEGAL 500 2022

"Star performer."

THE LEGAL 500 2022

“A fantastic team player, extremely bright and a great tactician.”

CHAMBERS UK 2021

Claire Cross has "in-depth knowledge of the full range of potential issues which will arise."

Legal 500 UK 2020

Peter Binning and Claire Cross are 'brilliant at the interface of insider dealing and market abuse and are able to run rings round the regulator'.

THE LEGAL 500 2019

Claire Cross ‘knows every document in the case’.

THE LEGAL 500 2019

Claire Cross is 'a bright new star'.

THE LEGAL 500 2019

"Peter Binning and Claire Cross are 'brilliant at the interface of insider dealing and market abuse and are able to run rings round the regulator'."

THE LEGAL 500 2019

  • Representing a suspect in the London Capital and Finance investigation.
  • Representing an individual in a multi-jurisdictional spoofing investigation.
  • Representing senior individuals in compelled interviews by the SFO and FCA.
  • Acting for an individual in FCA/DoJ investigation into bribery in Mozambique.
  • Acting for an individual in an internal investigation relating to sanctions breaches.
  • Advising an individual in respect of an SFO Ponzi Scheme Fraud investigation.
  • Acting for a Senior Director of a listed company in an investigation relating to breaches of the Market Abuse Regulations.
  • Advising a trader deposed in a US Anti-Trust Class action.
  • Advising a Global Head of a bank in respect of an internal investigation into potential mismarking.
  • Acting for a senior manager in an FCA regulatory case relating to breaches of APER Principles 1, 2 and FIT.
  • Representing a senior manager in respect of an FCA prohibition order.
  • Acting for a Partner of a multi-national company in respect of a large-scale conspiracy to defraud.
  • Advising a company in respect of a Trading Standards investigation.