Insights
The Online Safety Bill and the Criminalisation of Senior Managers
May 27 2023
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
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
Comments
Claire Cross comments on Jeremy Hunt ignoring lessons from the 2008 financial crisis
December 13 2022
Comments
Claire Cross writes for the Financial Times about Suella Braverman’s insider dealing accusations
November 4 2022
Comments
Claire Cross comments on the FCA director’s resignation
October 25 2022
News
Claire Cross writes for Pensions Age on the new powers of the Pensions Regulator
March 15 2022
News
Claire Cross and Nick Barnard write for Financial News on NatWest conviction
January 12 2022
News
Claire Cross is quoted in New Law Journal on NatWest guilty plea
October 14 2021
News
Claire Cross quoted in The Times on NatWest criminal guilty plea for money laundering
October 12 2021
Insights
The FCA and Fraud – The Story of A Reluctant Prosecutor
August 4 2021
News
Partners David Corker and Claire Cross write for Fraud Intelligence on Cum-ex
May 20 2021
News
David Corker and Claire Cross write for GBRR on cum-ex
March 16 2021
Comments
Claire Cross quoted in media on Natwest action
March 16 2021
Comments
Claire Cross quoted in Bloomberg on recent blow to cum ex investigations
February 24 2021
News
Claire Cross writes for Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence on Money Laundering Regulations
September 29 2020
News
Claire Cross writes for Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence on Burford v LSE
August 20 2020
Comments
Claire Cross quoted in GIR on MLAT requests
May 26 2020
News
Claire Cross writes for Law360 on FCA’s “Dear CEO” letter
May 22 2020
Comments
Claire Cross comments in GIR on FCA investigation into cum-ex fraud scheme
April 20 2020
News
Claire Cross writes for HFMCompliance on the FCA’s response to asset management
February 10 2020
News
Claire Cross to speak at Anti-Corruptie Conference 2019
November 28 2019
News
Claire Cross and Anna Rothwell write for The Times
October 15 2019
Comments
Claire Cross comments in GIR regarding EU whistleblowers protections
October 8 2019
News
Claire Cross writes for FT Adviser on authorised corporate directors
October 2 2019
Insights
SMCR roll-out: Less than three months to go, are firms ready?
September 18 2019
Comments
Claire Cross comments in FT Adviser about the FCA and SEC
September 11 2019
News
Claire Cross discusses FCA annual enforcement performance report in GIR
July 10 2019
News
Claire Cross and Nick Barnard discuss the criminal future of AML enforcement in Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence
May 30 2019
News
Claire Cross speaking at the ABA’s 33rd Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime
March 6 2019
Comments
Claire Cross comments on the FCA’s first decision notice against former CEO of Sonali Bank UK in GIR
December 6 2018
News
Claire Cross attending the Annual Bar & Young Bar Conference 2018
November 23 2018
News
Claire Cross examines the FCA’s annual report and the SMCR regime in CDR Magazine
July 27 2018
Comments
Claire Cross comments on how the FCA could use the SMCR as a tool to tackle sexual harassment in Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence
July 2 2018
News
Claire Cross attending the European Fraud and Compliance Lawyers Conference 2018
June 8 2018
News
Claire Cross discusses insider trading in Financier Worldwide
April 18 2018
News
Claire Cross attending the 32nd Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime
February 28 2018
Comments
Claire Cross comments on the FCA tightening its antitrust rules in Behavox
January 25 2018
News
Claire Cross discusses FCA investigations and compulsion powers in Thomson Reuters Accelus
December 7 2017
Comments
Claire Cross comments on ex-Bank of America trader fined for market abuse in Bloomberg
November 22 2017
News
Claire Cross discusses FCA enforcement interviews in Thomson Reuters Accelus
September 25 2017
News
Claire Cross discusses the extension of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime in Criminal Law & Justice Weekly
August 16 2017
Comments
Claire Cross comments on the FCA’s proposals to expand the SMCR in Law360
July 28 2017
Comments
Claire Cross comments on FCA enforcement investigations in Law360
July 12 2017
Comments
Claire Cross comments on the FX Global Code in Law360
May 30 2017
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.