Neil Baki is a specialist trial advocate. He has extensive experience in civil and criminal fraud (including money laundering, bribery and corruption), contentious tax and financial litigation.
Ranked as a leading junior in the Legal 500 for fraud, Neil has been instructed to lead, and has been led in a number of extremely complex and high value fraud and tax cases. His work involves advising companies and financial institutions as well as individuals accused of dishonesty or misconduct.
Neil is regularly instructed by City firms, and directly by accountants to assist on a wide range of matters including breach of contract, contentious tax litigation and corporate criminal liability. Neil also has experience in drafting injunctions, freezing orders, asset tracing orders and affidavits, as well as defending in such applications, often at short notice.
Neil has advised a number of companies, investment firms and financial institutions as to their duties under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, Money Laundering Regulations and Bribery Act 2010. Neil has an excellent understanding of financial services law and the workings of the FCA, PRA, NCA, SFO and HMRC.
Neil has also advised on criminal offences relating to news gathering and investigations, conspiracy, bribery and interception of communications, blagging, data protection act offences and harassment. For example, Neil was instructed to advise a journalist in Operation Elveden and National newspaper editor in Operation Weeting in relation to bribery/corruption and phone-hacking taking place in the civil and criminal Court.
Neil has been instructed to lead, and has been led in a number of extremely complex and high value civil and criminal fraud cases. His work is split between representing individuals and increasingly companies and financial institutions.
Personal Injury
Neil is developing a busy and varied practice in both Claimant and Defendant personal injury work. Neil welcomes instructions in a wide range of matters from road traffic accidents, occupiers liability, Highways Act, long-term disability, fatal accidents, psychiatric injury, assault/abuse and disease.
With a keen eye for trial tactics, Neil welcomes being involved in cases from an early stage, whether that be drafting pleadings/defences, interim applications or advising on quantum.
With over 15 years experience of conducting complex trials, he has a particular skill for witness handling and robust advocacy in liability trials. Neil has a particular interest in cases pertaining to fraud, malingering and exaggerated claims.
Neil has been instructed to deal with difficult interlocutory applications, such as relief from sanctions, setting aside and default judgements where careful and persuasive written and oral advocacy is required.
Neil has combined his experience of high-level investigations and defence work with his personal injury practice to develop a particular specialism in pleading and establishing fraud.
Neil has particular expertise in cases concerning the investigation and defence of allegations of historic physical and sexual abuse. He is often instructed in cases that involve the analysis of voluminous Social Services/Local Authority, School and Medical records.
Neil is a specialist fraud barrister and is recognised in the Legal 500 as a leading junior in the field of fraud.
Neil has extensive experience in defending complex, high value fraud and dishonesty proceedings, having conducted numerous trials, many having trial estimates of weeks and on occasion, many months. Neil also acts on behalf of Claimants.
Neil has acted successfully in proceedings alleging fundamental dishonesty in the context of LVI, “crash for cash” conspiracies, fabricated and exaggerated injury,
phantom passengers, as well as prosecuting and defending Contempt of Court proceedings.
Neil has been described as a ferocious advocate whose preparation is first class. He gives clear and concise advice on paper and leaves no stone unturned in the representation of his clients.
Recent Personal Injury cases
(1) NB (2) CB v HBC (on-going)
Instructed to draft the Defence in response to Particulars of Claim drafted by Queen’s Counsel, in a substantial claim concerning breaches of the Claimant’s Article 8 rights and causing severe psychiatric injury, with respect to the first Claimant and her children, who were allegedly unlawfully removed from her care by a Local Authority.
NR v (1) UoG (2) RSA & (3) PS (on-going)
Instructed by the Claimant to peruse damages against a University and other teaching institutions, for severe psychiatric injury and very significant loss of earnings, following his removal from a teacher training course.
NCA v EAI & Another (Operation Redroot)
Privately instructed to lead the defence of a defendant accused of corruption and perverting the course of justice by bribing Nigerian State Officials and police officers within the background of an international human trafficking network from Nigeria into Germany. The case involved substantial and complex legal argument, including the cross examination of the Chief Legal Officer for NAPTIP and the Head of the Joint Border Task Force as part of a voir dire via live link to the British Consulate in Lagos. Whilst the offences were alleged to have been committed overseas, the prosecution was commenced by the UK authorities pursuant to s2 (6) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
HMRC v KRO & Others (Operation Harpseal)
Instructed to represent a main conspirator in a multi-million pound VAT conspiracy to cheat HMRC. A successful outcome was achieved following an abuse of process argument.
HMRC v Hadee Engineering Ltd
Hadee Holdings Ltd & Civil Environmental Systems (2016 - present) - Instructed to represent a holding company and its subsidiaries with respect to allegations of civil tax fraud, tax evasion (both direct and indirect tax) and issues surrounding the legality of an Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) in the Manchester Tax Tribunal.
HMRC v KH & SA Ltd & Ors (Operation Luna 2016 - present)
Operation Luna is a tax investigation by HMRC into capital tax relief tax arrangements designed for high net worth individuals surrounding the activities of Zeus Capital. Neil is instructed to represent the director of a film finance company (asset provider) concerning allegations of conspiracy to cheat the Revenue of more than £150m.
HMRC v JH & Ors (Operation Chainmail/Operation Crystallite 2015/2016)
Operation Chainmail and Crystallite were tax investigations concerning film tax fraud. Instructed to represent an investor defendant, who was employed as a senior equities trader at a well-known US bank.
HMRC v DH, AM, DS & Ors (Operation Incubus 2016 - present)
Criminal investigation concerning the evasion of duty on the importation of goods from Luxembourg to the UK. The alleged loss to the Revenue is estimated at £50m.
David Brown Systems Ltd & BAE Systems v HE Ltd (2017 - present)
Instructed to advise the defendant in breach of contract litigation concerning the alleged substandard manufacture of a submarine gearbox.
Lawson Developments v DL (2017)
Instructed to advise the defendant quantity surveyor relation to issues of illegality, concerning a claim for damages arising out of negligent advice over a building project.
NHS v JF & Ors (2016/2017)
Instructed to advise the director of an NHS consultancy firm and former partner of a global accountancy firm concerning allegations of fraud and misuse of confidential information.
Crest Nicholson (South) Ltd v Regional Investments Ltd (2016)
Advising in relation to a dispute over a large property development in Surrey, involving allegations of fraud, breach of contract and rectification claims.
R v AD & Ors (2015)
Acting on behalf of a company director for offences brought under the Companies Act and
Insolvency Act.
NTS v B & Ors (2015)
Instructed to represent one of the main defendant companies in one of the UK's largest trading standards investigations so far undertaken by the National Trading Standards team. Allegations included trade mark fraud, money laundering and unfair commercial practices.
R v Richardson & Ors (2014)
Instructed as lead counsel in a £5m mortgage fraud allegedly involving the complicity of professional mortgage brokers, surveyors and solicitors.
R v Ferkova & Ors (2013)
Instructed as lead counsel in a £1.5 m tax fraud.
R v Tagplates UK & Conroy (2013)
Instructed as lead counsel in relation to trade mark infringement concerning
Mercedes Benz, BMW, Ford and Land Rover.
If you would like to instruct Neil Baki or would like help or advice in doing so, please call and talk to our excellent clerking team, led by Chief Executive, Alan Kilbey MBE. Our phone number is +44 (0)20 7583 9241. Alternatively, please email us at chambers@farrarsbuilding.co.uk
For more information about our clerking team, please click here for the clerks page.
“A fearsome advocate and leaves no stone unturned in the defence of his clients” Legal 500, 2018. Fraud: Crime, Leading Junior
“His preparation is first class and his advocacy is excellent. It is a pleasure to watch him in Court”. Legal 500, 2017. Fraud: Crime, Leading Junior