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Ruth Paley

Partner

Ruth is a Partner in our Corporate Crime and Investigations team.

She is an expert in all aspects of financial crime including fraud, economic crime and money laundering, with a focus on specialist advice to corporates on compliance with the UK AML regime.

She is ranked as a key lawyer in risk advisory, regulatory investigations and corporate crime, described as 'one of the leading names in anti-money laundering work in London, with a depth of knowledge few in the City have', 'a powerhouse performer in global corporate investigations' and 'calm, considered and concise' with a ‘knowledge of AML law, procedure and compliance that is nothing short of outstanding'.

Prior to joining Eversheds in 2016, Ruth spent twelve years at the London Bar conducting heavyweight fraud and financial crime defence jury trials. She also has extensive prosecution experience including with the FCA, the SFO, and the Crown Prosecution Service as a Grade III prosecutor and former specialist panel advocate for the Serious/Organised Crime, POCA, Fraud and Rape lists.

‘One of the leading names in anti-money laundering work in London, with a depth of knowledge few in the City have’ [Legal 500 2021]

She has extensive experience in both criminal and regulatory investigations and enforcement, frequently leading on large AML advisory and remediation projects. Her recent work includes:

  • acting as the lead criminal lawyer for one of India's largest banks, in a ground-breaking cross-border FCA investigation into allegations of money laundering and AML systems and controls failings (one of only a handful of investigations into breaches of UK money laundering regulations, using the same provisions as the recent prosecution of NatWest)
  • leading the investigation team in a multi-jurisdictional investigation for a global energy sector firm into corrupt activities of employees in Iraq, Dubai and the UK
  • advising a well-known financial institution on an investigation into significant fraud and corruption on the part of one of its partners, impacting its client base and creating complex AML reporting obligations
  • advising several overseas banks under investigation by the FCA into various allegations including money laundering and AML systems and controls failings
  • acting for a global trading platform client in FCA and City of London Police investigations
  • advising a senior individual at a major financial institution in preparation for interviews under caution at the Serious Fraud Office

As a Skilled Person for the purposes of the FCA’s financial crime Skilled Person panel, Ruth regularly acts in a lead/advisory capacity on financial crime s.166 Skilled Person Reviews including the following:

  • acting-Skilled Person in a multi-year financial crime s.166 for an e-payment firm with a high-risk business model, examining all aspects of the firm's financial crime systems and controls
  • overall conduct of the transaction monitoring and SARs analysis in a s.166 for a large FX firm
  • advising a household name bank in a shadow s.166 financial crime review, assisting with preparation for Skilled Person interviews for 20 of the bank's senior executives
  • leading the s.166 investigation team of more than thirty lawyers and compliance professionals in a two-year instruction for a global financial institution in the Middle East considering AML, corporate governance and risk management arrangements

Ruth wrote the main chapter on Money Laundering Regulation and SARs in the new edition of the leading anti-bribery practitioner text, Lissack and Horlick on Bribery. She provides financial crime training to financial institution clients, including at board level. She is a prolific writer on the topic of AML and is regularly quoted in the national and trade press including the Financial Times, the Times, Lexis Nexis and Global Investigations Review.

  • Ranked in the Legal 500 2021 as a Key Lawyer in risk advisory, regulatory investigations and corporate crime
  • Ranked in the Legal 500 2022 in the Financial Services; Contentious Regulatory category
  • Committee member and officer of the Criminal Law Committee of the International Bar Association
  • Member of the Fraud Lawyers' Association
  • Member of the Criminal Bar Association
  • Member of the Female Fraud Forum
  • Bar of England and Wales in 2003 
Ruth Paley

Partner

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