Related services and key industries
Biography
Neil O'May is a corporate and white-collar crime lawyer based in London, where he leads the practice. He focuses on corporate and white collar criminal and regulatory cases, advising and defending some of the world's most prominent organizations and individuals in high-profile investigations and prosecutions.
Neil is experienced in defending prosecutions brought by the SFO, FCA, HMRC, CPS and CMA alleging bribery and corruption, international complex fraud and market abuse, and regularly deals with domestic and multinational financial and business crime investigations brought by a range of national and overseas agencies. He has extensive experience in cross-border investigations particularly those involving parallel US DoJ, European and Asian investigations. Neil also has extensive and varied experience in criminal investigations and prosecutions of tax, money laundering, cartel and insider dealing offences including for African-based logistics and supply companies. He works very closely with our global white collar and regulatory team.
In addition, Neil has extensive experience in representing clients in insider dealing and money laundering prosecutions and corporate manslaughter investigations.
Neil has been closely involved in the implementation and practice around Deferred Prosecution Agreements and has advised on company self-reports to the SFO.
Neil is recognized for his strong capabilities in the leading legal directories.
Professional experience
Collapse all- Solicitor, qualified in England & Wales
Advising:
- A former senior director – in connection with the SFO investigation into Petrofac.
- Carl Rogberg, former finance director at Tesco – in the major SFO fraud prosecution (acquittal secured).
- Victor Dahdaleh – in one of the largest corruption prosecutions by the SFO to date (acquittal secured).
- An individual – in relation to SFO's long-running investigations into Amec Foster Wheeler. The investigation closed with no charges brought against the client.
- A global manufacturing company – on a six-year SFO investigation into fraud, following a self-report. The investigation recently closed with no charges brought.
- An individual – in relation to a novel FCA investigation into market abuse. The investigation closed with no further action.
- A global financial institution on a multinational investigation – in relation to allegations of money laundering involving a large number of jurisdictions and regulators.
- The former head of Treasury at Barclays – in the 'Lowballing Libor investigations' which was ultimately dropped by the SFO.
- Global clients – in relation to UK Bribery Act 2010 risks.
- A multinational manufacturing company – during multiple corporate manslaughter investigations, coroner's jury inquests and criminal prosecutions.
- An oil and gas major – in health and safety and environmental prosecutions.
- Also in relation to the SFO investigations into Rolls-Royce and Serco.
Leading practitioner, Financial Crime, Chambers UK, 2022
'Hall of Fame', Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime and in Fraud: White Collar Crime, The Legal 500
- "clever and engaged, and has great judgement"
- "really impressive and a big hitter when it comes to criminal investigations"
- "one of the big beasts in the market".