Zacharias is a leading international and UK criminal lawyer. He is regularly instructed by high profile clients around the world and has been instructed in the UK in many of the leading cases involving criminal law and commercial fraud.
He is known for having an incredible eye for detail, superb technical ability and litigation instinct. He is fearless however he is approachable with excellent interpersonal skills to bring the best out of his clients. He is known for his phenomenal ability in the court and commanding court presence.
He is authorised to conduct litigation in relation to all areas of practice and direct access authorised.
He started practice at the bar as a commercial and criminal/ civil intellectual property lawyer and in his early years practised in both civil and criminal law. Zacharias has developed a specialist area which sits at the junction of criminal law and commercial fraud. Having been in practice for over 25 years, he has acquired great experience in many areas of law and is now taking on national and international fraud/ bribery cases with multi-disciplinary teams. He has a wealth of experience in advising clients particularly in the early stages and in crisis, setting out their options and guiding their responses, whilst also making the preparations necessary for future litigation.
Instructions include representing Vincent Tchenguiz in both the criminal SFO proceedings and in the commercial actions against the SFO for misfeasance and damages. Instructions included the commercial fraud actions arising in the complex commercial fraud case of Vincent Tchenguiz and Rawlinson & Hunter in claims in the BVI and London against Grant Thornton (UK) and Kaupthing Bank (Iceland) for damages amounting to £2.2bn; acting on behalf of a family in relation to a worldwide £800m fraud against their trust; allegations against international clients of insider dealing and market manipulation in France; allegations of fraud/corruption by an international property company in a European investigation of £1.6bn in Belgium; actions for misconduct by trustees; commercial actions for libor and banking fraud; blackmail, bribery and corruption in the UK and abroad.
He works closely with global company heads and international family offices providing strategic solutions to complex litigation and leading multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional teams. Directing and deploying effective strategies to deal with complex situations and cases.
Notable Cases
R v M, 2024-2025
Largest Immigration Fraud investigation
Fraud allegations involving regulated OSIC Immigration advisers company directors, accountants and complex company web structures . Cross border evidence and nationals from Pakistan/ Ireland.
R v Co and S Ltd, 2024
Co involved in research and development providing alleged tax advisory business – allegations of breach of money laundering regulations ,Money Laundering Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds regulations
R v Co Commercial waste and co Fraud, 2024
Allegations of 3 companies involved in large scale commercial and household waste fraud across the UK involving £Ms contrary to Environmental Protection Act 1990 and fraudulent trading.
R v WARD, 2022
The largest international pharmaceutical generic drugs fraud involving dark net organisations and money laundering via cryptocurrency exchanges. The value of the fraud is excess of £30m. The litigation involves cross border evidence from the USA and Europe. The money laundering assets in excess of £100m.
R v JAVAID, 2021
34 million international money service bureau fraud. Zacharias lead counsel for the main defendant of four defendants made extensive submissions Zacharias and argued there had been "catastrophic disclosure failures" on the part of the crown forcing the prosecution to accept they had not prepared their case properly.
In what was almost a week of legal argument after 6 weeks of the trial process and following extensive cross-examination by Mr Miah, the prosecution conceded that the questioning of their witnesses had exposed significant evidential issues, disclosure failures across the investigation and information from the MSB software operating systems which meant the case had to stop. The crown offered no evidence and not guilty pleas entered on all counts for all 4 defendants.
News report here
R v Mohammed, 2020
Allegations that a uniformed sergeant in the West Midlands Police who was a dishonest policeman was passing criminal intelligence to the co defendant. He knowingly and deliberately abused his unique position as a trusted police officer to help his personal friends and acquaintances who were civilians. They did this by accessing sensitive and highly confidential data held on police computers to research internal police information about incidents that his friends and acquaintances were involved. They targeted sensitive data for their own criminal purposes.
R v Akobola, 2021
Contrary to s.993 to Companies Act 2006 and Business Regulation Offences it was alleged that Wemba Akobola was knowingly a party to the carrying on of the company Tshovo Accountancy Services Limited for a fraudulent purpose, namely, to defraud clients and prospective clients of the firm, and misrepresenting that the junior accountants would be trained, earn income whilst training and earn between £20,000 plus income to that extent that for every employee they had offered a job would require a minimum business net profit of over 1.4m and offering audit services to city companies when they were not qualified to do so.
News report here
Cyber Fraud, 2019
Large scale cyber fraud investigation and purchase of hacked and stolen cards in secret websites through access points on the internet pending.
Operation Hallet, 2019
Application to recuse trial judge who conducted major drugs trial involving large scale supply of drugs across Wales and North West. Application to recuse Trial Judge involving second Trial involving money laundering charges- Judge made significant findings in drugs trial – Judge recused himself after filing of legal submissions and case law.
Operation Keysela and Operation Khamsin, 2019
Multi-handed money laundering trial involving cyber fraud and hacking of high profile victim and layering of funds through complex web of companies.
Operation 6950/14, 2018
The Defendant was charged with conspiracy to handle motor vehicles in the West Midlands area valued in excess of £1m. The evidence in the case covers 3 years of investigation and over 25,000 pages of documents and electronic evidence. The Defendant was regarded as an expert in radio frequency and using special electronic techniques. Exposed prosecution experts knowledge in RF and systems operating in wider car market comparing new and old electronic and computer systems. The Defendant was found not guilty of all counts by unanimous jury acquittal.
Financial CrimeUnaoil Represented Co Director, 2023
USA and UK proceedings- largest Oil Bribery Case involving multinational companies.
Belgum/ Dutch Company alleged to have been involved in 1.6bn Bribery allegations, 2022-2023
Advised on investigation/ unlawful arrest and extradition. Case was ultimately dismissed after lengthy defence preparation and presentation to the Judicial investigators.
Vincent Tchenguiz v Kaupthing Bank and Grant Thornton, 2019
Advised in claims in the BVI and London against Grant Thornton (UK) and Kaupthing bank (Iceland)
Top Zinc Ltd v Hilton Hotels, Alix Partners et al, 2018
A portfolio of Hilton hotels bought by Vincent Tchenguiz, leased back to Hilton and eventually put into administration upon default of a loan scheme hedged by Bayerische Landesbank in circumstances where the value of assets were believed to be undersold.
Story here
Perry v Lexinta Group, 2018
A Ponzi scheme fraud by a Swiss registered company using the Hong Kong branch of the Singapore based bank DBS.
SFO/DOJ v UNAOIL, 2018
Multi jurisdictional case of corruption in the global oil industry. Representing Ahsani family and UNAOIL in US, UK and elsewhere.
See here and here for full story
Perry v LOPAG, 2017
Embezzlement and fraud involving a Liechtenstein trust of high value with litigation in Cayman Islands, US, Israel, Switzerland, UK, Liechtenstein. See Mark Hollingsworth , Independent, Thursday 8 March 2018 Liechtenstein: The mysterious tax heaven that's losing the trust of the super-rich.
Vincent Tchenguiz v SFO, 2013
Represented and advised on misfeasance in public office v SFO officers. Settled.
Vincent Tchenguiz and SFO, 2011
Advised on SFO allegations and Kaupthing Bank Iceland.
Commercial / criminal pleadings
Libor/ Swaps claims v banks – settled 2014/2015. Review of USA cases involving above claims.
International Fraud, Bribery and CorruptionAdvised on extradition of Icelandic nationals to the UK for allegations of banking fraud.
Advised and represented clients on extradition applications between UK and Monaco resisting the application successfully.
Advising on EAW and extradition from Italy to Belgium on potential breach of EAW rules by Belgium.
Advising on competing interest of extradition between USA and UK of a European national in another European country.
ExtraditionMetals Fraud, February 2012
West Midlands £50m metals fraud involving an international metals business exporting worldwide and Scandinavian countries
R v Joshim Ahmed, 2012 EWCA
Court of Appeal found “Scrappy conduct by Judge” - duty of a Judge when referring to a Defendant’s police interview.
R v Mohammed Sharif 2010 EWCA 1709
Quashing of a 1999 conviction on fresh evidence inherent genetic and brain damage expert evidence. Exposed failures in imaging and scanning capabilities and reporting by experts whereas new expert evidence and techniques demonstrated the changes in the brain abnormality (CT/MRI) confirmed inherent brain abnormalities.
The Queen on the Application of Ahmed v HM Coroner South East Cumbria 2009 EWHC 1653
Judicial Review, procedure, disclosure, verdict statement of Coroner over turned.
R. v Iqbal (Nadeem) [2005] EWCA Crim 1368
Maximum sentence and reduction of sentence for early guilty plea.
L v Tower Hamlets LBC [2001] Fam. 313; [2001] 2 W.L.R. 909; [2000] 3 All E.R. 346; [2000] 1 F.L.R. 825
Duty of professional care of Government Services.
Gosain v Gosain 2001 All ER (CA) 116
Ancillary relief disclosure.
Re S (CA) [1998] 1 WLR 1701; [1998] 2 F.L.R. 921
Jurisdiction Arguments India (Court of Appeal)
Rafiq v Chief Constable of Manchester 1995 malicious attack, extensive forensic enquiry, duty of care.
Manchester High Court
Disclosure ordered of all police officers uniforms for forensic investigation resulted in identifying key suspects and claim for damages.
Re Youngs, 1995
Microsoft Hacking. Advised on one of first reported major hacking cases in the UK and advised on prosecution. Technical evidence and trial of alleged hacker. Hacker convicted.
St Albans Crown Court.
Re M CA (1994) The Times; [1995] 1 F.L.R. 546; [1995] 2 F.C.R. 435 (Child appeal).
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Achievements
- The Criminal Bar Association
- The Commercial Fraud Lawyers Association
- Human Rights Lawyers Association
- International Bar Association
- International Council of Jurists
- The Society of Asian Lawyers
- European Criminal Bar Association/European Fraud and Compliance Lawyers
- European Fraud Lawyers Association
- Private Prosecution Association
- INQUEST
- Extensive technical knowledge involving “new tech” investigations, cyber and IT related matters. Copyright and IP fraud related matters.
- Use and preparation of intelligence /analytical charts presentation for the jury in complex case
- Cross border litigation with European and USA Law firms
- Whistle blowing cases involving complex fraud and global finance
- Extensive knowledge in forensic investigations – Inquests (previously Shafilea Ahmed. Face of Asia, death in prison, ambulance service failures and disclosure from medical institutions)
- Researching law relating to artificial intelligence and data sets in cancer and radiology.
- Stem cell treatment UK and US law
- Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Intellectual Property Law
- Masters Law International Law copyright and trademarks awarded with Merit
- Forensic Medicine & Science 1st Winner Baron Ver Hayden De Lancey prize
- Duke of Edinburgh entrance scholarship to the Bar
- Pegasus International Scholarship
- Inner Temple, Foreign Office Commonwealth Trust, House of Lords 1990, Clifford Chance
- Master of the Bench Award Inner Temple
- Inner Temple
- Scholarships 1990,1991 1992 advanced scientific /medical training as a Barrister
- Scholarship Inner Temple