About Kiran Mehta
Kiran was admitted as a solicitor in 2006. He joined Hodge Jones & Allen in 2017 as a Partner and was appointed Joint Head of the Business Crime & Regulatory Team in 2019.
He has many years of experience defending and advising clients from diverse backgrounds in a variety of circumstances. He advises high net worth individuals and corporate entities in connection with financial crime and regulatory matters. He is also frequently called upon to advise clients in connection with serious criminal allegations, in particular Sexual Offences.
His work with corporates has led to providing advice in a range of other financial crime and fraud related civil and commercial disputes. Likewise, Kiran has advised high profile individuals in connection with reputation management.
Over the years, Kiran has been exclusively instructed in some of the most high profile and complex cases in the UK.
Kiran is routinely instructed in cases prosecuted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Kiran also regularly advises clients involved in regulatory matters by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA), the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), The General Dental Council (GDC) and the General Medical Council (GMC).
A lot of clients instruct Kiran as soon as an investigation commences. This ensures that Kiran can identify any points early that might lead to the conclusion of an investigation with no further action being taken by the investigating authority. Kiran has a track record of success in averting the threat of prosecution. Likewise in securing the conclusion of prosecutions without conviction either through disclosure points, legal arguments or through meticulous trial preparation.
“Kiran Mehta is the standout solicitor. He gives every case his all, which is considerable, given that he is frighteningly clever and one of the best lawyers in the field.” - Legal 500, 2024
“an outstanding professional with an unrivalled work ethic.” - Legal 500, 2021
Kiran has been consistently recommended by the UK’s leading legal directories for the quality of his work in both Financial Crime and Criminal Defence since 2012.
In 2015, Kiran was awarded Criminal Lawyer of the Year by the Society of Asian Lawyers.
Notable Serious Crime & Financial Cases
- Acting for one of the defendants in Operation Tabernula, the FCA’s largest and most wide reaching investigation into Insider Dealing in the City involving in the financial services industry and involved allegations against former executives from Deutsche Bank, Lehman Brothers, UBS, Panmure Gordon, and a former Financial Director of Arcadia Group and Diageo Plc. Successful representation led to charge of insider dealing being dropped.
- Advising the directors of a coach company in connection with a criminal investigation and prosecution by HMRC. Successful representation led to director not being disqualified and receiving an extremely low sentence thus allowing him to continue running the company.
- Representing the director of a company alleged to have been involved in the trade of counterfeit clothing in this prosecution supported by Adidas plc. Matter first of its kind to go to the Supreme Court to test the law on grey market goods under the Trade Marks Act. Disclosure problems for the Crown Prosecution Service led to case being dropped after a five year investigation and prosecution.
- Advising a Hedge Fund Manager in connection with an investigation for fraud and corruption within a Bank. Client was eventually treated as a witness rather than a suspect.
- Acting for a professional in a large scale Money Laundering prosecution total value circa £60 million. Client secured extremely favourable outcome where he was convicted and sentenced on the basis of involvement in a conspiracy over a mere couple of months, compared to the prosecution case of a conspiracy spanning many years.
- Advising a Middle Eastern businessman in connection with an allegation of fraud conducted on one of the world’s largest electrical retailers, in excess of £10 million in the context of a shareholder dispute. Advice led to client securing a very favourable settlement notwithstanding the allegations.
- Advising the Chief Financial Officer of a global cryptocurrency exchange in connection with potential allegations of large scale fraud of a large sum of cryptocurrency. Pre charge advice led to no further action taken by the investigating authority.
- Acted for a company director prosecuted by the CMA in the first prosecution for price fixing and Cartels since the CMA’s failure in the BA/ Virgin case connected to the Galvanised Steel Tanks industry. Client acquitted after trial within a couple of hours despite the CMA spending in excess of five years investigating and prosecuting the case.
- Acted for the partner of a prominent forensic accountant practice in connection with allegations of bribery, corruption and phone hacking related to Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club, West Ham Football Club and the Olympic Legacy Committee. Client secured a very favourable outcome, disposing of the case by way of a fine.
- Across nearly two decades of legal practice, Kiran has advised in numerous other high profile, high value fraud prosecutions for a variety of different types of fraud ranging from the whole gamut of VAT frauds to Telecommunications Frauds to Wine Investment Frauds and Boiler Room Scams.
Notable Regulatory & linked Civil and Commercial Cases
- Advising doctors in connection with breaches of the GMC code of conduct and impairment of fitness to practice.
- Acting for and advising doctors in connection with civil proceedings for a high value debt claim; linked advice in connection GMC with fitness to practice.
- Advising a dentist in connection with potential regulatory proceedings in connection with an audit carried out on a dental practice by the NHS Business Services Authority relating to the nature of claims made by the practice for dental work carried out on patients.
- Advising FCA regulated professional in connection with FCA regulatory action for potential breach of Statements of Principle and Codes of Practice.
- Advising a corporate entity in connection with a MHRA investigation for the unlawful supply of licenced medicines and in connection with the ingredients contained within the products.
- Advising a corporate entity regulated by the MHRA in connection with claims made about the product making the product medicinal and providing practical solutions to resolve the concerns raised by the MHRA.
- Advising director of high profile clothing company in connection with shareholders dispute and fraudulent misrepresentations
Notable Corporate Crime Cases
- Acting for corporate entity and its directors being investigated for the supply of unlawful drugs. Commenced and handled a full corporate internal investigation to establish internal procedures relating to the ordering and purchase of products, assessing the culpabilities of directors and senior management, including provision of advice on establishing new ordering procedures, staff training and due diligence. Led to pre charge representations to the investigating authority and police. No further action was taken against the corporate and its directors.
- Advised the board of directors of one of the UK’s largest suppliers of alcohol in proceedings against HMRC. This included complex VAT Tribunal proceedings concerning compliance with HMRC regulations and linked Judicial Review proceedings as well as advice on EU Law.
Notable Asset Forfeiture, Confiscation and Restrain Cases
- Acting in confiscation proceedings connected to Operation Tabernula, FCA’s largest investigation into insider dealing.
- Acting for high profile Ukrainian businessman who is the Director of a large, reputable Ukraine based company which trades with some of the largest European retailers. Advice in connection with substantial funds restrained under s.41 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
- Recently represented an accountant in connection with confiscation proceedings. Prosecution sought benefit figure in excess of half a million pounds and an allegation of hidden assets. Secured confiscation order for £1.
- Kiran is also experienced in acting for third parties to confiscation orders under s.18A POCA 2002 notices to third parties and applications for inadequacy and reductions and increases to confiscation orders.
- Kiran has defended in a range of civil recovery applications by the NCA for seizure of assets and funds that they deem to be the proceeds of crime. This includes attendance at civil interviews held by the National Crime Agency under POCA 2002
Notable Serious Crime and Extradition Cases
- Acting for a defendant in one of UK’s largest ever hauls of cocaine. Substantial case involving many hundreds of thousands of pages with evidence extending multiple legal jurisdictions. Despite the largescale investigation and prosecution for nearly a decade, CPS forced to drop case further to identification of significant disclosure concerns.
- Acting for one of the defendants in a large scale undercover operation by police officers since 2015 into organised crime and the supply of Class A drugs in the UK.
- Acting for individual in large scale investigation by the Counter Terrorism Unit, largest case of its kind in the UK.
- Privately acting for numerous high net worth individuals pre-charge in allegations of sexual offences arising from a wide variety circumstances from paedophile sting type operations to teachers and tutors to bankers and company directors accused of sexual impropriety and historic rape allegations.
- Recently advised a high profile director of a large UK retailer in connection with sexual impropriety.
- Acting for Dutch national who is the subject of an extradition request from the UK to face historic allegations of sexual assault; managing the extradition requests from the UK in conjunction with Dutch lawyer and acting in linked successful judicial review of CPS decision to withhold pre charge disclosure.
- Instructed in numerous Murder cases over the years from Operation Trident investigations to East End Murders. Previously, Kiran acted for a Saudi national following his extradition to the UK to face prosecution for Murder following the discovery of a body in a suitcase in the car park of Heathrow Airport.
- Instructed by Albanian national in extradition request by the Republic of Albania for allegations of war crimes and torture during his tenure as the Head of the Secret Services in Albania
Client Comments
- “I can’t recommend the ultra professional, Kiran Mehta enough. He and his Team have been absolutely amazing over the last 3.5 years !!! He left no stone unturned and worked tirelessly on my case. Kiran and his super strong team Priya Patel (Barrister) and John Ryder QC were so professional, kind, caring, supportive and helped me from the very beginning to the very very end. We of course won the case and my legal nightmare ended but I am truly thankful from the bottom of heart to have had such a wonderful legal team around me. I want the world to know that Kiran Mehta is the Best Solicitor Ever !! Priya Patel is the most amazing Barrister Ever and QC John Ryder are the best legal team in the World ! Thank you all so much I will never forget all your help and assistance !!!”
Career & Education
Career
- 2019: Joint Head of Business Crime & Regulatory Team, Hodge Jones & Allen
- 2017: Partner, Hodge Jones & Allen
- 2015: Head of Business Crime, Neumans
- 2006: Qualified and Admitted as a solicitor
Memberships & Appointments
- Serving as a school governor of local primary school responsible for Health & Safety. Appointed to school’s finance committee
- Worked with well-known drugs charity in connection with public policy.
Education
- 2008: University of London, Government Policy & Politics MSc
- 2005: The College of Law, London, The Legal Practice Course
- 2003: Queen Mary’s, University of London, Law Degree LLB (Hons)