Anthony Peto QC

Civil Fraud:

Over the last 10 years Tony has been instructed in hundreds of  High Court actions involving civil fraud, abuse of intellectual property, theft of confidential information  or similar forms of commercial dishonesty, often leading multi-disciplinary teams of barristers, solicitors, investigators, foreign lawyers, computer experts and forensic accountants.

• Serious Organised Crime Agency v Perry (ongoing)
  Acting for SOCA, a civil recovery claim worth over £100m in relation to an alleged international pension and insurance fraud. It has already involved two Court of Appeal appearances on questions of international jurisdiction.
• BTA Bank v Ablyazov & ors (ongoing)
  Acting for one of the individual defendants in two very substantial fraud claims (said to be worth $200 million and $120 million respectively) brought by a Kazakh bank against its former chairman and various others in the Commercial Court. Ongoing – further CMC in a total of 5 actions will take place around Easter 2011 to determine how trial will take place.
• 3i plc v Holyoake (2010)
  Acting for claimant private equity investors in alleged £70 million fraud claim. Obtained freezing injunction before Vos J.
• Izodia Plc v. (1) Edward Vandyk (2) Corporate Synergy Holdings Ltd Chancery Division, (2010 ongoing)
  Acting for the claimant company in high-profile claim against City entrepreneur, concerning claims for fraudulent misrepresentation and breaches of fiduciary duty arising out of a commercial property transaction. Listed for 2 week trial in November 2011. 
• AB v XY & Others (Ch D) (2009 – 10)
  Acted for the Claimant valuers in relation to a £multi m claim for damages and indemnity declarations in relation to a very large scale mortgage fraud. The case required detailed pre-action analysis and planning for the underlying investigation. Multiple search orders, freezing orders and delivery-up orders were obtained against a large number of Defendants. A set of sample transactions were due to proceed to a 4 week trial in October 2010 but the case settled shortly beforehand. The case involved nearly 1,000 transactions.
• Serious Organised Crime Agency v Gale  [2009]
  Successful major trial against international drug dealers and money launderers aimed at the recovery of millions of pounds worth of criminal proceeds. The Defendants’ appeal to the Court of Appeal is still pending. Probably the heaviest and longest high court trial conducted by SOCA so far in its civil recovery work. 
• Treasury Solicitors v Doveton (2006 - 2008)
  Bringing applications for multiple freezing orders (in England, Guernsey and Liechtenstein), search orders and committal proceedings to compel disclosure of about £1m misappropriated from the government. 

• Counsel to a multi-billion dollar international software house (2000-2008) in over a dozen anti-counterfeiting and IP abuse actions in which the claims amounted to over USUS$100m.
• Counsel to a multi-billion dollar international pharmaceutical company 
  (2007-2008) in three multi-million pound actions; one involving corruption in the pharmaceutical industry and the other against a group dealing in counterfeit drugs.
• Treasury Solicitors v Doveton Ch (2006-2008)
  Appearing as lead Counsel for the Crown  in a series of 7  applications for search orders, bench warrants, freezing orders and committal orders in order to recover over £1m allegedly misappropriated from the government.
• Campaign against the Arms Trade (CAAT) v BAE Systems and Mercer QB (2007)   
  Acted as lead Counsel for CAAT in a series of injunction applications against BAE’s confidential agents to compel disclosure of identity of mole/ hacker who had allegedly stolen privileged CAAT documents relating to the judicial review against the SFO for dropping the “Al Yamamah” investigation into alleged bribery of Saudi officials.
• ESur v Rahman (2006-7)
  £5m-£10m alleged mortgage fraud against over 80 active Defendants; acting as lead counsel obtaining over 60 injunctions.
• WestLB v Yacub QB (2007)
  Alleged international banking fraud. Lead Counsel for Hong-Kong branch of German bank, obtaining international asset tracing orders and Search Orders in relation to funds allegedly laundered through Hong-Kong, Singapore, Latvia, Liechtenstein and BVI.
• K v X QB (2007)
  Lead counsel for USA party to US$400m litigation.  Obtaining disclosure order against internet provider to identify unknown hacker who had secretly accessed privileged correspondence between client and solicitor.
• Cinar Corporation v Panju (2006)
  £50m fraud claim.  Lead Counsel obtaining far reaching international freezing orders, disclosure orders and passport orders in a series of heavy Commercial Court hearings in response to a request for assistance from the courts of Quebec. Co-ordinating asset recovery injunctions with Canadian, USA and Caribbean lawyers.
• Electrolux v Rumble (2006)
  £1.5m alleged bribery and fraud claim against IT director. Appearing at series of injunction hearings for freezing and disclosure orders. 
• Daraydan v Solland [2004] 3 WLR 1106
  Representing the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar in a multi-million pound fraud action.  This is now a leading case on law of bribery.
• Medina Dairy v Nijjav (2004)
  Multiple search orders and disclosure orders in case of alleged fraud, breach of confidence, conspiracy to injure and malicious falsehood.

In addition:

Tony has brought fraud actions and obtained pre-emptive remedies on behalf of clients such as BP Oil/Safeway Stores, Gucci, Vodafone, Tate & Lyle, the Bank of Ireland, Abbey Life, Bradford & Bingley Plc, Royal Bank of Scotland subsidiaries, Electrolux and  Foyles Books.

Interesting cases in which Tony has advised and appeared for Defendants include:

• Sec of State v R (2007)
  Defending a £15m fraud claim brought by a government department in relation to alleged corruption in public procurement.
• Federal Republic of Nigeria v Abacha (2001– 2003)
  Instructed as senior junior defending a $US2.5 billion claim 2001-2003. This is believed to be the largest civil fraud claim ever brought in the UK.
• Defending ex-company Directors in relation to a £30m VAT fraud.
• Defending a US$100m claim arising out of alleged complicity in a “prime bank guarantee” fraud.
• Defending Jersey Trustees from allegations of complicity in a £20m fraud.

Further earlier interesting cases in which Tony has appeared include:

• R v Advertising Standards Authority ex parte F [1997] QBD
  Defending public body against an application for injunction in judicial review proceedings.
• In re a Company No 007816 of 1994, [1995] 2 BCLC 539 Companies Court and Court of Appeal.
  Successfully defended two overseas insurance companies and two underwriting agencies in the High Court and Court of Appeal in DTI ‘Public Interest’ petitions.
• Baynham & Others v Philips Electronics (UK) Ltd & Others. The Times 19 July 1995, (Transcript : Counsel) Successfully represented 150 Plaintiffs in Group Action against former employers for breach of post-retirement rights.
• Denny v Yeldon and others, [1995] 3 All ER 624, 7 March 1995.
  Point of construction in Pensions/Trustees legislation.
• Shomer v B & R Residential Lettings Ltd, Court of Appeal (Civil Division), [1992] IRLR 317, 8 April 1992
  Sex discrimination - pregnancy.
• Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Langley and Others, [1993] BCLC 1340, [1992] BCC 585
  Company Directors (Disqualification) Act 1986
• R v Reading JJ v Chief Const. of Avon & Somerset and Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce ex p S W Meats Ltd Divisional Court Indept 13/12/91
  Judicial review - exemplary damages against the EU Intervention Board for excessive and oppressive abuse of power.
• Cobbs Property Services Ltd v Liddell-Taylor, Court of Appeal [1990] 12 EG 104
  Agents' commission.
• Regina v Greenwich London Borough Council, ex parte Lovelace and Fay, [1990] 1 All ER 353
  Judicial review - local government - access to information - a dispute as to the adequacy of an inquiry as to misconduct in a children's home.
• Rickless and Others v United Artists Corp and Others, Court of Appeal [1988] 1 QB 40
  Case under Performers Protection Act (the Peter Sellars/Pink Panther Case)

Tony has had considerable experience in providing continuing education courses approved by The Law Society, especially courses on pre-emptive remedies, fraud law and practice, human rights in civil fraud cases and in advanced advocacy. He was also a part-time tutor at Churchill College, Cambridge 1984-7.

Other Information:

VAT registration number:  447006074