Location
City of Westminster

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£69,666 per annum

About the Role
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigates and prosecutes the most serious and complex fraud, bribery, and corruption cases, pursues the proceeds of crime, and compensates victims where possible. As a Principal Investigative Lawyer, you will provide strong leadership to drive cases forward and deliver high-quality outcomes by collaborating with a variety of internal and external stakeholders worldwide. This engaging role involves providing legal expertise to bring cases to successful outcomes while working alongside investigators, accountants, digital specialists, and financial investigators. You will lead and manage teams, provide quality legal advice, and contribute to case progression.

We are also recruiting for Principal Investigative Lawyers within the Proceeds of Crime & International Assistance (POCIA) team. In this role, you will provide legal expertise to progress asset recovery and denial cases under both civil and criminal provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act. You will work with financial investigators, case progression officers, and crypto specialists to support these complex cases.

Key Responsibilities for Principal Investigative Lawyer
Providing advice on prosecutions and Deferred Prosecution Agreements, drafting search warrants, attending searches, interviewing witnesses, identifying asset recovery options in collaboration with the Proceeds of Crime team, and engaging counsel for trial and disclosure work. You will engage with overseas law enforcement and prosecuting agencies, with possible travel, enhance your technical skills through working with digital evidence (training provided), draft case strategy and key decisions, support team building, and work on a variety of cases to expand your career experience.

Key Responsibilities for Principal Investigative Lawyer (POCIA)
Providing advice on the use of POCA powers, drafting court applications with financial investigators, attending searches, briefing counsel, engaging with respondents and their representatives, supporting disclosure, and liaising with criminal case teams. You will engage with overseas law enforcement and prosecuting agencies to support International Assistance casework, attend court and represent POCIA in non-complex matters if rights of audience are held, draft case strategy and key decisions, support team building, and work on a variety of cases to expand your career experience.

Experience
- Delivering successful case outcomes and demonstrating leadership in a complex, multi-strand legal or investigative environment
- Ability to assess significant amounts of complex information, distil key points, and communicate clearly in writing and orally
- Effective decision making and influencing stakeholders and staff in complex, fast-moving environments

Desirable Experience
- Experience managing large quantities of data using software tools and review databases
- Written and/or oral advocacy in courts and/or tribunals
- Advising on and/or delivering disclosure under the Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act 1996

Additional Experience for POCIA Role
- Practical experience of legal remedies and tools pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Criminal Finance Act 2017
- Significant experience of at least two of the following: restraint proceedings; confiscation investigations and proceedings of complex orders (confiscation or civil recovery); civil recovery and/or civil recovery investigations; requests from overseas jurisdictions for asset recovery assistance
- Excellent drafting and communication skills

About You
You will be a confident legal professional able to lead and influence in a demanding environment. You will have strong interpersonal skills to work collaboratively with diverse teams and external partners. You are motivated by achieving high-quality legal outcomes and committed to continuous professional development.

Qualifications
You must be a barrister authorised by the Bar Council to practice in England and Wales OR a solicitor admitted by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and authorised to practice in England and Wales with a minimum of 2 years post-qualification experience (PQE).