Matthew Ewens

Key Experience

• Bribery and Corruption, Fraud and Money Laundering

  • SFO v Güralp & Others – Secured the acquittal of Dr Güralp, founder and former CEO of Güralp Systems Limited, who faced an allegation of corruption arising from the company's relationship with an official of a government agency in South Korea. The matters relating to the company were concluded by way of a Deferred Prosecution Agreement.  

  • R v R & Others – an ongoing investigation by the SFO into allegations of bribery of contractors. 

  • A v P Ltd – Acting on behalf of a UK company in successfully defending a private prosecution for various trademark offences brought on behalf of a well-known global technology company based in the US. The case was eventually taken over by the CPS who offered no evidence following early and robust representations made on behalf of the client.

  • Re J – providing advice to a UK wealth management firm regarding money laundering and enquiries by UK and US law enforcement.

  • R v J - Successfully defended a senior executive of JJB PLC against a prosecution brought by the SFO concerning his part in aiding and abetting another to mislead the market in respect of a capital raising venture.

  • R v W – Representing the first English professional cricketer to be charged with corruption. The case concerned the acceptance of money in exchange for underperformance to facilitate ‘spot-fixing’. Also representing the same client in regulatory proceedings before the English Cricket Board.

  • MHRA v IG – Successfully defending a client charged in a large scale international conspiracy to supply imitation pharmaceutical drugs (Operation Singapore). Considered by the prosecution to be the most serious breach of EU medicines control at the time.

  • Acting for former owner of national company in relation to charges of bribery and money laundering. 

  • Acting for HNW individual in relation to a £100m money laundering investigation. 

• Civil Litigation and Advice

  • Acting for clients and companies in relation to freezing order proceedings as stand-alone actions or those linked to criminal investigations as well as advising clients and interested third parties in proceedings brought under Part V of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

  • G Ltd & Others v G – representing the former owner of a limited company to defend high value claims relating to alleged bribery of a foreign public official.

  • C v B – Currently acting for an individual in the pre-action phase of a complex and high value matter concerning allegations of fraud and bribery.

  • Re O – acting for a Dutch company in its defence of an action brought by a Dutch bank for injunctive relief in relation to an Olympic medal winning horse (an asset of the respondent company). The proceedings were successfully concluded resulting in the return of the horse to the Dutch jurisdiction.

• Judicial Review

  • Challenges to search warrants and production orders.

  • A v P Ltd – representing a UK corporate in respect of a judicial review brought by a private prosecutor of a decision by the CPS to take over the conduct of proceedings with the intention of offering no evidence. The matter was concluded successfully.

  • HMRC v G & Others – Representing company directors and individuals in relation to actions for judicial review, resisting applications pursuant to s.59 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 claims and subsequent Supreme Court petitions, against the backdrop of proceedings where HM search warrants, restraint and receivership orders obtained by HMRC in a multi-million pound money laundering investigation had been quashed by the High Court and Court of Appeal.

• Appellate proceedings

  • R v R & Others [2015] EWCA Crim 1941 – Acting for a defendant in criminal fraud proceedings in relation to the prosecution's appeal of the Crown Court's decision to stay the indictment as an abuse of process. The Court of Appeal (Sir Brian Leveson, Gross LJ and Fulford LJ) took the opportunity to provide guidance in relation to disclosure in cases involving significant volumes of electronic material.

  • R (O) v Crown Court at Harrow [2007] 1 A.C. 249, House of Lords – Interrelation of Article 5(3) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and s.25 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

  • R v O [2009] EWCA Crim 905 – appeal following a 6 month trial. Conviction quashed on the basis that that bad character evidence adduced at trial rendered the trial unnecessarily complex for the jury.

•  Extradition

  • Representing individuals facing extradition proceedings arising out of requests from the United Kingdom as well as from other requesting States from within and outside of the European Union.

• Criminal Restraint and Confiscations

  • Successfully challenging an application for an Account Freezing Order brought against a solicitor.

  • Acting for individual in relation to confiscation proceedings valued at over £35m. 

Career History

Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Solicitor, Blackfords LLP
BPP Law School, Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test
College of Law, Bar Vocational Course
University of Hertfordshire, LLB (Hons)

Articles and Publications

• Draft 4th Amendment to the Money Laundering Directive - Beneficial ownership in the spotlight
• Joint Enterprise following R v Joggee; Ruddock v The Queen [2016] UKSC 8