Partner
Ross Dixon is a hugely experienced partner working across a broad range of financial crime, business crime and regulatory law matters.
Committed, personable, and highly skilled, Ross takes a strategic approach to all his cases. He has achieved significant success in some of the UK’s most high-profile white-collar crime matters.
Ross often represents businesspeople – usually directors or senior executives – requiring legal advice and representation when their companies are under investigation.
He has acted in some of the UK’s most serious and complex fraud, false accounting and bribery and corruption cases. Recent successes include the acquittals of both the former MD of Tesco UK and the former CEO of G4S UK, in high profile cases prosecuted by the SFO.
In his regulatory practice Ross acts for those under scrutiny by their professional body. His expertise includes insider dealing and market abuse allegations before the FCA; accountants under investigation for variety of alleged misconduct by the FRC; and, solicitors dealing with the SRA.
Ross advises companies on a wide range of crime-related issues that arise from the discovery of potential wrongdoing within a company, including production and restraint orders, the execution of warrants and regulatory obligations.
He has served on the Law Society’s Money Laundering Task Force since 2012 and advises on a wide range of money laundering issues including defending Cash Seizure, Account Freezing Order and Account Forfeiture Order applications, as well as other aspects of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Ross has great experience of cases that involve parallel investigations in the UK and overseas, including the US, Europe, South East Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He often works closely with lawyers based in other jurisdictions. His experience includes providing advice and representation to people who face requests for mutual legal assistance and/or extradition.
Ross also has a long history representing professionals, business people and their families caught up in general and serious crime cases, whether in police investigations or before the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts.
Ross is the Chair of Partners at Hickman & Rose. He joined the firm in 1995 and became a partner in 1998. He is Vice-Chair of the International Bar Association Criminal Law Committee and a committee member of The Fraud Lawyers Association.
Ross has extensive experience and expertise in business crime cases. He has acted in some of the UK’s most significant fraud, false accounting and bribery and corruption cases.
He is recognised as a highly skilled lawyer, with great judgement and is wholly committed to his clients. His approach has resulted in significant success in landmark cases.
Ross regularly represents senior individuals and owners under suspicion in the SFO’s most high-profile matters, such as the recent bribery and corruption investigations into Airbus, Unaoil, Petrofac, Amec Foster Wheeler and Chemring Group, as well as advising witnesses and potential witnesses in many other SFO investigations.
His recent SFO fraud cases include acting for the former MD of Tesco UK Ltd, who was acquitted on charges of fraud and false accounting, arising from an alleged £250million overstatement of profit, and for the former CEO of G4S UK & Ireland acquitted of allegations of fraud arising from a significant government outsourcing contract. Both trials followed Deferred Prosecution Agreements between the company and the SFO; each case was dismissed before being left to the jury, raising serious questions about the SFO’s approach to individuals in DPAs.
As well as acting for individuals, Ross has long experience advising public and private companies when fraud and bribery allegations arise.
Many of his cases involve parallel investigations in the UK and overseas, including the US, Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia and he often works closely alongside lawyers based in other jurisdictions. His experience includes advice and representation for those facing requests for mutual legal assistance or extradition.
Ross has great expertise on the law governing the proceeds of crime, money laundering and the seizure and confiscation of assets, especially as it relates to complex financial investigations.
He gives specialist advice to those having to navigate the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, He has served on the Law Society’s Money Laundering Task Force since 2012 and is a regular speaking on these issues.
Ross is often instructed to advise on money laundering matters, including by law firms and fellow professionals having to grapple with the complexities that arise in these cases. He is also well versed in the issues involved in resisting Unexplained Wealth Orders and Account Freezing Orders.
As co-head of the firm’s financial crime department Ross Dixon regularly represents individuals facing parallel criminal and regulatory investigations. He has long experience acting in matters before professional regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority, the Financial Reporting Council and the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Personable and highly strategic, Ross excels at managing the often complex interplay between criminal and regulatory matters.
Ross currently acts for a former senior executive of Autonomy plc who has an ongoing case before the FRC as well as associated criminal proceedings arising out of the high profile fallout from the sale of the company to a US corporation.
Ross is highly adept at representing those caught up in criminal investigations in more than one jurisdiction. He is familiar with the issues that arise in these matters and is well versed at working with lawyers based in other countries and developing strategies and solutions to achieve the best outcome for clients.
His significant experience includes cases involving US law enforcement and financial regulators – in particular the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission – as well as in numerous European countries, the Middle East and in South East Asia.
His experience includes advice and representation for those facing requests for mutual legal assistance or extradition.
Ross’ recent clients in this area include the UK-based former CFO of BT Global Services being prosecuted in Italy on allegations of fraud relating to an alleged €600m overstatement of profit; a former senior executive of Autonomy caught up in civil, regulatory and criminal proceedings in the UK and US; and a senior airline executive under investigation in the UK and South East Asia in a very high profile bribery and corruption investigation.
Ross Dixon’s private client work focuses on providing high profile individuals and professionals – as well as their families – with specialist advice and representation in police investigations and proceedings before the criminal courts.
Ross understands the severe reputational impact an even unproven criminal allegation can have and is expert in devising the legal strategies which take this into account. He has achieved significant success in heading off investigations before any charges are brought.
As well as numerous White Collar clients, Ross played an important role in representing the firm’s clients in the investigation and criminal proceedings that followed the death of Hans Kristian Rausing’s wife; as well as in the firm’s representation of singer celebrity Tulisa Contostavlos and artist David Hockney.
27 Oct 2023
Hickman & Rose has again been recognised by The Times newspaper in its annual list of the best law firms in the UK.
Hickman & Rose is included in the 2024 list as a leading firm operating…
19 Oct 2023
Hickman & Rose continues to be recognised as one of the UK’s leading law firms in the latest edition of the Chambers & Partners legal directory.
The Serious & General Crime and…
4 Oct 2023
Hickman & Rose is proud to be recognised again as one of the country’s leading law firms by the Legal 500 directory.
The firm’s ‘outstanding’ Serious and General Crime…
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