Senior Associate
Steffan Baker is an experienced lawyer who acts on behalf of individuals and corporates across a broad range of fraud, white-collar crime and regulatory matters.
Steffan has advised clients on investigations and prosecutions by a wide range of bodies, including the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), National Crime Agency (NCA), HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). His cases frequently involve serious allegations such as fraud, insider dealing, money laundering, false accounting, bribery and corruption, and anti-competitive behaviour.
He was part of the team that successfully defended a former Managing Director of Tesco UK, who was acquitted at trial of allegations of fraud and false accounting arising from an alleged £250million overstatement of profit.
He has also represented individuals in connection with the SFO’s investigations into Unaoil, Serco, Libor and Euribor manipulation.
Many of Steffan’s cases have an international element and involving parallel investigations in the UK and overseas, including the US and Europe. He has advised on cross-border investigations and extradition proceedings. He often works alongside lawyers based in other jurisdictions.
Prior to joining Hickman & Rose, Steffan worked for another of London’s leading criminal defence law firms, where he was part of the team that secured the acquittal of a client prosecuted for insider dealing by the FCA.
From 2002 to 2010, he worked for the Crown Prosecution Service dealing with the most complex criminal allegations.
He trained at a leading civil rights firm, where he gained experience in a range of civil litigation areas, which included claims for judicial review in challenging the decisions of public bodies.
Steffan has a BA (Hons) in Anthropology from the University of Sussex, 2008. He completed his GDL and LPC at the College of Law, Bloomsbury and qualified as a solicitor in 2014.
Steffan is a member of the Young Fraud Lawyers Association and London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association.
Steffan is a financial crime specialist who works on Hickman & Rose’s most significant corporate and White Collar criminal defence cases.
He has considerable experience of advising client’s pre and post-charge. He has advised clients under investigation by the police, Serious Fraud Office (SFO), HMRC, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
He had a significant role in the team that achieved the acquittal of the former managing director of Tesco UK, on charges of fraud and false accounting brought by the SFO. The prosecution collapsed following a successful submission that there was no case for the defendants to answer.
Steffan has also advised individuals in connection with the SFO investigations into Serco, Unaoil, FH Bertling, Libor and Euribor manipulation.
Steffan 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.
Significant recent clients include Chris Bush, the former Tesco UK managing director successfully acquitted of fraud and false accounting, and individuals involved in the SFO’s investigation of Unaoil (overseas bribery and corruption in the Middle East), and LIBOR (benchmark manipulation) prosecutions.
He has considerable experience of cases that involve parallel investigations in the UK and overseas, including the US, Europe, the Middle East and 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.
Steffan is an expert on the law governing the proceeds of crime, money laundering and the seizure and confiscation of assets.
He has also advised on the issues involved in resisting Unexplained Wealth Orders and Account Freezing Orders.
Steffan specialises in representing financial professionals under investigation by regulatory bodies including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and regularly provides legal advice to clients facing parallel criminal and regulatory investigations.
His recent cases include advising former senior finance professionals with Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and RBS in respect of FCA investigations.
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