Mike Warren

Mike’s work covers the complete spectrum of criminal and regulatory allegations however he has a particular specialty in the area of serious and complex crime such as high value Fraud investigations, large criminal conspiracies and complicated regulatory investigations and proceedings. Mike has acted for both individual and corporate defendants with a client base ranging from professional footballers and high net worth individuals to Company Directors and  International PLCs .He remains a highly respected practitioner gaining  national recognition in the Legal 500 and Chambers UK ( Guide to the UK Legal Profession).

Mike offers total commitment to every case he deals with and clients benefit from his hands on and pragmatic approach and  each client can be assured of the highest quality of service and  astute  strategic advice from the outset of their case. Mike has recently concluded a large Conspiracy to Defraud  case brought against three of his business clients in relation to suggested criminal activity to the value of £46m. In one of the largest local authority prosecutions ever seen  Mike and his team had conduct of the central three individuals in an investigation and proceedings against 9 individuals which ran from 2014 to 2022. The Prosecution eventually offered no evidence against all defendants after conceding that systemic failings  with disclosure  highlighted by the defence were irremediable.

Mike was among the very first Solicitors to obtain Higher Rights of Audience and regularly conducts his own advocacy in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal.

Mike specialises in privately funded cases however also  deals with publicly funded matters .

Practice Areas

• Fraud
• Business Crime and company and insolvency offences
• Money Laundering
• Trading standards offences & frauds
• Confiscation & Restraint
• Murder & Manslaughter
• Drug conspiracies
• Sexual Offences
• Environmental offences

Significant Cases

• R v B: Mike represented a former Police Officer facing an allegation of importing over £15million of Class A drugs from South America into the UK. With the case comprising some 3 separate trials over 4 years the proceedings were concluded with the case being stayed as an Abuse of Process and proceedings against his client ending. Convicted co-defendants each received prison sentences in excess of 15 years
• R v A: Representation of a GP facing allegations of sexual assault on a young female patient. The client instructed Mike on a private basis foregoing representation via his own professional bodies legal insurance scheme and was acquitted of all allegations following crown court trial.
• R v B: Representation of a business owner facing extensive Trading Standards charges over the course of two separate prosecutions under the Consumer Protection Regulations. In the first proceedings a Confiscation application seeking in excess of £500k was reduced to under £10k. In the more recent case an indictment containing over 60 counts was reduced to just 5 charges  following a successful application for dismissal leading to a minor financial penalty.
• R v G: Representation of a company Director facing an allegation of substantial Money Laundering arising from a large conspiracy to steal fuel from underground pipelines located across the country. Following a lengthy Jury trial the defendant was acquitted of all allegations.
• R v H: Client was acquitted of Murder but convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after a dismembered body was found floating in a lake in East London. Allegation was that  the deceased had been subject to a prolonged assault at the hands of multiple defendants following which an attempt was made to dispose of the body.
• HSE v L: Representation of a sole trader alleged to have set fire to a market and adjoining dual carriageway in a major UK city while conducting welding and maintenance works. Client prosecuted for several breaches of Health and Safety Law and ultimately received a financial penalty.
• HSE v CNH : Representation of International PLC manufacturing agricultural machinery who were prosecuted  by the HSE when two employees were exposed to potentially lethal gas in an onsite  testing chamber. Proceedings at the crown court with advice and assistance provided to both the UK and Italian bases of the company . Limited financial penalty of £100,000 imposed based on favourable basis of plea.
• R v H & D and others – Representation of two individuals in the tragic events arising from the discovery of 39 deceased Vietnamese Nationals in a lorry at an Essex port. This case attracted international attention and both clients received prison sentences of between 3 and 4 years following limited guilty pleas.
• R v B & others – Representation of a trainee accountant charged with 6 other individuals in a £2.5m allegation of Conspiracy to Cheat the Revenue involving a person working at HMRC facilitating the dishonest repayment of monies. Six defendants convicted and received a total of 25 years imprisonment however Mike’s client was the only individual  acquitted of all matters.
• R v M & others – Representation of a Swedish National extradited back to UK for a contract killing Murder where deceased was shot on his doorstep  on Xmas Eve 2019. Multi handed case involving OCG / Gang activity in both London and Sweden . Client acquitted of Murder but convicted of Manslaughter .
• OTS v N S B and others – Representation of 3 former company Directors facing an allegation of Conspiracy to Defraud arising from Trading Standards investigations conducted by both Essex and Oxfordshire councils spanning 6 years . The alleged fraud was valued at £46m and involved the sale of energy based heating products. Representing the first three individuals on this multi defendant indictment the case concluded in late 2022 with the Prosecution offering no evidence after accepting that disclosure problems highlighted by the defence were irremediable.