Called to the bar 1992, QC 2010
Nigel Power QC is a highly experienced barrister with a proven track record in cases of fraud and money laundering and has a vast experience of cases involving complex legal and financial problems. He is regularly recommended in the leading legal directories.
As well as having extensive experience in the criminal field, Nigel provides specialist advice and representation in niche areas of civil fraud. He has a particular expertise in digital currencies including the crypto currency Bitcoin, and has recently been instructed in a class action for more than 200 claimants following the demise of the Mt Gox digital currency exchange.
He made a successful application to dismiss for Stephen Bragg in the infamous “Millennium Dome Fraud”. He has extensive experience of tobacco and alcohol excise evasion cases and has recently been instructed at the confiscation stage of an MTIC Fraud where the assets are said to be in the sum of £90m. He has considerable success in money laundering cases where the allegedly criminal property has been alleged to have come from numerous sources including drug trafficking and a variety of frauds.
In 2014 he has already successfully represented ER, Nigel Power QC was instructed to represent ER on a direct access basis. She pleaded guilty to benefit fraud, having overclaimed disability living allowance, housing benefit, income support and council tax benefit in the sum of £60,500. She claimed to be suffering from epilepsy which was so debilitating that she could not venture outside with the assistance of someone else, although she was observed carrying furniture and photographs were recovered showing her competing at equestrian events. She was also observed living at her partner’s house with their daughter despite having the tenancy on another house. The Sentencing Council guidelines suggested a bracket of immediate custody of between 4 months and 18 months. However, Nigel was able to present mitigation which persuaded the Judge to pass a suspended sentence and allowed ER to go home.
He recently appeared in “Wale’s Biggest Ever Fraud” which involved more than 320,000 pages of material. Nigel is highly skilled in IT and can manipulate data using Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Access and Excel to prepare presentations to advance your case to its best advantage.
In 2012 Nigel represented Phillip Dennett in a ten-week “Boiler-Room Fraud” which was highly publicised because the first defendant was Lord Hugh Rodley, aka “The Lord of Fraud”. Shares worth more than £14m were sold in companies that did not trade in any meaningful sense. Nigel used defence expert handwriting evidence and cross-examination of the prosecution’s expert chartered accountant during the trial to ensure that although Mr Dennett was the director of the two principal companies operating the frauds and had control of the bank accounts, he was the only one of the five on trial to be acquitted of conspiracy to defraud and fraudulent trading; this was despite the fact that he had given undertakings not to act as a Director during the concurrent investigation by Companies House. Read the Press Report here.
“Has an extensive practice covering all areas of serious crime. He is highly regarded for his expertise on complex and high-profile cases”. (Chambers and Partners 2014)
“Admired for his busy practice that covers all areas of serious crime. He is described as hard-working. His distinguished track record includes acting in gangland shootings, serious fraud and drug trafficking offences.” (Chambers and Partners 2013)
“Nigel Power QC excels in cases involving complex technical, medical or scientific evidence”. (Legal 500 2013)
Notable Cases
FRAUD
R v Anthony Lowry – Huws (2013)
Five month mortgage fraud trial involving than 320,00 pages of served material. (Defending)
R v Phillip Dennett (2012)
Ten week boiler-room fraud where shares worth more than £14m were sold in companies that did not trade in any meaningful sense. (Defending)
R v Brian McAtavey (2010)
The Defendant was first on the indictment and said to be the leading organiser of a multi-million pound VAT and Duty fraud. The ten week trial involved the enquiry into multiple shell companies and a complex audit trail of monies over a 6-year period. (Defending)
