Outer Temple Chambers has strength in extradition, financial crime and regulatory matters,

Michael Bowes QC

Call date: 1980 Appointed Queen's Counsel: 2001
Email: Michael Bowes QC Clerk: Sarah Reynolds
Areas of Law: Business & Banking, Health & Safety, Disciplinary & Regulation, Public Law, Commercial Fraud, Environment, Public Access, Specialist Crime
Practice summary

Michael specialises in financial services work, in particular insider dealing, cartel activity, asset recovery, banking regulation and commercial crime and civil fraud. This covers work in the UK and abroad, linking with chambers' Middle East and New York teams of specialist attorneys. He has substantial experience in advising institutions and individuals and in leading case teams, both for the prosecution and the defence.

He receives instructions from the FSA, OFT, SFO, Lloyd’s of London and on behalf of commercial clients.He was instructed by the FSA in its first criminal prosecution for insider dealing (R v McQuoid and Melbourne) which was tried in 2009 at Southwark Crown Court. Both defendants were convicted.  He acted for the FSA in the Court of Appeal and McQuoid is the guideline case on sentencing in insider dealing cases. He has successfully prosecuted the FSA's largest and most complex insider dealing trial to date (July 2012), which resulted in six convictions. This was a high profile case which has received international media coverage. He is instructed by the OFT in a criminal investigation into a suspected international cartel and is advising the OFT generally in relation to the legalisation governing criminal cartels.

Michael specialises in regulatory work for Lloyd's. He has been involved in disciplinary tribunal matters and proceedings since 1997 acting for the Council of Lloyd's in disciplinary investigations and proceedings. The work has a heavy emphasis on the fiduciary duties of brokers/ underwriters, especially in the areas of commission taking and secret profits.

He speaks at seminars for Lexis Nexis on the topics of financial services/ banking regulation, corporate crime, asset recovery, cartels, the Bribery act, and cross-border investigations. He is a contributing author to “Lissack and Horlick on Bribery” (published 2011) and was a contributing author to the Lexis Nexis financial services book “Financial Services Law & Regulation” published in 2010. He is a member of the editorial board of Blackstone’s Criminal Practice.

Michael is joint head of chambers. He took silk in 2001. He is a Recorder and is authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court judge.

Direct Access qualified.

A selection of recent cases
  • R v Mustafa and others
    Prosecuting an insider dealing ring for the FSA: six defendants convicted in July 2012.

 

 

  • R v McFall, Rimmington & King
  • FSA insider dealing prosecution: awaiting trial at Southwark Crown Court in 2010.
  • R v McQuoid & Melbourne
  • FSA insider dealing prosecution: March 2009
  • R v. McQuoid
  • Appeal against sentence: guidelines given by the Court of Appeal: [2009] 4 All E.R. 388
  • Sunshine Corporation limited - in liquidation - RCJB
  • Chancery case with civil fraud issues.
  • Philip Glennon - receivership QB matter
  • Multi million pound claim acting for client with offshore accounts in Guernsey- subsequently settled
Michael Bowes QC
Select elements

"firm but fair prosecutor" who "gets into the detail of the case and has good judgement when it comes to strategy." He wins plaudits… Financial Services, Chambers & Partners, 2013

Michael Bowes QC is ‘one of the most experienced members of the Bar when it comes to prosecuting FSA matters. Fraud, Legal 500, 2012

"A highly competent lawyer with more than enough intellectual capacity to handle complex cases...”   Fraud, Chambers & Partners, 2012

At Outer Temple Chambers, Michael Bowes QC is "always calm and in control" and has an excellent reputation for his handling of criminal investigations and prosecutions. He is "highly skilled" at insider dealing cases…Financial Services, Chambers & Partners, 2011

Also present at Outer Temple, Michael Bowes QC is hailed as excellent to work with by instructing solicitors. One enthused: "He’s hard-working, economical, much respected by judges and opponents, and good at keeping the interest up in a case." Bowes excels in complex fraud cases...  Fraud, Chambers & Partners, 2011

Michael Bowes QC is highly recommended for financial services and regulatory issues and was recently instructed by the FSA on its first criminal prosecution for insider dealing, R v McQuoid and Melbourne. Banking and finance, Legal 500, 2011
 

 

Appointments & memberships:

  • Deputy High Court Judge
  • Recorder
  • Bencher (Middle Temple)