Lisa Freeman

Year of Call: 2005

Specialist practice areas: Serious Crime, Criminal/Civil Fraud, Regulation/Compliance, Extradition, Asset Forfeiture

Lisa’s principal practice areas are criminal and civil fraud, asset forfeiture, restraint, receiverships, confiscation and financial services regulation. 

  • Appointed to the Attorney General’s List for the Serious Fraud Office (C-Panel)

  • Secondment with the Financial Services Authority, Wholesale Enforcement

  • Secondment with the Asset Forfeiture Division, Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office

  • CPS London (Grade 2)

Asset Forfeiture

Lisa is confident dealing with complex financial investigations and is able to apply sound judgement based on experience. She prosecutes, defends and acts on behalf of third parties affected by restraint, receivership, enforcement and civil recovery applications in the Crown Court and Administrative division of the High Court. 

She understands the difficulties in securing evidence from abroad and has drafted many ‘Letters of Request’ to European, African and American jurisdictions to obtain evidence for financial investigations.

Her confiscation practice includes CJA, DTA and POCA applications after £multi-million revenue fraud convictions. 

She has provided advice and representation to defendants and affected third parties in numerous ‘cash seizure’ applications in response to civil claims for detention and forfeiture.

Her civil work also includes asset freezing before the Chancery division of the High Court.

Extradition

Lisa has defended Part 1 and Part 2 extradition proceedings in the Administrative division of the High Court and at first instance.  Cases include allegations of attempted murder, large-scale drug importations and £multi-million frauds.

She also advises on the validity of incoming extradition requests under Part 3 and identifies potential avenues of abuse.

Sonea v Mehedinti District Court [2009] EWHC (89)

It was argued that a person convicted in his absence and entitled to a full retrial upon return should be an ‘accused’ person under Part 1 of the 2003 Act.  Appeal dismissed.

Lacorre v High Instance Court of Paris [2008] EWHC 2981 (Admin)

It was successfully argued that France did not have ex-territorial jurisdiction for the substantive offence of importation where drugs were shipped from the Moroccan coastline to Spain.

Serious Crime

Lisa has developed her specialist areas from a broad criminal practice. She is an experienced advocate in the Crown Court and continues to be instructed in a range of offences. Particular emphasis is given to financial crimes.

Other

LLM in International Human Rights Law (University of Essex, 2003)

Thesis: “The prosecution of nationals for article 4 crimes, a corollary of ratification” (distinction).  

Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association

Young Fraud Lawyers Association

Extradition Lawyers Association