Michael Drury

Partner at BCL Solicitors

Speaker

Michael Drury has been a partner at BCL since 2010 having joined from GCHQ where for a number of years he was Director for Legal Affairs. Michael is the last of the founding members of the Serious Fraud Office from 1988 still in full-time legal practice, having spent a four decade career at the centre of white-collar crime and national security cases.

Michael’s practice is diverse, including defeating (politically motivated) extradition claims and securing the removal of and preventing the issue of INTERPOL Red Notices; representing individuals in regulatory proceedings brought by the FCA and acting in criminal investigations by the SFO for individuals and corporates. As well as this, he has vast experience in acting in investigations by other law enforcement agencies in the UK in the white-collar field and on matters engaging national security, including successfully avoiding attempts by the NCA to obtain an Unexplained Wealth Order against individuals who were under threat of this, and resisting actions sought to be taken by the NCA on the basis of mutual legal assistance being provided to criminal investigators overseas.

Michael's international focus has had a particular value in his sanctions work where he has been involved in cases before the EU General Court (before BREXIT) and where he is now substantially engaged in representing the interests of those who are sanctioned under the Russian Regulations or those who fear they might be. His capacity to understand the wider political context and the regimes operating in the EU and elsewhere is invaluable in delivering strategic solutions for clients.