MatthewBanham
Partner
White Collar Defense & Litigation
mbanham@seyfarth.com
Matthew focuses his practice on multi-agency, cross-border investigations and global compliance. Clients note he is “commercially astute” and has “excellent technical subject matter knowledge, problem-solving skills, and a real knack for explaining very complex aspects of the investigation in realistic terms.”
More About Matthew
Matthew is an established practitioner at the forefront of the corporate investigations and white-collar crime field. He advises firms and individuals in a range of financial crime and contentious regulatory matters, including bribery and corruption, complex money laundering, fraud, and market abuse. He has led high-stakes mandates securing successful outcomes for some of the largest firms and multinational corporates in the UK and EMEA region. His work for individual executives often relates to sensitive SFO and FCA investigations for which he has a strong record of securing successful outcomes.
Matthew has a keen interest in ESG compliance and investigations, with a focus on supply chain due diligence investigations, and related litigation risk.
His rare combination of experience gained from working in-house in the financial service industry, as well as working for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), ensures clients receive sound strategic advice when navigating the multi-agency landscape. His practice encompasses a broad range of enforcement agencies in the UK, US, and UAE, and investigations conducted by other market self-regulatory mechanisms.
Matthew previously served as the senior vice president of a multinational financial institution’s litigation investigations and enforcement division, where he advised and managed external investigations and regulatory risks for the investment bank. When at the SFO, he was a Case Controller and he worked and led on some of the UK’s most complex and landmark cases, including a global bribery investigation, LIBOR manipulation, and Foreign Exchange benchmark manipulation. Matthew’s previous experience also includes working as counsel at the FCA, where he advised and managed investigations and prosecutions into allegations of insider trading and other financial crime offences.
Matthew has a keen interest in ESG compliance and investigations, with a focus on supply chain due diligence investigations, and related litigation risk.
His rare combination of experience gained from working in-house in the financial service industry, as well as working for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), ensures clients receive sound strategic advice when navigating the multi-agency landscape. His practice encompasses a broad range of enforcement agencies in the UK, US, and UAE, and investigations conducted by other market self-regulatory mechanisms.
Matthew previously served as the senior vice president of a multinational financial institution’s litigation investigations and enforcement division, where he advised and managed external investigations and regulatory risks for the investment bank. When at the SFO, he was a Case Controller and he worked and led on some of the UK’s most complex and landmark cases, including a global bribery investigation, LIBOR manipulation, and Foreign Exchange benchmark manipulation. Matthew’s previous experience also includes working as counsel at the FCA, where he advised and managed investigations and prosecutions into allegations of insider trading and other financial crime offences.
- LLB, University of Hertfordshire
Honours
- Barrister, England and Wales
Related Services
White Collar Crime and Compliance
Firms
- Advising and coordinating the global strategy and investigation into complex and sophisticated corruption and financial crime in multiple jurisdictions for a sovereign wealth fund
- Advising and coordinating the defence strategy for a state-owned company and its directors facing overseas criminal charges.
- Successfully securing dismissal of SFO bribery investigation into directors of a private equity firm.
- Conducting complex internal investigations for a global pharma company.
- Advising global asset managers on financial crime matters and complex AML queries.
- Advising financial services firms on money laundering regulations compliance.
- Providing anti-bribery and corruption training and advice to multi-jurisdictional firms.
- Advising a mining company on ESG and OECD compliance risks.
- Advising an e-commerce platform on ESG laws.
- Advising a global games company in response to an international hack.
Individuals
- Securing dismissal of DOJ/ SFO bribery investigation of a senior manager of a reinsurance firm.
- Securing dismissal of SFO bribery investigation for two C-suite directors.
- Securing acquittals of SFO bribery charges for a senior director of Alstom.
Financial Services
- Advising a global bank on a high-profile cross-border, multi-agency, market conduct investigation.
- Advising an overseas Regulator in an investigation into complex financial crime.
- Successfully securing dismissal of an investigation by the FCA into directors facing an SFO bribery investigation.
- Judicial review of the FCA in relation to the lawful exercise of their powers on behalf of US regulators.
- Securing a successful outcome for a private bank before the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in relation to failings in their regulatory financial crime systems and controls.
- Advising a global asset manager in relation to a Cum-Ex investigation by the German tax authorities.
- Representing an energy investment and development firm in relation to an investigation by the DFSA.
- Advising a sovereign wealth fund on securities reporting and compliance and conduct matters relating to management of its investments.
- Advising a bank on its conduct of an internal investigation in relation to misconduct and abuse of controls by senior employee.
- Representing a private equity firm in an internal investigation including conducting a criminal and regulatory risk analysis and remedial action.
- Representing high frequency trading firm and its directors in an overseas prosecution of events leading to a “flash crash.”
- Advising and supporting an FCA regulated firm in relation to financial crime concerns raised by the FCA Supervision team.
- Advising regulated firms on their regulatory notification and anti-money laundering obligations.
- Advising a brokerage firm on managing their FCA exposure to market abuse.
- Advising regulated firms with asset exposure to cannabis investments.
Individuals
- Securing the dismissal of an FCA investigation for a C-suite director in an FCA and CFTC cross-border investigations of the FX broker market.
- Representing a former trader in an FCA investigation for the mis-selling of complex products.
- Advising former directors in relation to an AIM investigation into breaches of exchange rules.
- Recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 UK for Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (2022-2024) and listed for Fraud: White-Collar Crime: Advice to Individuals (2024)
- Listed by Who’s Who Legal as a Future Leader for Investigations (2020-2023)
- “Highly Commended” by Legal Week in the “White Collar Crime Team of the Year” category for the successful defense of a British executive charged by the UK's Serious Fraud Office in a lengthy cross-border corruption investigation into a multinational conglomerate (2019)
- Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- Fraud Lawyers Association
- International Bar Association
- Anti Money Laundering Professionals Forum
- “Financial Crime Trends for 2023,” Anti Financial Crime Summit, London (November 8-9, 2023)
- “Launch of Guide to Sound Practices for Customer Due Diligence,” AIMA Webinar, London (September 7, 2022)
- “ABC Global Outlook - Recent Trends and Developments,” ABC Minds International Conference, London (November 9-10, 2021)
- “Changes in Corporate Governance and Shareholder Expectations: Key Perspectives on ESG, Anti-Corruption, Ratings Agencies and the Impact on Investment Decision-Making,” C5 Anti-Corruption Conference, London (November 2-3, 2021)
- “Financial Services & ESG: Shaping the Future,” Dispute Resolution Forum, Virtual (June 16, 2021)
- “Recent litigation developments in the ever-growing fields of corruption and bribery,” 10th World Litigation Forum, Dubai (January 27-28, 2020)
- “Navigating the cooperation demands of the SFO and DOJ in cross-border internal investigations,” Lexology Webinar, London (January 9, 2020)
- “Impact of recent U.S. sanctions on Russian oligarchs and top government officials, how to detect corruption and money laundering techniques used by PEPS, and U.S. and UK investigations on financial institutions,” Academy & Finance's Russian PEPS and Oligarchs Seminar, Zurich and Geneva (June 19-20, 2018)
- “SMCR Question Time,” London (January 23, 2018)
- “Privilege,” Legal Business Commercial Litigation Summit 2017, London (July 3, 2017)
- “The interplay between sentencing, confiscation and forfeiture; including discussion of DPAs,” 33 Chancery Lane Business Crime Conference, London (October 20, 2016)
Matthew has been recognized by clients for his “ingenuity and creativity when designing investigation strategies” and for his “very good legal analysis skills.” He is regarded as a “very helpful, no-fuzz, experienced, and result-oriented partner.” – The Legal 500 UK
Matthew has also been described by clients as “cool, calm and a technical expert. He is very commercially astute and very trustworthy on his direction and advice.” – Chambers UK
Matthew focuses his practice on multi-agency, cross-border investigations and global compliance. Clients note he is “commercially astute” and has “excellent technical subject matter knowledge, problem-solving skills, and a real knack for explaining very complex aspects of the investigation in realistic terms.”
More About Matthew
Matthew is an established practitioner at the forefront of the corporate investigations and white-collar crime field. He advises firms and individuals in a range of financial crime and contentious regulatory matters, including bribery and corruption, complex money laundering, fraud, and market abuse. He has led high-stakes mandates securing successful outcomes for some of the largest firms and multinational corporates in the UK and EMEA region. His work for individual executives often relates to sensitive SFO and FCA investigations for which he has a strong record of securing successful outcomes.
Matthew has a keen interest in ESG compliance and investigations, with a focus on supply chain due diligence investigations, and related litigation risk.
His rare combination of experience gained from working in-house in the financial service industry, as well as working for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), ensures clients receive sound strategic advice when navigating the multi-agency landscape. His practice encompasses a broad range of enforcement agencies in the UK, US, and UAE, and investigations conducted by other market self-regulatory mechanisms.
Matthew previously served as the senior vice president of a multinational financial institution’s litigation investigations and enforcement division, where he advised and managed external investigations and regulatory risks for the investment bank. When at the SFO, he was a Case Controller and he worked and led on some of the UK’s most complex and landmark cases, including a global bribery investigation, LIBOR manipulation, and Foreign Exchange benchmark manipulation. Matthew’s previous experience also includes working as counsel at the FCA, where he advised and managed investigations and prosecutions into allegations of insider trading and other financial crime offences.
Matthew has a keen interest in ESG compliance and investigations, with a focus on supply chain due diligence investigations, and related litigation risk.
His rare combination of experience gained from working in-house in the financial service industry, as well as working for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), ensures clients receive sound strategic advice when navigating the multi-agency landscape. His practice encompasses a broad range of enforcement agencies in the UK, US, and UAE, and investigations conducted by other market self-regulatory mechanisms.
Matthew previously served as the senior vice president of a multinational financial institution’s litigation investigations and enforcement division, where he advised and managed external investigations and regulatory risks for the investment bank. When at the SFO, he was a Case Controller and he worked and led on some of the UK’s most complex and landmark cases, including a global bribery investigation, LIBOR manipulation, and Foreign Exchange benchmark manipulation. Matthew’s previous experience also includes working as counsel at the FCA, where he advised and managed investigations and prosecutions into allegations of insider trading and other financial crime offences.
- LLB, University of Hertfordshire
Honours
- Barrister, England and Wales
Related Services
White Collar Crime and Compliance
Firms
- Advising and coordinating the global strategy and investigation into complex and sophisticated corruption and financial crime in multiple jurisdictions for a sovereign wealth fund
- Advising and coordinating the defence strategy for a state-owned company and its directors facing overseas criminal charges.
- Successfully securing dismissal of SFO bribery investigation into directors of a private equity firm.
- Conducting complex internal investigations for a global pharma company.
- Advising global asset managers on financial crime matters and complex AML queries.
- Advising financial services firms on money laundering regulations compliance.
- Providing anti-bribery and corruption training and advice to multi-jurisdictional firms.
- Advising a mining company on ESG and OECD compliance risks.
- Advising an e-commerce platform on ESG laws.
- Advising a global games company in response to an international hack.
Individuals
- Securing dismissal of DOJ/ SFO bribery investigation of a senior manager of a reinsurance firm.
- Securing dismissal of SFO bribery investigation for two C-suite directors.
- Securing acquittals of SFO bribery charges for a senior director of Alstom.
Financial Services
- Advising a global bank on a high-profile cross-border, multi-agency, market conduct investigation.
- Advising an overseas Regulator in an investigation into complex financial crime.
- Successfully securing dismissal of an investigation by the FCA into directors facing an SFO bribery investigation.
- Judicial review of the FCA in relation to the lawful exercise of their powers on behalf of US regulators.
- Securing a successful outcome for a private bank before the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in relation to failings in their regulatory financial crime systems and controls.
- Advising a global asset manager in relation to a Cum-Ex investigation by the German tax authorities.
- Representing an energy investment and development firm in relation to an investigation by the DFSA.
- Advising a sovereign wealth fund on securities reporting and compliance and conduct matters relating to management of its investments.
- Advising a bank on its conduct of an internal investigation in relation to misconduct and abuse of controls by senior employee.
- Representing a private equity firm in an internal investigation including conducting a criminal and regulatory risk analysis and remedial action.
- Representing high frequency trading firm and its directors in an overseas prosecution of events leading to a “flash crash.”
- Advising and supporting an FCA regulated firm in relation to financial crime concerns raised by the FCA Supervision team.
- Advising regulated firms on their regulatory notification and anti-money laundering obligations.
- Advising a brokerage firm on managing their FCA exposure to market abuse.
- Advising regulated firms with asset exposure to cannabis investments.
Individuals
- Securing the dismissal of an FCA investigation for a C-suite director in an FCA and CFTC cross-border investigations of the FX broker market.
- Representing a former trader in an FCA investigation for the mis-selling of complex products.
- Advising former directors in relation to an AIM investigation into breaches of exchange rules.
- Recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 UK for Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (2022-2024) and listed for Fraud: White-Collar Crime: Advice to Individuals (2024)
- Listed by Who’s Who Legal as a Future Leader for Investigations (2020-2023)
- “Highly Commended” by Legal Week in the “White Collar Crime Team of the Year” category for the successful defense of a British executive charged by the UK's Serious Fraud Office in a lengthy cross-border corruption investigation into a multinational conglomerate (2019)
- Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- Fraud Lawyers Association
- International Bar Association
- Anti Money Laundering Professionals Forum
- “Financial Crime Trends for 2023,” Anti Financial Crime Summit, London (November 8-9, 2023)
- “Launch of Guide to Sound Practices for Customer Due Diligence,” AIMA Webinar, London (September 7, 2022)
- “ABC Global Outlook - Recent Trends and Developments,” ABC Minds International Conference, London (November 9-10, 2021)
- “Changes in Corporate Governance and Shareholder Expectations: Key Perspectives on ESG, Anti-Corruption, Ratings Agencies and the Impact on Investment Decision-Making,” C5 Anti-Corruption Conference, London (November 2-3, 2021)
- “Financial Services & ESG: Shaping the Future,” Dispute Resolution Forum, Virtual (June 16, 2021)
- “Recent litigation developments in the ever-growing fields of corruption and bribery,” 10th World Litigation Forum, Dubai (January 27-28, 2020)
- “Navigating the cooperation demands of the SFO and DOJ in cross-border internal investigations,” Lexology Webinar, London (January 9, 2020)
- “Impact of recent U.S. sanctions on Russian oligarchs and top government officials, how to detect corruption and money laundering techniques used by PEPS, and U.S. and UK investigations on financial institutions,” Academy & Finance's Russian PEPS and Oligarchs Seminar, Zurich and Geneva (June 19-20, 2018)
- “SMCR Question Time,” London (January 23, 2018)
- “Privilege,” Legal Business Commercial Litigation Summit 2017, London (July 3, 2017)
- “The interplay between sentencing, confiscation and forfeiture; including discussion of DPAs,” 33 Chancery Lane Business Crime Conference, London (October 20, 2016)
Matthew has been recognized by clients for his “ingenuity and creativity when designing investigation strategies” and for his “very good legal analysis skills.” He is regarded as a “very helpful, no-fuzz, experienced, and result-oriented partner.” – The Legal 500 UK
Matthew has also been described by clients as “cool, calm and a technical expert. He is very commercially astute and very trustworthy on his direction and advice.” – Chambers UK