Harry Travers - Partner
Harry Travers is "fiercely intelligent and uniquely versatile" and is praised for "his incredibly sharp mind, sound commercial judgement and client-friendly manner." (Chambers UK - A Client's Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2010)
Harry Travers has a "great ability to see the flaws in the opposition's argument before anyone else," and is "exceptionally bright and very talented, with a tremendous eye for details." (Chambers UK - A Client's Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2009)
"The 'energetic' and 'proactive' Harry Travers is 'well-known in tax fraud matters'". (The Legal 500 - The Clients' Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2009)
Harry Travers "is a standout lawyer at BCL Burton Copeland. He is acclaimed for his comphrehensive practice, which covers civil and criminal fraud." (Chambers UK - A Client's Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2011)
Harry Travers "has a fierce intelligence, unmatched commitment to his clients, and an unrivalled ability to think laterally." (Legal 500 - The Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2010)
Harry Travers is "sensitive, tenacious and pragmatic." (Legal 500 - The Clients' Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2010)
“…described by market sources as ‘intense, tenacious, and thoroughly committed to both clients and cases’.” (Chambers UK - A Client’s Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2007 - Fraud)
“Clients could not fault the first class Harry Travers. He is down-to-earth and you really feel comfortable around him.” (Chambers UK - A Client’s Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2006)
“… extremely proactive …” (The Legal 500 - The Clients' Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2006)
Harry Travers specialises in all aspects of business crime and regulation. He joined Burton Copeland’s London office when it opened in 1991 and has been a partner since 1995. Previously, he was employed as a barrister in the Tax & Trusts Department of Berwin Leighton from 1987 to 1991 specialising in anti-avoidance litigation and trusts.
He is a graduate of St Edmund Hall, Oxford (BA 1985, BCL 1987). He has had an involvement in numerous high profile commercial fraud and corruption cases brought by the Serious Fraud Office, including Maxwell, BCCI and, more recently, BAe, Torex and GP Noble. With his tax background, he also tends to focus on cases of alleged tax fraud, as well as civil litigation involving HM Revenue & Customs.
He is consulting editor of the SFO's publication "Serious Economic Crime - A Boardroom Guide to Prevention and Compliance".
He is a member of the Tax Investigations Practitioners Group of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales and is involved in drafting their responses to government consultation on criminal powers.
He is ranked by Chambers UK for Fraud (Band 1) and by The Legal 500 for both Fraud and Customs and Excise. He is recommended in the Business Crime section of The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers 2007, the White-collar Crime section of Legal Business’s Legal Experts 2008 and Legalease Ltd’s Tax Directors Handbook 2008.
Harry also has a developing interest in health and safety / corporate manslaughter investigations and prosecutions, and is ranked by Chambers UK for Health & Safety:
“… a respected market figure acting in the field of criminal breaches of health and safety law. With a background steeped in criminal work, he has acted in complex and sensitive HSE prosecutions for corporate clients. Market sources view him as extremely intelligent, committed and analytical, and able to apply his intellectual ability to penetrate complex cases and relentlessly explore their possibilities.” (Chambers UK - A Client’s Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2006 - Health & Safety)
