Spear’s is an international wealth management, business and culture magazine. This year, and for the first time, it has published the Spear’s 500; a guide to the top private client advisers, wealth managers, lawyers and service providers for high net worth individuals and their families. It is ‘the first comprehensive guide across all these private client fields in the world’.
Before inclusion, all shortlisted nominees were interviewed, peer-reviewed and validated with client feedback and we are pleased to announce that BCL Burton Copeland partner, Brian Spiro, has been included as one of only five lawyers recognised for their expertise in criminal law.
Here is the Spear’s 500 entry for Brian:
‘It’s a strange corner of the profession really, in that some of our greatest results are the ones we can’t talk about,’ says Spiro, speaking of the idiosyncrasies of defending HNWs and media personalities.
There’s little rest for the genial solicitor, who was recently instructed to assist in the defence of President Kenyatta of Kenya before the International Criminal Court in The Hague; he is also an expert in international law, environmental offences and breaches of UN sanctions.
He is now busy representing bankers caught up with the Libor and foreign exchange investigations — unsurprisingly, given his pre-eminent status in the white-collar arena. However, he still finds time to work for HNWs caught up in more ‘traditional’ criminal matters.
He works closely with Carter Ruck, Schillings and other heavyweights of reputation law, affording him a dynamic crossover knowledge he is famous for. ‘You often need to bring them in — it’s not just a case of a financial fraud charge or a domestic violence situation or rock’n’rollers getting arrested coming out of dubious nightclubs with cocaine,’ he says. ‘It’s not just a question of what you’re dealing with in court — it’s a question of publicity and reputation, which is particularly important when you have sponsors or a high media profile. It adds a whole new level of complexity.’
Clients describe him as ‘unflappable’, ‘courageous’ and ‘a man to have on your side if you’re feeling nervous… Incisive, calm, enormously experienced, thorough, dependable and able.’
You can also see Brian’s entry here: http://www.bcl.com/downloads/thespears500.pdf