Paul Hastings Adds Leading Corporate Crime & Investigations Partner to London Office

April 27, 2017

London – Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that leading corporate crime and investigations partner Simon Airey will join the London office on 2 May. Mr. Airey joins from DLA Piper, where he was one of the six original members of the firm's Global Investigations initiative.

“Paul Hastings has enhanced our global strength in investigations with a series of strategic hires, including DOJ prosecutors, former SEC enforcement attorneys, and federal and state prosecutors and regulators,” said Seth Zachary, chair of Paul Hastings. “Simon brings similar prestige and a leading reputation to the London office, where he will be an integral part of our team.”

Mr. Airey’s practice focuses on a broad range of regulatory, criminal and civil litigation. He has extensive experience advising clients on global investigations, financial and regulatory crime, bribery and corruption, money laundering, tax and fraud inquiries, dawn raids, corporate compliance, and reputation management issues. He has conducted a wide range of investigations for clients spanning various industries, including construction, defense, financial services, oil and gas, logistics, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications.

Mr. Airey has acted in a number of high profile criminal investigations in relation to both companies and individuals. He disposed of a long-running bribery investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office into a multinational logistics company, and successfully acted for the CEO of a company under investigation by the UK Ministry of Defence police in connection with what was described in the press as the "biggest-ever Armed Forces corruption probe". Most recently, he successfully concluded a bribery investigation into an oil and gas exploration company without charges being brought following extensive engagement with the SFO.

Over the past few years, Mr. Airey he has advised almost 50 major financial institutions in relation to compulsory disclosure notices obtained against them by HM Revenue & Customs seeking information relating to suspected offshore tax evasion on the part of their clients. He has acted for dozens of high net worth individuals who have sought to make voluntary disclosures in relation to unpaid tax, and is currently advising a European government in relation to various global tax and transparency initiatives. He is also advising a number of companies in relation to the new corporate criminal offence of failing to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion.

Mr. Airey has also represented a number of clients in the retail and online gambling sector in relation to Anti-Bribery & Corruption and Anti-Money Laundering compliance, and has conducted various investigations and compliance audits for gambling operators, several of which have involved formal reporting to the UK industry regulator, the Gambling Commission.

“At a time when the global regulators have never been more aggressive, companies need to be proactive in managing risk and fast to react when problems arise,” said Mr. Airey. “Paul Hastings' innovative approach to investigations, corporate compliance and client delivery is designed to help companies protect and grow their business in an increasingly challenging regulatory environment. I am delighted to be joining one of the world's pre-eminent corporate crime and investigations practices as part of a fully integrated global team.”

Mr Airey is recommended by leading legal guides including Chambers UK and Legal 500 UK for corporate investigations work, tax fraud, and bribery and corruption.

At Paul Hastings, our purpose is clear — to help our clients and people navigate new paths to growth. With a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., Paul Hastings is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative global law firms.