Faras Baloch

Call: 2003

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    • Faras is very hardworking, very knowledgeable and very astute both tactically and strategically. As an advocate, he combines a courteous attractive manner with well-focused tenacity.

      Legal 500 (2024)
    • Faras is a senior junior of great ability who is always a pleasure to work with.

      Chambers UK (2023)
    • He has a keen eye for detail and produces carefully crafted documents.

      Chambers UK (2023)
    • Faras is a highly accomplished senior junior: very clever, exceptionally hard-working, a polished advocate calm and courteous in manner but also tough and tenacious.

      Legal 500 (2023)
    • A very astute lawyer with an impressive grasp of the tactics as well as the law.

      Chambers UK (2021)
    • Fantastically fair, clever and sensible.

      Chambers UK (2021)
    • He can hold his own against silks.

      Legal 500 (2021)
    Faras Baloch

    Personal profile

    Faras Baloch is a specialist in the most serious and complex criminal cases. He has particular expertise in Business Crime & Fraud, Money Laundering & Proceeds of Crime, Financial Services Regulation & Professional Discipline and Serious and Organised Crime.

    He acts for and against companies and senior professionals accused of serious financial misconduct. He has also advised in internal investigations relating to financial misconduct by major financial institutions and breaches of international Sanctions.

    He lectures nationally and internationally on topics including the Bribery Act, Common Reporting Standard and the Proceeds of Crime Act.

    Recommendations

    Faras is very hardworking, very knowledgeable and very astute both tactically and strategically. As an advocate, he combines a courteous attractive manner with well-focused tenacity.

    ― Legal 500 (2024)

    Faras is a senior junior of great ability who is always a pleasure to work with.

    ― Chambers UK (2023)

    He has a keen eye for detail and produces carefully crafted documents.

    ― Chambers UK (2023)

    Faras is a highly accomplished senior junior: very clever, exceptionally hard-working, a polished advocate calm and courteous in manner but also tough and tenacious.

    ― Legal 500 (2023)

    A very astute lawyer with an impressive grasp of the tactics as well as the law.

    ― Chambers UK (2021)

    Fantastically fair, clever and sensible.

    ― Chambers UK (2021)

    He can hold his own against silks.

    ― Legal 500 (2021)

    His cross-examination is calm, courteous and difficult to resist.

    ― Legal 500 (2020)

    Business Crime & Fraud

    Faras has particular experience in acting in complex Fraud and International corruption cases.

    Featured cases

    • R v Glencore Energy UK Ltd – International corruption (current).
    • R v A and others – International trade finance fraud concerning the collapse of Balli Steel plc (current).
    • BAJ and others (2017 to date) – Unaoil International corruption involving the procurement of oil contracts in post war Iraq (first pros. jnr).
    • Instructed to advise the SFO in relation to an international corruption investigation concerning a listed company.
    • (2019) – Instructed to advise the SFO in connection with its investigation into the Ministry of Justice electronic monitoring contract for tagging offenders.
    • R v E and F (2018) – Instructed as lead prosecution counsel in a £7m private equity fraud in the renewable energy industry. False claims were made in the company’s private placing memorandum and secondary shares were marketed as primary shares. Over 300 mainly elderly victim investors. This was a ten-week trial. [Press Report]
    • Operation Twilight (2018) – Conspiracy to cheat the revenue, defendants included an IFA and the former CEO of Kuoni (first pros. jnr).
    • Operation Octopod (2018) – Land banking, money laundering and FSMA offences (first pros. jnr).
    • R v P (2017) – Instructed for the defence of a company director charged with laundering of proceeds of international diversion frauds (jnr alone).
    • R v W and A (2016) – Instructed for the prosecution of a film director and producer for inflating costs in relation to a dishonest tax scheme (first pros. jnr) [Press Report]
    • Operation Closeknit (2015-2016) – Instructed for a two-month trial of company directors charged with laundering the proceeds of alcohol diversion fraud (first pros. jnr).
    • Operations Chainmail and Crystallite (2016) – 14 defendants were prosecuted across three trials, over 12 months. They were charged with conspiracy to cheat the Revenue by manipulating film schemes. Defendants included a former EY partner and eight former senior investment bankers from RBS and Bear Stearns (first pros. jnr). [Press Report]
    • Operation Kyrenia (2016) – A three-month trial of cardiothoracic clinicians charged with defrauding an NHS Trust over four years. Followed by complex confiscation proceedings (first pros. jnr). [Press Report]
    • R v O and Ors (2013) – Instructed to defend in a £6m security industry fraud (jnr alone).
    • R v S (2012) – Instructed in a conspiracy to defraud the Home Office (def. jnr).
    • R v K (2011) – Instructed as defence counsel for the first defendant in an international £11m money laundering conspiracy, where funds were alleged to have been laundered from the Taliban (jnr alone).
    • R v B (2011) – SFO prosecution of boiler rooms company director under FSMA (first pros. jnr).
    • R v S (2011) – SFO prosecution of company director deploying boiler rooms to sell shares in his company (first pros. jnr).

    Serious & Organised Crime

    Featured cases:

    • R v A: perverting the course of justice
    • R v K: repeat knife point robberies on train
    • R v P: cannabis cultivation and money laundering
    • R v K: people smuggling
    • R v P: importation of heroin
    • R v S: conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
    • R v W: kidnapping by organised crime group
    • R v B: conspiracy to rob (cash in transit)

    Regulatory & Professional Disciplinary

    Faras has acted for the defence in several high profile regulatory matters.

    Featured cases

    • R v BSG Ltd (2012) – Instructed for the defence of a company and its officers, charged with destruction of 13 acres of protected woodland (jnr alone). [Press Report]
    • R v Z (2012) – Instructed for the defence of a company director charged with multi-million pound jewellery counterfeiting and breach of EU REACH enforcement regulations (jnr alone).

    International Criminal Law

    Faras has advised major international organisations and foreign courts on AML, sanctions, enforcement and discrete matters of UK law.

    Featured cases

    • Instructed to act in a regulatory investigation into the activities of a global bank, examining issues of corporate governance, advising on the applicability of international sanctions legislation and AML.
    • Instructed to advise a US court on history of terrorism legislation in the UK.
    • Instructed to advise a multi billion dollar construction company in relation to the enforcement of an arbitral award.
    • Instructed to advise a European company on technology assisted review.
    • Instructed to advise prosecuting authorities in Oman in relation to proceeds of crime investigations.

    Professional appointments

    • SFO (A Panel)
    • SFO Proceeds of Crime (A Panel)
    • CPS Panel Advocate (Grade 4, highest level)
    • CPS Specialist Fraud Panel Advocate (Grade 4, highest level)

    Memberships

    • CBA
    • Middle Temple
    • South Eastern Circuit

    Publications

    ‘Man or Machine – the potential role of artificial intelligence in disclosure and privilege review’, New Law Journal, p19-20, 18th February 2022 [link to article]

    Languages

    • Urdu (native)
    • German (basic)

    Other expertise