Hannah Willcocks is a specialist advocate in serious, financial and regulatory crime, cited as being ‘a first-class advocate and excellent lawyer, whose attention to detail is of the highest order’, ‘incredibly bright’, ‘very strong’ and ‘highly efficient’. Recommended for many years as a junior and now as a new silk in Chambers and Partners for her work in criminal fraud / financial crime, Hannah has significant experience of exceedingly large, multi-handed and complex cases, which often involve an extra-jurisdictional dimension.
Acknowledged as having ‘a remarkable capacity for mastering volumes of material’, Hannah is also extremely adept at addressing intricate issues of fact and law, often under immense pressure of time. Highly organised and efficient, she is recognised for her ‘methodical’ thinking and diligence.
Repeatedly recommended for her work in financial crime, Hannah has an established reputation as prosecution counsel in large scale cases involving the most serious and complex white-collar crimes. Prior to taking silk, Hannah was appointed to the Serious Fraud Office’s Prosecution Panel A list in 2017 and as a Grade 4 Advocate for the CPS Specialist Fraud Panel in 2019.
Prior to taking silk, Hannah was appointed a Grade 4 Advocate for the CPS Specialist Serious Crime Panel in 2019, as well as a Grade 4 Advocate on the CPS General Crime Panel in 2016. She has significant experience of cases involving violent crime having both prosecuted and defended a very large number of such cases during the early years of her practice.
Having been instructed by both DEFRA (now CPS) and the FSA (now FCA) in two of their most complex cases to date, as well as having undertaken work for the Marine Management Organisation and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Hannah has extensive experience of regulatory work.
From her work with both DEFRA (now CPS) and the Marine Management Organisation, Hannah possesses specialist knowledge and experience of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations and the regulatory Fishing Regime.
Also recognised for her expertise in prosecuting serious financial crime, Hannah was instructed in the FSA’s (now FCA) flagship prosecution of insider dealing.
Archbold, Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Procedure (Sweet & Maxwell 2019 to date) contributor.
Ormerod & Montgomery on Fraud: Criminal Law and Procedure (OUP 2019) contributor.
The Encyclopedia of Road Traffic Law and Practice, (Sweet & Maxwell 2003 to date), co-editor.
Lloyd’s Law Reports: Financial Crime (2015 – 2019) case reporter.
South Eastern Circuit’s written response to the Lord Chancellor’s speech ‘What does a One Nation Justice Policy look like?’ (2015) contributor.
Statutory Conspiracies: Practical Law (2015) co-author.
Parties to a Conspiracy: Practical Law (2015) co-author.
Conspiracy: the agreement: Practical Law (2015) co-author.
Teaching Fellow (part-time) at University College London: 2017 – ongoing.
‘The Fraud Act 2006 – A Step Too Far?’, November 2019, UCL Assize Seminar
Co-presented Lexis Nexis webinar on Market Abuse and FCA Enforcement: 2015
Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University: 2013- 2015.
Discussion group member of the review of sanctions for disclosure failures organised by Lord Justice Gross: 2012.
BPP Law School, Bar Vocational Course 2001.
BPP Law School, Postgraduate Diploma in Law, Distinction (top of year) 2000.
B.A. Joint Honours, Modern Languages: French and German Second Class Honours (First Division), Bristol 1998.
Fraud Lawyers Association
South Eastern Circuit
Criminal Bar Association
Middle Temple
Advisory Board of UCL Faculty of Law’s Centre for Criminal Law
French & German (moderate)
SFO Prosecution Panel – A List – Reappointment 2020
CPS Specialist Fraud Panel Grade 4 (highest grade) 2019
CPS Specialist Serious Crime Group Panel Grade 4 (highest grade) 2019
Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) 2018
SFO Prosecution Panel – A list 2017
CPS General Crime Panel Grade 4 (highest grade) 2016
Recorder 2016
CPS Specialist Proceeds of Crime Panel Grade 2 2013
Attorney General’s C List 2005
Department of Education State Scholarship;
Senior Scholarship Award, Grays Inn;
LLD (Honoris Causa);
Leading individual in the Legal 500 and Chambers UK Bar directories (see Recommendations).