Tchenguiz to hire Leeson’s star lawyer
VINCENT Tchenguiz, who has blamed the recent Serious Fraud Office (SFO) raids at his offices for one of his companies falling into administration, yesterday appointed Stephen Pollard (pictured), rogue trader Nick Leeson’s former lawyer, as his new legal adviser.
Pollard, who is one of the City’s most experienced criminal lawyers, takes the reins from John Martin of Stephens Innocent, who advised Vincent Tchenguiz during last week’s questioning by the SFO and the City of London police.
Pollard has considerable experience in defending allegations of fraud, particularly those prosecuted by the SFO and emanating from the City of London. He has represented the former Barings trader Leeson, and individual employees (often traders) from many international banks.
Pollard joined Kingsley Napley in 1989, having previously had a short spell with the Crown Prosecution Service. He became a partner in 1990. He is a regular speaker in the City on regulatory and criminal issues.
On Monday the holding company of Vincent Tchenguiz’s property management arm Peverel was forced into administration by its board after it failed to meet a demand by Bank of America Merrill Lynch to repay a £125m loan.