Professional Regulation
Evan represents professional and commercial clients before regulatory panels and in the related courts. He is highly regarded for his detailed preparation and understanding of issues faced by clients who are alleged to have breached professional standards and regulations, including fitness to practice issues. Clients include solicitors, medical practitioners, politicians, accountants, architects, senior directors and sports professionals.
He has been listed as a recommended lawyer in the Legal 500 UK and has been described as ‘superb; always goes that extra mile for his clients and is always well prepared and a 'superb strategist'.
Evan also supervises colleagues in cases across the regulatory spectrum:
Inquests
Evan Wright represents businesses and families at inquests, particularly in the healthcare sector. Evan also represents at inquests arising from incidents at work or road traffic accidents. His experience in criminal defence and professional fitness to practise proceedings gives Evan a good understanding of terminology and processes arising in evidence at the Coroners Court.
Evan has represented at inquests involving – deaths at care homes, hospitals, office premises, in police custody and other settings where the State owe the relevant person a duty of care. Instructions often relate to personal injury, clinical negligence and criminal cases such as gross negligence manslaughter. Some involve questions of suicide or maladministration of medication. See the Notable Cases below for examples of Evan’s representation at inquests. Also see Evan’s article on What to expect from a lawyer at the Coroner’s Court.
Private Client Defence and Regulation
Evan is a partner in the Business Crime and Regulation team. He qualified as a solicitor in 1997 after working for five years as a clerk in the defence and prosecution of serious fraud cases.
The legal directory Legal 500 comments that 'The "careful and thorough" Evan Wright is recommended for complex financial crime work'.
Evan has been instructed to defend in a great many serious fraud, restraint, asset recovery and confiscation cases in the UK and abroad.
He is highly regarded by forensic accountants who have described him as ‘having a rare ability to grasp the central issue when faced with complicated scenarios’. He has represented clients in many of the largest cases prosecuted in the North West and some of the largest cases nationally. These include matters brought by HM Revenue and Customs, The Crown Prosecution Service, The Serious and Organised Crime Agency, SFO, The DTI / DBIS / BEIS, MHRA and Border Agency.
Evan’s skill in large investigations has seen him instructed in complex SFO cases and defending important matters before the various Tribunals. His portfolio of corporate regulatory instructions includes £multi-million cases before the 1st Tier Tribunal and serious FCA investigations.
Evan presents seminars to other solicitors, barristers and corporate clients on his specialist topics. He has featured regularly in TV, radio and national press coverage commenting on regulatory issues. He specialist input is often sought by lawyers in other departments at JMW.
Memberships:
- North West Fraud Forum
- Civil Mediation Council - Registered Civil and Commercial Mediator
- Association of Regulatory & Disciplinary Lawyers
- Financial Services Lawyers Association
- Private Prosecutors’ Association
- Contributing editor Lexis Nexis
Testimonials
Notable cases
Professional Regulatory Defence
- Defence of SDT Prosecution of a firm alleged to have permitted an agency to carry out regulated work without due supervision.
- Defending dentists, pharmacists, doctors, accountants and other professionals in applications for interim suspension.
- Defending firms of solicitors alleged to have acted unlawfully in relation to fractional sales contracts.
- Advising a group of pharmacies in MHRA and GPhC investigations into serious breaches of licence.
- Representing children’s nurseries in opposing OFSTED suspension and Local Authority investigations into safeguarding issues.
- Advising a Local Authority solicitor in a large police investigation into property development.
- Defending solicitors and other professionals involved in unregulated collective investment schemes.
- A CQC investigation into clinical services offered by a well-known TV celebrity.
- Defence of SDT prosecution of solicitors following the collapse of a £50 million property development project.
- Defending multiple solicitors at the SDT in accounts rules prosecutions.
- Defending an off-shore company in an FCA investigation into alleged breaches of S19 and 21 FSMA
- Doctor involved in a corporate manslaughter investigation following a death in custody.
- SRA prosecutions of alleged breaches of the referral fee ban
- General Dental Council (GDC) public enquiry: performance and conduct
- Multi-million pound importation of pharmaceuticals from China in contravention of licence
HMRC Defence
- Representing six companies in an HMRC investigation into an alleged loss of £16 million.
- Successful challenge of twenty eight HMRC search warrants, resulting complex S59 CJPA 2001 applications.
- Applications for Judicial Review against decisions made by HMRC, Police and Government.
- Advising off-shore companies in relation to dawn raids.
- Police and HMRC investigation into large network of bullion dealers, including the related Tribunal appeals.
- Multiple applications for discharge and variation of restraint orders.
- Multiple tax appeals on behalf of clients seeking Enterprise Investment Scheme tax relief.
- Defending accountants against Schedule 38 'Dishonest tax agent' allegations.
- Defending directors in £multi-million VAT appeals at the 1st tier Tribunal.
- Advising an off-shore company regarding an HMRC investigation into Employee Benefit Trust structures.
Fraud Defence
- FSA / CPS investigation in to a bank's Impaired Assets Division, quoting loss of over £200 million.
- Eight defendant £35 million finance fraud
- Twelve defendant fraud upon a Local Authority involving loss to the public purse of £1,000,000.00
- Specialist fraud investigation into multiple film production companies.
- Representing liquidators and off-shore trusts in the release of £millions in seized cash and securities.
- Representing senior politicians and officers in an investigation into Local Authority corruption.
- National Crime Agency (NCA) civil asset recovery (Part 5 POCA) applications.
- Multiple interventions in confiscation proceedings to secure the release of third party funds on behalf of lenders, victims etc.
- Specialist fraud division investigation of fuel suppliers, alleging £multi-million losses.
- Extradition of defendants from the EU to face contempt of court and confiscation enforcement proceedings.
Asset Recovery
- Advising liquidators / administrators / off-shore companies in POCA asset recovery proceedings.
- Representing third parties in S10A POCA ‘interested person’ interventions.
- Representing corporate claimants in applications for compensation in POCA confiscation proceedings.
Inquests
- Inquest into a death on the railway
- Inquest related to a corporate manslaughter investigation at a care home
- Inquests into deaths arising from falls at care homes
- Inquests arising from premature birth and concerns about subsequent care
- Various inquests into suicides
- Inquest into a high speed motorway death
- Inquest concerning unlawful killing
- Inquests into overdose cases at hospitals
- Inquest following concerns about end of life care