Andrew Herd
Call: 2015
“Red Lion Chambers is noted for its "incredible depth of counsel" with members appearing for both the prosecution and defence across the full spectrum of serious crime.”
Legal 500 (2026)
Personal profile
Andrew Herd is an experienced barrister specialising in business and financial crime, asset recovery, regulatory enforcement, extradition, public law and related civil work. He is regularly instructed in cases involving fraud, bribery and corruption, money laundering, tax evasion, insolvency and Companies Act offences, director and company misconduct, hacking, professional discipline, and serious organised or financially motivated offending. He has experience in complex pre-prosecution matters, including in cases involving search warrants, disclosure, and Deferred Prosecution Agreements.
Andrew acts as leading counsel, junior alone and led junior in substantial fraud, financial crime, corruption and serious crime cases, including proceedings brought by the CPS specialist divisions, SFO, HMRC, the Insolvency Service and other prosecuting agencies or private prosecutors. His work includes high-value, document-heavy cases often involving disclosure issues, complex expert evidence and parallel proceedings. He is frequently instructed at the investigation and pre-charge stages to advise on strategy, including in urgent and fast-moving cases.
Andrew advises on and appears in applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, including restraint, confiscation, civil recovery, forfeiture, and POCA taxation matters. Recent work includes advising on Part 5 POCA matters concerning cryptoassets, parallel proceedings, and cases involving the interaction between criminal enforcement, civil recovery and commercial or insolvency issues. Andrew also has experience in matters involving civil fraud proceedings and cross-border or overseas issues in cases brought by prosecuting agencies outside of England and Wales.
Andrew is appointed to the SFO Trial and POCA Panels (B), the CPS Specialist Fraud and POCA Panels (Grade 3), the CPS Extradition Panel (Grade 2) and the Attorney General’s Regulatory Panel (B).
Andrew is an editor and co-author of Arlidge and Parry on Fraud and is currently writing for the forthcoming edition. He also contributes monthly to Chambers’ Fraud Newsletter.
Andrew’s regulatory experience includes enforcement proceedings and audits, criminal matters brought by regulators, and advisory work for individuals, businesses, and regulators. He has acted in various cases where professional misconduct is alleged, and is a barrister member of the Bar Standards Board’s Independent Decision-Making Body.
Andrew’s practice also includes extradition, public law and related civil work. He is appointed to the CPS Extradition Panel at Grade 2 and has experience of judicial review and Upper Tribunal proceedings. His experience in financial crime, asset recovery, regulatory enforcement and public law makes him well placed to advise where individuals and businesses are subject to investigation, enforcement action or other forms of state oversight.
Andrew also maintains a substantial serious crime practice and is regularly instructed in complex and high-stakes proceedings, including serious violence, homicide, and organised crime cases investigated by the NCA. Recent serious crime cases have resulted in successful outcomes for clients in relation to allegations of gross negligence manslaughter (as led junior) and attempted murder (acting alone).
Andrew is committed to pro bono work alongside his practice and appears on the 2026 Pro Bono Recognition List.
Business Crime, Fraud & Asset Recovery
Featured cases
- SFO international corruption investigation— advising (second junior) in a complex investigation concerning a listed company, which concluded in a DPA.
- SFO property investment fraud— advising (as junior alone) on appellate issues in relation to a large-scale property investment fraud.
- Asset recovery — Andrew regularly advises on and appears in high-value asset recovery cases. Recent instructions include acting as junior alone in confiscation proceedings following a complex betting fraud where losses exceeded £44m), a case involving forfeiture of crypto assets worth approximately £1m, and complex advisory work on parallel insolvency and restraint proceedings.
- R v P and others— instructed as junior counsel in a high-value revenue fraud case.
- R v BM and others— instructed as junior counsel alone in a bank account hacking case involving a £700k money laundering arrangement.
- R v X and others— instructed as junior counsel in a large-scale NCA money laundering case.
- R v PS— instructed as junior counsel to defend a company director against allegations of high-value fraud against Royal Mail, including complex POCA issues.
- R v RJ and others— instructed to defend (junior alone) against allegations relating to a large-scale theft conspiracy (circa £1m). Acquittal following trial.
- Fraud and hacking prosecution— instructed as led junior defence counsel in a high-profile case involving allegations of fraud and hacking affecting several well-known technology companies.
- Insolvency Service prosecutions— instructed as junior alone in multiple prosecutions brought by the Insolvency Service, including cases involving fraudulent trading, bounce back loan fraud, and criminal abuse of the insolvency regime, including IVA-related offending and fraudulent trading.
- Trade effluent regulatory prosecution— defending a company with circa £150m turnover in proceedings concerning alleged breaches of trade effluent consents.
- Investigations and heavy fraud work — Experience within large teams dealing with disclosure and case analysis in a broad range of areas from CMA and Charity Commission Investigations to high profile criminal and civil fraud and asset recovery.
Regulatory, Professional Discipline & Public Law
Featured Cases
- Police disciplinary and civil proceedings— instructed regularly in police disciplinary matters involving a wide range of misconduct issues, also in relation to civil proceedings involving asset recovery and civil orders.
- Civil and public law proceedings— experience in civil and public law matters, including judicial review challenges involving public bodies, prosecuting agencies, regulators, state authorities and immigration cases. Andrew has also assisted in providing advice on constitutional law issues.
- Advice to regulators— Advisory work for public bodies on audits, complaints, appeals, contractual issues and decision-making.
- Inquests— experience includes issues involving vulnerable witnesses and interested parties.
- GMC proceedings— instructed to present on behalf of the General Medical Council in professional discipline cases involving issues including drug addiction, violence and patient death.
- RCN proceedings— instructed by the Royal College of Nursing in cases involving drug use, dishonesty and professional misconduct.
- BSB proceedings— instructed to present on behalf of the Bar Standards Board in professional discipline matters. Barrister member of the BSB Independent Decision-Making Body.
- Ofqual EPRS Panel— previously acted as legal adviser to Ofqual’s Exam Procedures Review Service Panel.
- Charities Commission — Andrew has advised on and appeared in relation to matters before the Charity Commission and can assist in providing advice to trustees facing allegations of fraud or breach of fiduciary duties.
Serious & Organised Crime
Featured cases
- R v X — gross negligence manslaughter: instructed as junior counsel, led by Gillian Jones KC, to defend a parent accused of gross negligence manslaughter; acquitted of this count.
- R v X — attempted murder: instructed as junior counsel alone to defend a man accused of attempted murder involving throat-cutting; acquitted of this count.
- R v HP — arson with intent to endanger life: instructed to defend a man accused of arson with intent to endanger life; acquitted of this count.
- R v X — multiple-victim stabbing: instructed to prosecute a stabbing incident at a central London hotel involving multiple victims, defendant convicted following trial.
- R v CJ — child stabbing allegation: instructed to defend a woman accused of stabbing a child.
- R v X — section 18 wounding: instructed to defend a woman accused of section 18 wounding arising from the stabbing of her daughter, acceptable pleas entered to s 20.
- R v GS and CS — wounding: instructed to defend a father and son accused of wounding.
- R v HE — conspiracy to supply firearms: instructed to defend in a case involving conspiracy to supply firearms.
- R v MS — modern slavery: instructed as junior counsel to defend a woman accused of modern slavery offences, acquitted of these counts.
- R v RH — Class A drugs conspiracy: instructed to defend in a large-scale, multi-handed conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Extradition & International
Featured Cases
- Extradition Act proceedings— experience acting in matters under the Extradition Act 2003, including contested proceedings and bail applications; appointed to the CPS Extradition Panel at Grade 2.
- International fraud and corruption— experience working on complex international fraud and corruption cases for the SFO and the Jersey Law Officers’ Department.
- Capacity building — Experience delivering training as part of a capacity building programme with the Oman Public Prosecution Office.
Education
- LLM by Research, University of Edinburgh, Distinction
- LLB (Hons), University of Aberdeen, First Class
Awards
- Harmsworth Scholarship, Middle Temple
- Edinburgh Legal Education Trust, LLM by Research Scholarship
Professional appointments
- CPS Specialist Fraud Panel Advocate (Grade 3)
- CPS Proceeds of Crime Panel Advocate (Grade 3)
- SFO Trial Counsel (B Panel)
- SFO Proceeds of Crime Panel (B Panel)
- Attorney General’s List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates (B Panel)
- CPS Extradition Panel Advocate (Grade 2)
- Bar Standards Board Independent Decision-Making Body, Barrister Member
Memberships
- CBA
- ARDL
Publications
- Andrew contributes regularly to Chambers’ monthly Fraud Newsletter and is a co-author of Arlidge and Parry on Fraud.
- What New UK Money Laundering Law Means For Fintech, Law 360, June 2021
- Arlidge and Parry on Fraud, 6th Edition, 2020, co-author
- Arlidge and Parry on Fraud, 5th Edition, 1st Supplement, September 2018, co-author
- Criminal Finances Act 2017, January 2018 update, co-author
- Brexit and Money Laundering Regulation, April 2017, co-author
- Book Review of Forbes: The Institutes of the Law of Scotland: Edinburgh Law Review, vol. 18, May 2014,pp 300 – 301