Max Baines
Call: 2005
Personal profile
Max is ranked as a leading junior in financial crime, business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) and sport.
A specialist in serious Crime and Fraud, both prosecuting and defending, Max has been instructed in some of the most complex and high-profile cases in recent years including LIBOR and Forex. Over the last decade Max has appeared in cases ranging across the criminal spectrum, including homicide, organised crime, drug conspiracies and serious violence. He also has experience in private prosecutions.
Max is a member of the SFO’s A panel and is a CPS Panel Advocate (Grade 4). He is also a Grade 4 CPS Specialist Panel Advocate for both Fraud and Serious Crime, and a Grade 3 member of the Terrorism panel.
Max is also a leading practitioner in the sports arena. He is regularly instructed to represent the Football Association in matters of professional discipline and has appeared on behalf of UK Athletics and the British Horseracing Authority. He is an advisor to UK Anti-Doping and has undertaken work for the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League. Max additionally represents athletes in disciplinary proceedings across a range of sports.
Recommendations
― Chambers UK (2027)He's a superstar and a silk in waiting. He's great at huge fraud cases and distilling them down. He has a lovely, gentle courtroom manner.
― Chambers UK (2027)Max Baines' cross-examination is brutal. When someone is lying, he tears them to pieces
― Chambers UK (2027)Very user-friendly
― Chambers & Partners (2026)Max is very smart.
― Chambers & Partners (2026)Max is extremely good and very pleasant to deal with. He certainly knows his stuff.
― Legal 500 (2026)Max is very calm and measured, and provides very clear written advice. He is not afraid to challenge others' thinking where appropriate, and equally is happy to be challenged himself. Working with Max is always a highly collaborative experience.
― Legal 500 (2026)Max is very thorough in his case preparation. He is a confident advocate.
― Legal 500 (2025)Max is superb all-round. Sound, concise advice, excellent written work, authoritative before a court or tribunal and seriously effective cross-examination.
― Chambers UK (2025)Max Baines is very versatile, highly practical and very personable. He can be put in any team and inspire confidence and work well with others. He is also thoughtful and cerebral.
― Chambers UK (2025)Max is really fantastic. He is a very practical, sensible and knowledgeable operator.
― Legal 500 (2024)Max is a brilliant advocate. His instructing solicitors would not want to be cross-examined by him, and he is really approachable and thorough.
― Legal 500 (2022)He provides excellent advocacy and written advice, and is a pleasure to instruct
― Chambers UK (2021)Very calm and measured.
― Chambers UK (2021)Very commercial, 100% reliable, and his technical expertise stands out in particular.
― Chambers UK (2021)He’s extremely personable and builds really good relationships with clients.
Business Crime & Fraud
Max is instructed across a broad range of criminal matters, with a particular focus on financial and corporate crime.
Featured cases
- R v X (2023) – Currently instructed to prosecute a cryptocurrency fraud following the largest seizure of BitCoin ever made by the NCA.
- R v GP (2018 to 2023) – Instructed in a private prosecution arising from alleged international property fraud and forgery against a background of related international civil proceedings.
- Balli Group (2020-2022) – Instructed to represent one of the defendants in the SFO’s prosecution arising out of the collapse of the international trading corporate Balli Group. [Press Report]
- PVT 3 (2017–2020) – Instructed by the SFO to advise on a complex investigation into a real estate company alleged to have been involved in international bribery and multi-million pound money laundering.
- Forex (2016–2018) – Instructed to represent one of the principal suspects in the international investigation into manipulation of foreign exchange rates. Following the closure of the SFO’s investigation in March 2016, representation continued in respect of the ongoing investigation by the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice through to the conclusion of the defendant’s trial in the Southern District of New York. [Press Report]
- LIBOR 1 (R v Hayes) and LIBOR 2 (brokers) (2014–2016) – Instructed by the SFO before trial to advise on all aspects of the investigation and drafting extensive legal arguments within the preparatory hearing. As junior counsel, with Gillian Jones, this was a central role during the trials, as advocate and advisor. [Press Report]
- Insider Dealing – Operation Saturn (2009–2012) – Instructed by the FCA in (at the time) its most valuable and complex insider dealing. The case involved insiders operating in the print rooms of two major investment banks in the City, copying market-sensitive material around forthcoming mergers and acquisitions to a ring of traders. Instructed pre-charge, and at trial, to advise on all aspects and to oversee a vast and complex disclosure exercise.
Regulatory & Professional Disciplinary
Max is a foremost practitioner in the field of sports law. He is routinely instructed by The Football Association, having acted as a resident senior legal advisor to The FA between 2013–2014. He has appeared or advised in a number of the most high-profile matters of recent years.
Max has also represented the British Horseracing Authority in front of its disciplinary panel, in respect of appeals brought by jockeys and trainers against the decisions of racecourse stewards.
Max is currently instructed by UK Athletics in respect of a number of misconduct matters relating to senior coaches and officials within British Athletics.
Featured cases
- UK Athletics v JL (2021) – Instructed to represent UKA in respect of multiple charges of abuse and improper conduct by a senior athletics coach against female athletes.
- UK Athletics v Andrew Butchart (2021) – Instructed to represent UKA in proceedings against a GB athlete relating to the alleged falsification of a Covid-19 test result. [Press Report]
- The Football Association v X (2021) – Instructed to represent the FA in anti-doping proceedings relating to (rare) charges of possession and use of a performance-enhancing substance.
- RFU v BS (2018) – Instructed to represent a professional rugby union player in respect of doping allegations.
- The Football Association v BT (2017) – Instructed to represent the FA in respect of an allegation of racial abuse during a championship match.
- The Football Association v AT (2013) – Represented the FA in respect of multiple betting charges brought against an England international which set a benchmark in the sanctioning of future betting cases.
- The British Horseracing Authority v JM (2011) – Involving a high-profile jockey attempting to overturn a suspension that ruled him out of a key ride in a championship race.
Inquests & Inquiries
Max has appeared in a number of inquests, principally on behalf of the family of the deceased.
Featured cases
- Inquest into the Death of T (an infant) – Represented a 15-year-old mother in a coroner’s inquest into the mother’s actions leading up to the death of her newborn baby where medical staff had failed to identify the pregnancy.
Military Law
Max has experience in Courts Martial, in particular on behalf of British military personnel based in Germany.
Featured cases
- R v Corporal H – Max represented a Corporal in the British Army in a Court Martial in Germany, charged with theft from a German national. Considered more serious than in a civilian Court, as an offence of dishonesty. The defendant faced dishonourable discharge from the Army. In the event, Max was able to persuade the Court to permit Corporal H to retain his position within his regiment.
Education
- BA Hons Classics, University of Oxford
Professional appointments
- FA Anti-Discrimination Chairman’s Panel
Memberships
- CBA
- South Eastern Circuit Fraud Lawyers
- FLA
- ARDL
Languages
- French (fluent)
- Italian (conversational)