Rebecca Chalkley KC
Call: 1999
Personal profile
Rebecca’s practice is cross-border and cross-discipline. She specialises in all areas of corporate crime and corporate wrongdoing and financial, environmental, and professional regulation. She both defends and prosecutes.
The Directories list her as a leader in financial crime, business & regulatory crime (including global investigations), fraud and Environmental Regulation.
She advises and acts on behalf of corporates, high net worth individuals, in-house and City solicitors in areas such as compliance, Insolvency, corporate governance, business investigations, dispute resolution, fraud, Restraint, Freezing Orders, Norwich Pharmacal Orders, and private prosecutions.
Rebecca has been and is instructed in the largest Private Prosecution before the courts and is recognised as a leader in that field. She has been ‘spotlighted’ as such in Chambers UK.
She has been instructed in various cases which resulted in Deferred Prosecutions Agreements (DPA), including that obtained against Rolls Royce PLC.
She is described in the directories as “the Queen of Disclosure”. In July 2022 she conducted and co-authored with Brian Altman KC the SFO’s independent review into the collapse of the R V Woods and Marshall trial (SERCO), The Altman Review. She has vast experience with regards to Legal Professional Privilege (LPP) and regularly advises on such matters.
She was until her appointment as King’s Counsel, Standing Counsel to the Department for Business and the Insolvency Service and consequently advised that department on their most complicated issues of policy and their prosecutions. She has a vast experience of matters relating to Insolvency and Bankruptcy, as well as Director’s Disqualification and matters under the Companies Act. She regularly advises and acts for individuals and companies in such matters.
Rebecca is frequently instructed in regulatory and quasi-criminal matters on cases involving breaches of Regulatory & Professional Discipline and on behalf of and against regulatory bodies. This includes the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, the Financial Conduct Authority, the General Medical Council, and the General Optical Council.
She is regularly instructed in Extradition cases. This includes cases involving the USA, the Russian Federation and Bermuda.
She has been instructed by various government departments, including in cases before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). Rebecca was instructed by the Government, in the Kamoka litigation, concerning allegations of rendition and ill treatment sustained in Libya, brought against the British Government.
Recommendations
― Legal 500 (2024)Rebecca is fiercely bright, incredibly adaptable and unflappable.
― Legal 500 (2024)Rebecca is incredibly bright, adaptable and unflappable.
― Legal 500 (2024)Rebecca is approachable, knowledgeable and proactive. She is always well-prepared.
― Chambers UK (2023)Very pragmatic, safe, capable approach.
― Chambers UK (2023)The disclosure queen for private prosecution work. She knows everything about disclosure and the Court of Appeal praised her in their judgement.
Rebecca has been spotlighted in Chambers UK 2021 for Private Prosecutions.
― Legal 500 (2023)A confident and assertive advocate, she understands the intricacies of the legislation, identifies the key elements of the evidence and doesn't get mired in attempts to divert attention elsewhere.
― Legal 500 (2023)Rebecca brings exceptional oral advocacy and has a very deft touch with judges in court.
― Legal 500 (2022)A great advocate and disclosure expert.
― Chambers UK (2021)She is an outstanding advocate – very nice and very bright. She’s incredibly knowledgeable.
― Chambers UK (2021)A fantastic team player who works exceptionally hard.
― Chambers UK (2021)A pleasure to work with, always available and approachable.
― Legal 500 (2021)Fearless in court, and unafraid of making difficult decisions.
― Chambers UK (2020)Incredibly imaginative and creative in her approach, and also completely fearless.
― Chambers UK (2020)She’s a good advocate, who is hot on the law and really efficient.
Business Crime & Fraud
Rebecca is ranked as a leading junior for Financial Crime and Business and Regulatory Crime (including global investigations).
She specialises in all areas of corporate crime and corporate wrongdoing and financial regulation. She has extensive experience of Bribery & Corruption cases, serious and complex Fraud cases. Rebecca is often instructed to act pre-charge or at the early stage of proceedings. She currently holds a number of pre-charge instructions on which she is advising.
She advises and acts on behalf of corporates, high net worth individuals, in-house and City solicitors in areas such as compliance, Insolvency, corporate governance, business investigations, dispute resolution, fraud, restraint, Freezing Orders, Norwich Pharmacal Orders, and private prosecutions.
Rebecca has been and is instructed in the largest Private Prosecution before the courts and is recognised as a leader in that field. She has been ‘spotlighted’ as such in Chambers UK.
She has been instructed in various cases which resulted in Deferred Prosecutions Agreements (DPA), including that against Rolls Royce PLC.
She was until her appointment as King’s Counsel, Standing Counsel to the Department for Business and the Insolvency Service and consequently advised that department on their most complicated issues of policy and their prosecutions. She has a vast experience of matters relating to Insolvency and Bankruptcy, as well as Director’s Disqualification and matters under the Companies Act. She regularly advises and acts for individuals and companies in such matters.
She is a member of the LexisNexis Corporate Crime Consulting Editorial Board.
Featured cases
- R v Boris Becker (2019-2022) – Instructed by the Insolvency Service. [Press Report]
- R v Ellie Taktouk (2018-2021) – Instructed by EMM. Private Prosecution for Fraud. [Press Report]
- Rolls Royce (2016–2019) – Instructed by the SFO in their investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption.[Press Report]
- Sweett Group PLC (2016) – Instructed to prosecute charges of bribery. The company pleaded to failing to prevent an act of bribery intended to secure and retain a contract with Al Ain Ahlia Insurance Company (AAAI), contrary to s7(1)(b) Bribery Act 2010, and fined £2.25m. [Press Report]
- Operation Elveden (2014–2016) – Instructed in the various cases that formed part of the investigation into allegations involving the unlawful provision of information by public officials to journalists, including various senior members of The Sun.
- Operation Weeting & Sacha (2013–2016) – The “Phone Hacking” case at The News of the World and the investigation into allegations of perverting the course of justice. [Press Report]
Serious & Organised Crime
Rebecca has been instructed for the last 25 years in a very large number of drug trafficking and money laundering cases, involving various national and international law enforcement agencies. This has included prosecuting the largest on-land seizure of cocaine. The drugs had a street value of in excess of £65m.
She has considerable experience of working with policy, training and various specialist teams, including those responsible for the gathering and handling of intelligence and witness protection. She also has extensive experience of Part 1 RIPA material and the use of undercover officers and informant involvement both in this jurisdiction and abroad. She is alert to the competing issues in relation to KE witnesses and is thoroughly familiar with all aspects of public interest immunity (PII).
Bribery & Corruption
Rebecca has significant experience of cases involving bribery and corruption, particularly with an international dimension. She was instructed in the SFO’s investigations into Rolls Royce PLC as well as ENRC. These attracted extensive media and public interest both nationally and internationally.
She is currently instructed to defend a CEO of a multinational company under investigation for allegations of bribery. She has experience of advising corporate clients upon self-reporting and corruption responsibilities.
Extradition
Rebecca has detailed knowledge of both Part One and Part Two of the Extradition Act 2003. She is regularly instructed in Extradition cases. This includes cases involving the USA, the Russian Federation and Bermuda.
Featured cases
- Recently instructed in a series of high profile and complex cases acting for the Russian Federation. Rebecca is familiar with Article 3 issues arising from political and human rights (including prison conditions) conditions within that country.
- Recently successfully acted for the US Government in a complex case involving the selling of counterfeit cancer drugs in the USA and a manslaughter case.
Financial Services Regulation
Rebecca is ranked as a leading junior for Financial Crime and Business and Regulatory Crime (including global investigations). She has experience in cases conducted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Accountancy & Actuarial Discipline Board (AADB).
She advises and acts on behalf of corporates, high net worth individuals, in-house and City solicitors in areas such as compliance, Insolvency, corporate governance, business investigations, dispute resolution, fraud, restraint, Freezing Orders, Norwich Pharmacal Orders, and private prosecutions.
Regulatory & Professional Disciplinary
In 2012 Rebecca was appointed to the Attorney General’s Regulatory List of prosecutors which includes the Health & Safety Executive, Office of Rail and Road and the Environment Agency. She has since then been regularly instructed to both prosecute and defend in such matters.
Rebecca is ranked as a leading junior for Environmental Regulation. Rebecca has been, and is currently, instructed in some of the Environment Agency’s largest and most high-profile recent prosecutions.
She has been instructed for the last 3 years to prosecute Water Companies for sewage pollution. She recently acted for DEFRA in a prosecution on behalf of the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Rebecca has also extensive experience and expertise in “waste crime” relating to both legal and illegal waste sites.
Rebecca successfully prosecuted the first case under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.
Public & Administrative Law
Rebecca has been instructed by various government departments, including in cases before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). Rebecca was instructed by the Government, in the Kamoka litigation, concerning allegations of rendition and ill treatment sustained in Libya, brought against the British Government.
Rebecca was instructed by one of the core participants in the Azelle Rodney Public Inquiry and advised another in the Public Inquiry into the shooting of Mark Duggen.
She has advised in a number of Judicial Reviews arising from criminal proceedings.
Education
- BA MA, Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford (1993-1997)
Awards
- Recognised in the Hot 100 list 2023, produced by The Lawyer Magazine.
- Lawyer of the Week’, The Times, April 2022
- The Queen Mother’s Scholar, Middle Temple (1999)
Recommendations
- ‘Lawyer of the Week’, The Times, April 2022
- A LexisNexis Expert in Corporate Crime, appointed April 2022
Professional appointments
- Appointed as a member of the LexisNexis Corporate Crime Consulting Editorial (2022)
- Visiting Professor of Practice at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) at the University of London
- Standing Counsel to the Department for Business & the Insolvency Service (2017, reappointed 2020)
- SFO Prosecution Panel (A List) (2013, reappointed 2020)
- Attorney General’s Regulatory List of Health & Safety Executive, Office of Rail Regulation and Environment Agency (B List) (2012, reappointed 2019)
- GMC (Full List) (2015)
- CPS Specialist Panel Advocate (Serious Organised Crime, Extradition and Fraud) (Gradel 3)
- Attorney General’s Prosecutor (List B) (2006)
Memberships
- St Hilda’s College, Oxford, Law Network
- South Eastern Circuit
- Midlands Circuit
- CBA
- FLA
- ARDL
- PPA
- FSLA
- Female Fraud Forum
Publications
- The SFO’s independent review into the collapse of the R V Woods and Marshall trial (SERCO), The Altman Review, 21 July 2022, co-author
- RIPA contributor: Judicial Studies Board (2008)
- CPS Guidance Notes for the Prosecution of VAT & Excise Frauds, 2006–2007, co-author
- Response to the Review by Lord Justice Auld of the Criminal Courts: General Council of the Bar & CBA, 2001, contributor
Languages
French (conversational)