Expertise
Rizwan Ashiq is a barrister specialising in cases that require expert advocacy skills. He has earned a reputation as one of the country’s leading and most sought-after barristers. For over a decade, he has defended against various state prosecuting authorities on behalf of the accused, winning acquittal after acquittal in numerous trials and appeals.
Rizwan has experience in criminal cases from murder to money laundering, from theft to terrorism, from drug importations to drink-drive, from speeding to sexual offences. He has extensive experience in fraud, tax, duty, and VAT evasion cases. He has acted on some of the most significant and complex national and international money laundering and fraud cases in recent times. He has unrivalled expertise concerning restraint and management receivership orders, cash forfeiture, civil recovery, and confiscation orders, successfully defending a range of clients.
Rizwan has a varied practice and represents both individual and corporate clients. He is called upon to advise professional clients early on strategy and achieve the best outcome for lay clients. He is an expert in using abuse of process procedure and dismissal applications to stop or dismiss cases before they get to trial.
Rizwan acts and advises in complex financial, corporate, and commercial disputes and criminal/regulatory investigations. He has acted in complex national and international fraud and commercial disputes and investigations cases over the last few years. He acts for companies, shareholders, senior executives, directors, and other individuals. In addition, he routinely advises high net worth individuals and companies’ residents who are based overseas.
Rizwan mainly specialises in cases where there is a crossover between criminal, civil and regulatory liabilities and remedies/sanctions and is a highly-skilled, measured, forceful and persuasive advocate. He possesses the ability and agility to advise and act in Commercial Court, Chancery Division proceedings and Crown Court jury trials as and when these cases require it. As a result, he plugs a significant gap between the commercial bar and the criminal bar at the point at which commercial litigation, criminal proceedings, regulation, and enforcement collide.
Rizwan specialises in individual and corporate criminal liability with expertise in financial crimes under the Fraud Act, Proceeds of Crime Act, conspiracies to defraud, breach of trust, bribery, money laundering, sanctions abuse, insider trading and other forms of market abuse and deception.
Rizwan is a specialist in the field of challenging and quashing search warrants. He has derailed and stopped several serious fraud and money laundering investigations by challenging and quashing search warrants and obtaining injunctions against the investigatory authorities.
Rizwan has acted for clients with interests in the US, India, Africa, Middle East, and Europe on a range of civil, criminal, and commercial matters, including the Bribery Act, directors’ duties, Proceeds of Crime Act and tax evasion.
Rizwan has successfully represented clients appearing before major hearings at the Court of Criminal Appeal and is consulted to advise on the merits of an appeal securing extraordinary results for his clients.
Rizwan is Public Access accredited and accepts direct instructions from lay clients.
https://www.barcouncil.org.uk/using-a-barrister/public-access/
