Michael Potts
Partner

Michael is a specialist in the defence of corporate and financial crime and regulatory investigations and prosecutions. He has represented senior executives and other professionals in many high-profile domestic and international investigations and prosecutions conducted by the SFO, FCA, NCA and other prosecution/regulatory agencies.

Adept at navigating the overlap between jurisdictions, Michael regularly advises in international cases that involve overseas prosecutors/regulators and has managed and coordinated responses in each jurisdiction on numerous occasions.

Michael regularly advises and represents senior financial services personnel facing FCA/PRA and other regulator investigations and disciplinary action. He also advises and represents high-net-worth individuals facing revenue investigations and potential prosecutions.

Michael has also been extensively involved in advising clients facing financial sanctions both domestically and globally with experience of sanctions regimes in a range of countries, including Russia, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Syria. His most recent experience includes representing high-net-worth individuals that are the subject of sanctions imposed by OFAC, OFSI and the Minister for External Relations and Financial Services (Jersey), including challenging the 'designated' status of a number of high-profile Russian Oligarchs, and advising various Russian companies in a range of industry sectors on potential exposures arising from the evolving EU, US and UK sanctions regime.

In addition, he advises both companies and professional firms on their anti-money laundering compliance. Michael is a Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Courts Criminal and Civil Proceedings).

Legal 500

• Michael is ranked as a leading individual in the 2024 Legal 500 Fraud: White Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals) and is described as a 'first-rate lawyer'.

Chambers and Partners

• Michael is highly ranked in the 2025 Chambers and Partners Directory in the category of Financial Crime – Individuals – London (Firms) with the description:  'Michael Potts is a respected practitioner noted for his experience advising clients on domestic and multi-jurisdictional investigations into allegations of corruption and tax fraud.'  They say, 'He is excellent with the client, really on top of the detail and gets right to the point'; 'He's my first port of call for anything criminal or regulatory related; 'He's very well known in that field'; 'He is always in control of all the processes and keeps a close eye on all the operations. He shows a strong vision, a great attitude towards the client and powerful skills'; and 'Michael has excellent technical expertise and is always balanced in his advice'.
• Michael is also highly ranked for his POCA Work and Asset Forfeiture – UK-wide, and is in Band 1.  He is noted for advising on asset recovery matters relating to receivership. His experience extends to multi-jurisdictional asset forfeiture proceedings.  He is described as 'Really personable, really knowledgeable and really skilful'; 'He is one of the cleverest lawyers I've worked with. Mike is formidable, direct and canny'.
• Michael is also ranked in the Chambers and Partners High-Net-Worth Directory for Financial Crime – HNW Individuals and is in Band 1.  He is described as “Michael Potts is truly a brilliant strategist, but he also overlays practicality with legal strategy, which helps clients understand the process.”; “Michael is fantastic. He's absolutely unflappable, nothing stresses him and he has seen it all before.”; “Michael is very strong, creative, smart and good to work with. The defining characteristics are his enthusiasm and creativity.”

Notable Experience

• Michael's recent SFO experience includes the Airbus, Rolls-Royce, BAT and Tchenguiz /Kaupthing Bank investigations.
• He has defended numerous FCA prosecutions for insider dealing and multiple other FCA investigations into market manipulation, misstatements and other breaches of financial services regulations, including the high-profile DOJ/SEC/FCA investigation into the JP Morgan Chief Investment Office US$6.2 billion trading losses.
• Acting for an individual in the German 'Goldfinger' tax evasion investigation and prosecutions.
• Acting for a key individual in the NCA’s Operation Destabilise international money laundering investigation into a $multi – billion Russian money laundering network with links to ransomware and espionage. Acting for individuals in HMRC criminal investigations arising from the Panama and Paradise Papers disclosures.
• Advising the former Chairman and majority shareholder of a listed Russian company in the telecommunications industry in the context of exposure he faced from the imposition of sanctions measures against him together with assisting him in preparing detailed written submissions to OFSI to seek a revocation of his designated status.
• Advising a Jersey registered company on whether the European Council's Regulations on Sanctions and the UK Sanctions regulations prohibited them from importing specified commodities from Russia.
• Advising complex Trust structures (owned by a high-profile Russian Oligarch) in Jersey, Isle of Man and the Cayman Island on potential exposure arising from the EU, UK and US Sanctions regimes.
• Advising a HIGH-NET-WORTH individual with alleged connections with the Government of Russia in the context of challenging his designated status in the UK.
• Assisting several clients navigate the complex licencing regimes.

Background

Michael graduated from Lincoln College, Oxford University in 1993 and qualified at Dechert LLP in 1997. He was a founding partner of Byrne and Partners LLP in 2003 and in 2012 was made Managing Partner and then later Senior Partner. Michael is a member of the Fraud Lawyers Association and International Bar Association. He was a committee member of the Law Society's Money Laundering Task Force (now Economic Crime Task Force) for nine years and regularly lectures on anti-money laundering and proceeds of crime asset recovery issues. He has contributed to numerous articles and is regularly quoted in the media.

Contact Michael