Peter Burrell is Chair of Willkie’s Litigation, Investigations & Enforcement, and White Collar Defence Practice Groups in London. He is the Managing Partner of the London office.
Peter is recognised as one of the UK’s leading specialists in corporate crime and compliance matters. His practice includes advising on compliance issues relating to money laundering, bribery and corruption, sanctions and fraud; conducting complex internal corporate investigations; and defending companies and individuals in investigations and enforcement actions by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, Financial Conduct Authority, HM Revenue and Customs, and other law enforcement and regulatory agencies. He also handles complex High Court litigation and arbitration proceedings in London, with a particular focus on financial fraud, securities disputes and financial reporting issues.
Chambers UK (2025) cites Peter as a leading practitioner in his areas of practice in the UK and The Legal 500 UK (2025) recognises him in the "Hall of Fame" for both Regulatory Investigations and Fraud: Civil, where clients have described him as "a remarkable litigator" and who “never lets any possible avenue go unexplored. He can find a way through the most intractable problem. Shows exceptional commitment to cases.”
Experience
Peter has acted for individuals, financial institutions, and companies in some of the most high-profile cases in the UK. His recent representations include:
- Man Group in one of the largest fraud disputes every heard in the Commercial Court. The Kuwaiti Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) seeks more than $800 million in relation to allegations of bribery and corruption involving its former director-general, Fahad Maziad Rajaan Al-Rajaan. The case was named as one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2020 and is scheduled for a 30-week trial which is due to commence in March 2025.
- Secured victory for Nopporn Suppipat, founder and ex-CEO of Wind Energy Holding Co., Thailand’s largest wind energy company, in one of the largest fraud trials the Commercial Court in London has ever heard.
- Acting for Essentra in connection with alleged breaches of US sanctions against North Korea.
- Acting for Afren Plc in connection with an investigation concerning alleged breaches of Listing Rules and Improper Payments.
- Acting in relation to the SFO's failed prosecution of 6 brokers concerning LIBOR manipulation.
- Representing Tony Allen in connection with a US prosecution for alleged incorrect LIBOR submissions.
- Acting for Mabey and Johnson, the first UK company to be convicted for overseas bribery and corruption and violations of sanctions laws. The case was resolved through the first formal corporate plea bargain under the UK Attorney General’s plea bargaining guidelines.
- Acting for Virgin and its executives in connection with its claim for immunity arising out of the OFT price-fixing investigation into fuel surcharges.
- Acting for Weir Group Plc in its prosecution for sanctions breaches relating to payments to Iraq.
*Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP is a limited liability partnership formed under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with registration number 565650.
Credentials
Education
York College of Law, 1991 Queens’ College Cambridge, B.A. (honors), 1990