"She is a leader in every sense. Incisive, industrious, persuasive and formidable."

Amanda Pinto KC

1983 | Silk 2006

An expert in financial wrongdoing, Amanda is involved in many high-profile cases involving corporate crime, fraud, money laundering, asset recovery and bribery issues, often with an international dimension. She is recognised as a leader by the directories in Financial Crime: Corporates and Individual.

Amanda’s expertise is sought by clients across the globe, from large multi-national organisations and government agencies to small corporates, company boards and officers, and individual private clients. Her advisory work covers problems in civil, criminal and regulatory contexts. It often involves money market and benchmark instruments, sophisticated investor problems and collective investment schemes. She is an expert on sanctions

In 2020 she was elected Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales. In 2021 she was appointed to the PRIME Finance expert panel as a global expert in complex financial products. In 2022 she was nominated by Chambers and Partners for Corporate Crime Silk of the Year.

Directory Comments

“Amanda is superb. She builds good relationships with clients and her advocacy exudes gravitas and authority.” “She is one of the leading silks in corporate crime, is a brilliant team leader and can sensitively and skilfully identify the key issues and solutions in any corporate investigation.”
Legal 500 2024

"She is a formidable advocate and a market leader." "She is subtle and gentle but a complete rock when she needs to be. Judges and juries really like her manner." "She is always thinking outside the box in terms of different strategies in preparing different defences." "Amanda is clear-sighted and knows where she wants to go. She is good at getting everyone to go in the right direction and speaks from a position of authority and knowledge."
Chambers & Partners 2024

"Amanda is an extremely impressive barrister." 
Chambers & Partners 2023 

‘Amanda is a tremendous advocate, her judgement is spot on, she is very well respected by the court due to her experience in both defence and prosecution in major business crime cases, and she has consummate client handling skills.’ 
Legal 500 2023  

"A polished advocate with superb judgement." "She is a really good advocate who leaves no stone unturned." Chambers & Partners 2022

“A charming polished advocate with superb judgement and great experience; always meticulously prepared; clients love her; prodigiously clever. “ Legal 500 2022

Current and Recent Cases

Very recent and ongoing cases

  • Representing an individual in the ongoing SFO investigation (pre-charge) into suspected bribery by Glencore

  • Conducting confidential internal investigation into serious allegations for a media group (leading Christopher Sykes)

  • Acting for an individual in Account Freezing Order proceedings

  • Advising in a complex FCA investigation

  • Acting for a government agency in novel Judicial Review proceedings under CPR82 linked to a high value commercial claim for loss

  • Advising a foreign state’s law officers

  • Advising an individual on global corporate restructuring in line with MLA requirements

  • Defending a US citizen in a UK private prosecution arising out of a commercial dispute alongside civil proceedings in the US and UK (causing prosecution to be dropped, pre-trial)

  • Prosecuting a Brazilian teak investment fraud for the SFO resulting in convictions https://www.sfo.gov.uk/2022/06/15/fraudulent-duo-each-sentenced-to-11-years-imprisonment-after-successful-sfo-prosecution/ (appeal ongoing)

 

Recent cases

  • Defending the CEO of an engineering company in bribery allegations against a global plc – (causing it to be dropped against him, pre-trial)

  • Representing a barrister in the Post Office scandal - the Court of Appeal declined to initiate contempt proceedings against him

  • Advising a Board after the takeover of another company with an undisclosed pre-acquisition, fraudulent history

  • Advising a Board on potential instances of failing to prevent foreign bribery in the context of an investment deal and funding arrangements

  • Defending a bank submitter in the SFO’s Euribor rigging case (acquitted)

  • Appearing as an expert on the English law of abuse of process in a Greek criminal trial for a British company director (acquitted)

  • Providing an amicus brief to the Court of Appeal for a US attorney association on LPP and litigation privilege in the ENRC litigation

  • Acting for a police force in an international production order case involving cybercrime

  • Advising a police force re production orders following public safety disaster

  • Advising the SFO in a Forex global investment fraud

  • Advising on corporate criminal liability in the financial markets

  • Advising on production orders/search warrants in an investigation relying on foreign convictions

Directory Comments

"Always ahead of the game” "She has a razor-sharp intellect."

"Both a fantastic prosecutor and defender. She's very charming but can be ferocious when she wants to cross-examine hard." "She's a very clever, hard-working, effective advocate, who has very good client-handling skills."

"Her huge experience shines through and she shows great attention to detail." "She works very hard and is an inspiring leader to work with. The opposition fear her no-nonsense, straight-talking approach, which is liked by both judges and juries. She obviously brings a wealth of experience in financial crime to any case, and her perspicacity is of enormous value."

Publications

  • Co-Author Corporate Criminal Liability by Pinto and Evans (4th Edition, 2021 Sweet and Maxwell)

  • 2012-present Contributing editor to Blackstone’s Criminal Practice on corporate crime

  • 2019- present Contributing editor to Smith, Owen and Bodnar on Asset Recovery on sanctions

  • Amanda has trained foreign judges, prosecutors and lawyers on money laundering, financial crime and corruption in the Middle East, Moscow, Hong-Kong, China.

Directory Comments

‘Hugely experienced, immensely clever, collegiate, hardworking and cerebral.’

“A heavyweight advocate.”

"Immediately liked and respected by clients as a real heavyweight."

"Very clever.” “She is a real warrior who cannot be knocked off her perch; she just comes back again and again." “Commended for her “pithy oral and written advocacy”

“An expert in the field of complex business crime who regularly takes on money laundering, corruption and fraud matters. She is distinguished in the market for her knowledge of the financial services industry and POCA.”

“Indefatigable, clever, has a great courtroom presence and is a real fighter” and is “highly respected in the market for handling a broad range of financial crime matters”

Appointments

  • 2023 Trustee of Paintings in Hospitals

  • 2022 committee member of the Inns of Court Alliance for Women

  • 2022 Nominated Legal 500 Corporate Crime Silk of the Year

  • 2022 Trustee of the Race Equality Foundation

  • 2021 Appointed to the Panel of Recognised International Market Experts in Finance (“P.R.I.M.E. Finance”)

  • 2020 Chair of the Bar of England and Wales

  • 2020 Shortlisted for Chambers & Partners Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion Award

  • 2019 Vice Chair of the Bar of England and Wales

  • 2018- Champion of the First 100 Years Project

  • 2017-2020 Deputy Chair of the Tate Members Council

  • 2015- Trustee of the Slynn Foundation (enhancing the rule of law and justice systems internationally)

  • 2014-2018 Chair of the International Committee of the Bar Council

  • 2014- Bencher of Middle Temple, advocacy and ethics trainer;   member of the Bencher Selection Advisory Committee (2014-17) and International Committee (2014-2019)

  • 2014-2018 Trustee of the Tate Members Charity

  • 2009-2017 United Kingdom representative on the Council of the International Criminal Bar

  • 2004- Recorder of the Crown Court (part-time Judge in serious crime)