Michael Bisgrove

Acting both for defendants and for the prosecution, Michael’s experience of criminal litigation includes murder, fraud, organised crime and terrorism offences. He has a wealth of experience in the field of drug trafficking and is regularly instructed in large scale conspiracy cases. He is a Grade 4 prosecutor and is on the Fraud, Serious Crime, and Counter-Terrorism panels.

Michael advises and acts in Judicial Review claims and in appeals against conviction and sentence, both on behalf of those who he has represented at first instance and on behalf of those who seek a second opinion on appeal.

Recent examples of Michael’s homicide work include:

• Historic murders.
• Murder in which the body was not recovered.
• Murder in which the pathological evidence was limited and where the cause of death was in dispute.
• Sophisticated and targeted assassinations.
• Gang attacks

Recent examples of Michael’s organised crime work include:

• International drug supply conspiracies, including conspiracies to import drugs from West Africa; from Costa Rica, and from Jamaica.
• National drug trafficking conspiracies.
• People smuggling.
• International fraud.

Michael is experienced in fraud, commercial crime and professional regulation. He is a Grade 4 prosecutor on the CPS Fraud Panel.

Michael prosecutes and defends in cases of fraud, money laundering and in commercial regulatory proceedings. He has represented clients charged with corruption, conspiracy to commit fraud and substantive Fraud Act offences.

Michael also has considerable experience of confiscation and enforcement proceedings, as well as cash forfeiture proceedings.

In addition to post-charge fraud work, Michael has been instructed to advise companies in the early stages of potential Serious Fraud Office investigations both where the company is at risk of prosecution and where the company has detected possible criminal behaviour by others.

Michael has worked in off-shore jurisdictions reporting on the compliance of listed companies with market regulations.

Recent examples of Michael’s work include:

• Providing pre-charge advice, and then led junior at trial, in the prosecution of a wide ranging CIS and VAT cheat against HMRC. The case involving 40 defendants split across five separate trials from 2024 to 2026. The prosecution was based on analysis of the criminal accountants’ internal accounting documents, supported by a proactive police investigation and the seizure and review of multiple digital devices.
• Instructed as leading counsel in a money laundering prosecution of four defendants, alleged to have laundered the proceeds of national and international banking frauds through the use of electronic gift cards and a front online retail company.
• Defending in a large scale conspiracy to commit fraud on train companies.
• Providing pre-charge advice to the FCA to advise pre-charge, and then prosecuting at trial, in respect of individuals providing banking services to a transnational criminal organisation.
• Prosecuting company directors responsible for entering into fraudulent PPE contracts with complainant companies in Europe and the USA.
• Advising on the legality of warrants obtained by UK law enforcement agencies against a multinational logistics company.

Michael has substantial experience of cash forfeiture proceedings both at first instance and on appeal. He is also conversant with confiscation and enforcement proceedings stemming from criminal allegations and is proficient in negotiating and in contesting confiscation orders.

Michael acts in civil and criminal regulatory matters. He is regularly instructed to prosecute on behalf of regulatory bodies in the criminal courts and in the First-tier and Upper Tribunals, and to advise on matters of policy or practise. He also defends those charged with commercial or personal regulatory offences.

Michael advises and acts in judicial review proceedings, principally arising from criminal or regulatory decisions.

• Author, “Deferred Prosecution Agreements: a practical consideration” Crim L.R. 2014, 6, 416-438
• Author, “The use and abuse of conspiracy” Crim L.R. 2014, 4, 261-277
• Author, “Judges as tribunals of fact: to what extent do the provisions for a defendant to be tried on indictment by a judge sitting without a jury conflict with the defendant’s right to a fair trial where issues of PII are present?” Crim L.R. 2010, 9, 702-710.
• Contributor, EU Law in Criminal Practice, (Oxford University Press)

• Member of the Fraud Lawyers Association

Downing College, Cambridge, MA (Hons), Neuroscience.

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