Gareth Rees KC

Gareth Rees, Kings Counsel, is a leading barrister with over 40 years practising in business crime and regulation with experience as a UK Regulator and as a partner in two global US law firms

His unusual and diverse legal background allows him to stand back and see the bigger picture for corporate clients and leading business individuals going beyond the constraints of legal rules.

He now enjoys giving an oversight and his own reflections on the way law and regulation has impacted on global business and where we are likely to head next relying on experience giving advice in the UK, US, Europe, Middle East and Asia. In this arena all legal advice has to be given against a variety of cultural and political factors.

He has also provided UK sanctions advice to large global financial institutions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was a member of the firm’s global steering group on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) issues advising on Modern Slavery Act issues, UK regulatory requirements on sustainability disclosures, and on Human Rights and other issues in the supply chain

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Type Of Speaker

Keynote Law, Crime & Security Moderators & Facilitators Politics Speaker

More About Gareth Rees KC

Gareth Rees was called to the Bar in 1981 and appointed Queens Counsel – now Kings Counsel – in 2003. He defended in some of the leading criminal and high-profile fraud trials and was recognised as a leader of his profession in all the legal directories.

In 2012 he was appointed to the role of Executive Counsel at the Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board which was developed into his role as Executive Director of Enforcement at The Financial Reporting Council as he built a successful team which investigated financial reporting and audit misconduct which affected the UK public interest. That included large listed corporate entities and the financial sector after the financial crash.

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From that role he became a partner at a global US law firm in 2017 and moved to another firm in 2020 before retiring from partnership in 2023 and returning to the bar at Doughty Street Chambers.

For ten years he travelled extensively working with other regulators and, after returning to private practice, advising clients across the globe including the United States, India, Netherlands, France, Ukraine, Dubai and Japan. He advised on sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was a leader in his firm’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) global team.

In these roles Gareth has developed a knowledge and understanding of the impact of domestic politics on law and regulation and the growing importance of understanding the fast moving geo-political landscape on business.

He has been a judicial member of the English Rugby Football Union Disciplinary panel for over 15 years.

Gareth Rees | Keynote Speaker

Gareth has been a speaker at many conferences and seminars over the last 30 years and has been invited to present in the US, Asia and across Europe on a wide variety of topics. He has been in particular demand as a chair and facilitator of panels.

Gareth was part of the legal team acting for a leading party in the Horizon Post Office scandal Public Inquiry and has been involved in advising on the police investigations. He has also hosted some discussions on the issues arising from the scandal.

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Gareth Rees | Speaking Topics

– Reflections on forty years on the frontline of criminal and regulatory enforcement
– Environment, Social, and Governance: What on earth is this about?
– The convergence of criminal and regulatory rules in the UK and its impact on corporate risk
– The importance of understanding domestic and global political factors in corporate risk