Ian Burton

Spear’s Review

Ian Burton, founder and senior partner at BCL, has been described by industry insiders as the ‘doyen of criminal law’. His client list reads like a who’s who of the business, sports, entertainment and political world – not only in the UK but across the world.

Burton’s reputation as a masterful problem-solver is not limited to high-profile individuals. He also advises blue chips and government bodies on ‘complex and sensitive’ issues at home and abroad – from commercial fraud, international financial regulation (including money laundering), tax and company investigations and price-fixing to corruption, mutual legal assistance and extradition.

Burton has conducted many high-profile trials but says that much of his work goes unseen by the public: ‘A lot of it is very much below the surface. The trick in our game is not to win the fight, but to avoid there being a fight.’