Neil O'May
Partner
Criminal law
Neil deals with high-profile cases, including those involving complex fraud, and is a recognised expert in defending cases brought by the Serious Fraud Office, HM Revenue & Customs/ RCPO, and other financial regulatory agencies.
Neil advises individual clients and companies on serious fraud investigations where documents and computer equipment are being sought by prosecuting authorities under compulsion or voluntarily; and represents clients in negotiations with authorities, interviews under caution, and other interviews conducted under specialist regulatory powers. He has extensive trial experience and a proven track record of acquittals. His areas of expertise cover money laundering, price fixing, international mutual legal assistance and extradition, restraint and confiscation proceedings, financial services investigations, market abuse and domestic and international corruption matters.
He is routinely involved at a very early stage in investigations, particularly in relation to situations where individual or companies have been notified of interest from prosecuting authorities and require advice in relation to these early issues.
He also regularly acts for investigative journalists and media professionals whose activities are investigated by the police. He acts for legal and medical professionals who find themselves at the sharp end of the criminal law.
Neil advises a number of companies and individuals in prosecutions and investigations involving corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter. Neil has a scientific background and has the complimentary skills to deal with complex Health and Safety prosecutions brought by the HSE.
Neil qualified as a solicitor in 1985, joined Bindmans in 1990, and has been a Partner and Head of its Criminal Law department since 1991.
What the professional directories say
He is ranked by independent legal directories (Chambers UK and Legal 500) in the top tier of London criminal defence solicitors. He continues to be ranked as a *STAR performer for Crime and is very highly rated for Fraud in Chambers 2009, which comments that he is “Bindman’s leading luminary… a superb all-rounder… Head of department Neil O’May is ‘fantastic - wonderfully hard-working with outstanding judgement.’” Legal 500 (2007/08) describes him as "one of the best criminal lawyers in the country."
Chambers 2009
Crime: *STAR ranking
Fraud - criminal: ranked 2nd
Legal 500
Crime: ranked 1st
Fraud - criminal: ranked 2nd