Tej Thakkar

Tej specialises in advising individuals and businesses on a broad range of regulatory and criminal matters, including regulatory compliance, health and safety, motoring and road transport, fraud, licensing, professional discipline and privately funded criminal defence.

He has experience acting for corporate clients and individuals facing allegations that may result in criminal liability or reputational risk.

Tej often becomes involved at an early stage of an investigation, providing proactive advice to help manage the process and minimise the risk of formal action or prosecution. He conducts advocacy before tribunals and the Magistrates Court.

He provides clear and practical guidance throughout each stage of an investigation or prosecution and focuses on achieving outcomes that align with his clients’ commercial and personal objectives.

Tej assists with police interviews, and has delivered training for professional bodies including the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Examples of Tej’s work include:

• Advising and assisting an individual who owned a plant machinery company who was accused of theft and fraud. The overall process included the contention of an Account Freezing Order, police interviews under caution, and working alongside insolvency practitioners.
• Representing the chairman of a marine services company in the oil and gas industry who (amongst others) was charged with conspiracy to corrupt and making financial transactions pertaining to lucrative deep-sea diving contracts. The client was formally acquitted of all allegations following a retrial.
• Successfully representing a bulk fuel storage company in respect of an HSE investigation following the inadvertent release of liquid fuel.
• Successfully presenting written representations to the ICO on behalf of national and international company regarding allegations of non-compliance with data protection and use of online ‘cookies’, which resulted in no formal action being ensued.
• Conducting advocacy, and presenting detailed mitigation, on behalf of a nurse convicted for theft of Class A drugs from a hospital, which resulted in them avoiding the imposition of any custodial sanction.