What is believed to be England’s first worldwide freezing injunction over the assets of ‘Persons Unknown’ who are accused of committing large-scale, international financial fraud via the internet, has been obtained by London law firm Cooke, Young & Keidan. The firm believes the injunction, obtained for an English subsidiary of a major international resources company, is the first of its kind to be granted against unidentified perpetrators. It was granted by Judge Waksman QC at the Commercial Court, and compels banks to freeze the assets of suspected fraudsters and reveal their identity so that stolen funds can be traced.
10 January 2018
Freezing injunction first
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace
Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team
Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall
Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role
Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei
Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert
NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners
Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.
How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct?
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
