Kevin Dent KC leads for the prosecution (leading Ben Isaacs of 7 Bedford Row and David Claxton of Red Lion Chambers) in this SFO case, resolved through guilty pleas of each defendant.
The three directors of Ethical Forestry Ltd have pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to the offence of Fraudulent Trading, ahead of an expected trial next month. The case arose out of the collapse of a £70 million, purportedly ethical, forestry investment scheme involving trees to be planted in Costa Rica and almost 3,000 investors, most of whom had transferred their existing pensions into the scheme.
For further information about the case, see the following articles:
SFO secures three convictions for £70 million investment fraud - GOV.UK press release
Three admit £70m tree planting pension fraud - BBC News
Kevin Dent KC is a highly persuasive advocate with a calm, measured, yet robust courtroom manner. Since taking silk in 2019, Kevin has built upon his heavyweight practice in the fields of financial and serious crime. Kevin is ranked in the Legal 500 for Fraud - Crime and Chambers & Partners for Crime.
