Tim Bowden

Tim Bowden is an experienced white-collar crime and investigations lawyer, with a practice focused on international fraud, corruption and money laundering. He represents companies and individuals under investigation by and interacting with the Serious Fraud Office, Financial Conduct Authority, National Crime Agency, HMRC and their international counterparts.  He also advises companies on the effectiveness of compliance policies and the application of anti-corruption, anti-money laundering and anti-tax evasion laws, including in M&A transactions.

Mr. Bowden has substantial experience in managing the expectations and demands of multiple parties in complex multi-jurisdictional investigations, and working collaboratively with other advisers. He advised Airbus SE in respect of the conduct of the corruption investigation, and the negotiation of the coordinated DPA/CJIP settlement with the UK Serious Fraud Office, Parquet National Financier, U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of State, a representation recognized as the Best Provider Collaboration in the 2020 American Lawyer Awards. The work of the Dechert team was also awarded "White Collar Practice Group of the Year" by Law360, "International Litigation and Disputes Team of the Year" at the British Legal Awards, "Conduct, Enforcement or Business Crime Team of the Year" by The Lawyer, "Most Important Development of the Year" at the Global Investigations Review (GIR) Awards and listed as a finalist for "Most Impressive Investigations Practice of the Year" at the GIR Awards (2020).

He also regularly advises companies or individuals in the financial sector in relation to allegations of manipulation and abuse in the financial markets.

Mr. Bowden is consistently recommended by The Legal 500 UK and is listed as a key lawyer for Fraud: White-Collar Crime: Advice to Individuals (2023). Previous editions have noted that he "brings calm professionalism and intellectual rigour to his cases; he is incredibly industrious, with a deep sense of client care that ensures he is responsive to the needs of the client whenever they arise" (2022). He is described as "a subtle, pragmatic and very convincing criminal lawyer" (2022), and "a thoughtful and collaborative lawyer with a specialism in money laundering" (2021). He was also selected as a Rising Star in the white collar category by Law360 in 2020. Since 2019, Who’s Who Legal Investigations has identified Mr. Bowden as a Future Leader, impressing clients with his "legal acumen and his ability to see problems from the standpoint of the regulator" and his "commitment to the client". The 2021 edition notes that "he is smart, to the point and thorough" and "dedicated to achieving the highest quality result".

Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Bowden spent 12 years in practice at the independent bar. He was a Grade 4 prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service and served on the specialist panels for organized crime and complex fraud, and the Serious Fraud Office panel of prosecuting counsel. He was recommended in the UK Legal 500 2015 as a leading barrister in fraud, noted as being “highly regarded for money laundering and POCA matters”. He represented an international oil major in one of the UK’s first investigations under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, and the subsequent criminal proceedings. He acted as independent privilege counsel in a range of matters including international fraud and terrorism. His experience also includes prosecuting and defending in the full range of criminal offences, including murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, armed robbery, and serious and historic sexual offences.

Mr. Bowden has substantial experience in appellate work, appearing on a diverse range of matters including the meaning of valuable consideration in relation to the tainted gift provisions of POCA, the admissibility of a murder conviction in a subsequent trial for murder; the extent of the right to interpretation under article 6; whether violent carjacking for the purpose of joyriding amounts to robbery; the limits of Sexual Offence Prevention Orders; and the admissibility of statements of absent reluctant witnesses under CJA 2003 section 114(1)(d). He appeared in a leading case limiting police powers of arrest, and in the leading authority on the appropriate level of credit for guilty pleas.