Zara Brawley

Called to the Bar:2017

  • Overview

    A dynamic, hardworking and persuasive junior, trusted to defend and prosecute across corporate and financial crime, serious crime and professional regulation. 

    Overview

    Zara specialises in corporate and financial crime, serious crime and professional regulation. She acts for both the defence and the prosecution, including in cases brought by the CPS and in large-scale investigations conducted by UK and international agencies. Her work spans privately and publicly funded cases. 

    Appointments

    • CPS External Advocates Panel - Grade 3
    • Public Access qualified 
    • Advocacy and the Vulnerable accredited 

    Professional Memberships

    • Gray’s Inn
    • Fraud Lawyers Association
    • Criminal Bar Association
    • Women in Criminal Law
    • Women's White Collar Defense Association 

    Education

    • BPTC – City, University of London
    • GDL – City, University of London
    • BA (Hons) European Social and Political Studies – University College London

    Scholarships and Prizes

    • Gerald Moody BPTC Scholarship (Gray’s Inn)
    • City Law School Postgraduate Scholarship (City, University of London)
    • Cheng Tien-His Prize for Public International Law (UCL)
    • Sessional Prizes for German and European Social and Political Studies (UCL)

    Languages

    • French
    • German

       

    Recent Cases

    News

  • Corporate and Financial Crime

    A leading emerging talent in complex corporate and financial crime, Zara is known for collaborative case-building and independent advocacy in high-stakes matters. 

    Experience

    Zara has a flourishing practice in the fields of corporate and financial crime. 

    When defending, she has particular experience in the representation of individuals in high-profile SFO prosecutions. She was instructed on behalf of former executives at both G4S and Serco in their respective trials in relation to alleged multi-million-pound frauds upon the Ministry of Justice. She currently represents the former CEO of an international mining company in an SFO prosecution relating to alleged corruption in Sierra Leone. Zara is also regularly instructed by the defence at an early stage of proceedings. She has experience of assisting individuals and corporates in respect of investigations by the FCA, SFO, NCA, HMRC and Takeover Panel, as well as overseas regulators. She is adept at acting in matters with a cross-jurisdictional element. 

    Zara also has significant experience prosecuting fraud and financial crime matters. She has secured convictions in respect of multi-million-pound fraud and money laundering offences prosecuted by the CPS. Se also prosecutes for the FCA and has experience of assisting with investigations from a very early stage. She is currently instructed as led junior counsel in FCA proceedings against a former Independent Financial Adviser for the alleged misappropriation of £2.5 million in client funds. 

    Notable cases

    • R v C (2026, Portsmouth Crown Court): Led prosecution counsel in FCA criminal proceedings against a former Independent Financial Adviser for the alleged misappropriation of £2.5 million in client funds.
    • R v H & others (2026, Southwark Crown Court): Instructed as second junior counsel to the first defendant, the former CEO of an international mining company, in an SFO prosecution relating to alleged corruption in Sierra Leone. 
    • R v S & H (2026, Isleworth Crown Court): Sole counsel prosecuting two defendants accused of the cross-jurisdictional laundering of approximately £1.3 million in cash derived from the drug trade. 
    • R v B (2023, Isleworth Crown Court): As sole counsel, prosecuted defendant stopped at Heathrow Airport carrying over £1.1 million cash. Guilty plea to money laundering entered shortly before trial. 
    • R v M & others (2023, Southwark Crown Court): Part of defence team to M, a former G4S senior executive charged with a multi-million-pound fraud in proceedings brought by the SFO concerning the operation of electronic tagging contracts with the Ministry of Justice. 
    • Project J (2023): Instructed to act for a high-net-worth individual based overseas facing investigation by the SFO in respect to allegations of corruption in a West African country. 
    • R v K, A, K & G (2023, Croydon Crown Court): Prosecuted four defendants in respect of the laundering of money fraudulently appropriated from the accounts of banking customers. 
    • R v M & W (2021, Southwark Crown Court): Second junior counsel to M, a former Serco senior executive charged with fraud and false accounting in proceedings brought by the SFO concerning the operation of electronic tagging contracts with the Ministry of Justice. Four weeks into trial, the SFO offered no evidence and accepted liability for defence costs. 
    • Project A (2020): Assisted with the defence of a large financial institution under investigation by both the FCA and a US regulator. Also conducted a review-based role assisting a UK-based bank subject to an ongoing FCA investigation. 
    • HMRC Project H (2020): Assisted a former executive facing an HMRC investigation into money laundering. The HMRC investigation arose out of a multinational criminal investigation into the client's former employer.
    • Project T (2020): Assisted with the defence of a high-profile overseas businessperson facing investigations by the FCA and the SFO into false accounting and other financial wrongdoing, an investigation by the Takeover Panel, and parallel civil proceedings in the High Court and in multiple other jurisdictions. 
    • R v B (2019): Assisted a former senior executive of a large multinational company under investigation by the SFO in respect of allegations of bribery and corruption. 
    • Project C (2019): Assisted a former senior manager of a lage multinational company facing prosecution on charges of fraud and financial misconduct in a European jurisdiction. 
    • FCA Operation H (2019): Junior counsel acting for the FCA in an investigation into a multi-million-pound investment fund fraud. 

    Recent Cases

    News

    • Webinar "The Serco Trial: What Went Wrong?" available to download

      QEB Hollis Whiteman, Hickman & Rose and Peters & Peters hosted a webinar - The Serco Trial: What Went Wrong?In the webinar, the defence lawyers in the Serco prosecution considered the factors which led to the collapse of the case. Adrian Darbishire Q

      Read more

  • Crime

    Zara is trusted in serious, sensitive and legally challenging cases, combining tireless case preparation with compelling advocacy and excellent client care. 

    Experience

    Acting as both sole and led junior, Zara has wide-ranging experience across the full criminal spectrum, including murder, s18 GBH, firearms and large-scale drug trafficking. 

    Zara has particular knowledge and expertise in the application of human rights law and issues relating to mental health and intellectual disability within criminal proceedings, having worked representing individuals facing the death penalty prior to coming to the Bar. 

    Zara is a CPS Grade 3 prosecutor and is accredited to act in cases involving vulnerable witnesses. She is Public Access qualified. 

    Notable cases:

    • R v O (2026): Instructed to represent a young male charged with the discharge of a firearm during a violent disturbance in a residential area, as well as the possession of a shotgun on a separate occasion. 
    • R v T & four others (2024-25): Led by Benn Maguire. Prosecuted five defendants responsible for a sophisticated and violent conspiracy to rob members of the public of very high-value watches. Defendants all convicted; ringleader sentenced to 23 years. 
    • R v F & six others (2024): As sole prosecution counsel, secured conviction of all seven participants in a conspiracy to supply a range of Class A, B and C drugs across London. See media coverage here.
    • R v B (2024): Sole counsel prosecuting B, convicted after trial of a serious s18 assault in which he stabbed the victim eight times to the neck and face, having committed two further unprovoked assaults earlier that night. 
    • R v T (2024): Prosecuted a prolific domestic offender in respect of a campaign of violence and coercive control against his partner. Convicted after two-week trial; sentenced to total 10.5 years. 
    • R v G & T (2023): Defence counsel to T in respect of the false imprisonment of a young woman alleged to have been raped immediately beforehand by the first defendant. 
    • R v M, W & W (2023): Led by Nicholas Corsellis KC, prosecuted two youth defendants convicted of the brutal murder by stabbing of a young man during the course of a robbery. The third defendant (the mother of M) was convicted of assisting an offender after she collected the defendants from the scene and helped dispose of evidence. See media coverage here.
    • R v H (2022): Secured a suspended sentence for a vulnerable client who had fraudulently received hardship funds provided to residents of Grenfell Tower. 
    • R v V (2020): Led by Nicholas Corsellis KC. Defence counsel to V, dubbed the 'E17 Night Stalker' in respect of the stranger rape of four women, a serious GBH, and the rape and murder of his final victim. See media coverage here.
    • R v Y (2019): Led by Selva Ramasamy KC. Secured a stay as an abuse of process of proceedings against a police dog handler charged under the Dangerous Dogs Act after his police dog seriously injured an athlete in training for the 2016 Olympic Games. The case involved significant and novel legal issues and resulted in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) creating new authority in two areas of law ([2019] EWCA Crim 17).

    Recent Cases

  • Regulatory

    Zara's intelligent and persuasive advocacy extends to the regulatory arena; she has particular experience in the fields of healthcare, sport and firearms licensing. 

    Experience

    Zara has presented cases on behalf of a variety of healthcare regulators, including the Health and Care Professions Council, the General Optical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. She has particular experience of advising on and presenting cases on behalf of the British Horseracing Authority, having spent time seconded there. She also has experience of representing individuals in relation to firearms licensing appeals. 

    Recent Cases

    • HCPC v M (2025): Acted on behalf of the Health and Care Professions Council in fitness to practice proceedings against a former paramedic. 
    • GOC v H (2023): Acted on behalf of the General Optical Council in proceedings in respect of multiple patient safety failings on the part of a dentist. 
    • SRA v S (2022): Assisted in the defence of the former Senior Partner of a large firm of solicitors in proceedings alleging dishonesty in relation to a multi-million-pound costs claim. 
    • BHA v W (2020): Presented case on behalf of the British Horseracing Authority against a jockey found to have placed numerous bets on horse-racing. 21-month disqualification imposed. Media coverage here.
    • BHA v N (2020): Acted for the British Horseracing Authroity in proceedings against a former trainer whose horse tested positive for cocaine following a race win. Media coverage here.
    • BHA v C (2020): Acted for the British Racehorsing Authority in proceedings against a jockey for breaches of Covid-19 regulations applying to racecourses. Suspension from racing imposed. Media coverage here.
    • BHA v G and H (2020): Presented case on behalf of the British Horseracing Authority against a licensed trainer and his assistant for breaches of Covid-19 regulations applying to racecourses. Suspensions from racing imposed. 

  • Private Prosecutions