Annie Birch is an associate in the London office of Latham & Watkins.

Ms. Birch represents global companies, financial institutions, and their senior executives in white collar and contentious regulatory matters and investigations, and a wide range of commercial disputes, with particular experience in post-acquisition SPA disputes.

She regularly helps clients navigate internal investigations and reporting obligations and multijurisdictional investigations brought by the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO), UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC), US Department of Justice (DOJ), and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into allegations of UK and cross-border fraud, bribery and corruption, market abuse, and money laundering.

Ms. Birch maintains an active pro bono practice, and is a regular volunteer on the Liberty Advice Line and has acted for individuals in contentious FCA proceedings on a pro bono basis.

Ms. Birch's experience includes advising:

  • A prominent consortium of companies in relation to a wide-ranging multi-jurisdictional SFO investigation, as well as liaising with numerous other UK and foreign regulators
  • A high-profile shipping company in relation to the highly reported criminal and civil investigations by the Insolvency service, which successfully resulted in the criminal investigation being dropped
  • A global telecommunications company pre and post-acquisition as part of a cross-border investigation into potential criminal activities, including politically sensitive embezzlement and corruption issues; advising on claims for breach of warranty and representations in the SPA post-acquisition
  • A senior banking executive in multi-jurisdictional criminal and civil proceedings arising out of the JP Morgan “London Whale” case including DOJ, SEC, and FCA proceedings as well as extradition proceedings in Spain
  • A leading international bank in relation to responding to requests from regulators in response to the liquidation of Wirecard AG amid allegations of fraud and criminal conduct*
  • A FTSE 100 corporate and its executives in connection with an SFO investigation into a business partner and responding to related Section 2 requests*
  • An individual in multi-jurisdictional claims against her deceased husband’s associates, involving multiple highly complex claims arising from a conspiracy to defraud her and her daughters*
  • An African bank’s UK subsidiary in an internal investigation following whistleblower allegations from an employee*
  • A UK branch of a major African bank and a director of that bank in relation to an FCA investigation and Section 166 review relating to breaches of the bank’s systems and controls for AML*
  • Numerous companies on money laundering reporting obligations, and advice in relation to POCA 2002, the UK Bribery Act and compliance programs*

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham 

Bar Qualification

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

  • LPC, BPP Law School, 2014
    with distinction
  • BA, Oxford University, 2012
    First Class