Brian Mason

Senior Consultant

b.mason@imd.co.uk

Brian is a highly regarded and widely respected Criminal Defence Lawyer. He has vast experience of dealing with both highly complex and sometimes straight forward legal issues for his clients. Brian has been involved with some of the UK’s most high profile and notable cases over the past two decades. His clients recognise him for the care and attention that he gives to each and every one of them through his hands on approach.

Brian’s practice areas include (but are not limited to):

Pre-charge investigation and representation
Police station advice/representation
Commercial and corporate fraud
Confiscation (Proceeds of Crime Act 2002) restraint
Money laundering
Mortgage fraud
VAT and carousel fraud
Conspiracy to de-fraud
Regulatory investigations
Road traffic offences
Serious crime including homicide and drugs

Recent Notable Cases:

Operation Erasure: One of the largest Missing Trader Intra-community Fraud cases this country has ever seen Heard at Liverpool Crown Court -2010-2012. Achieved successful half time submission of no case to answer. Value of the fraud was estimated at £130 million.
Operation Duma: Large scale allegation of carousel trading resulting in a six month trial with a value of £40 million.
Operation Pylon: Mortgage fraud conspiracy with 17 defendants all represented at a very high level. Representing the only client out of 17 defendants to be acquitted following trial.
Operation Brimstone: Valued at £4 million, highly complex mortgage fraud and money laundering case. Again successfully represented, the case collapsed.
Operation Fluency: Largest ever UK internal Inland Revenue fraud conducted by internal affairs department and associated money laundering counts.
Involved in the preparation of defending in a very complex case which revolved around a waste disposal fraud.
Operation Excalibur: Greater Manchester police operation focusing on the gang culture in the inner city of Manchester. Represented the notorious Gooch and Doddington gangs respectively on large scale conspiracy to supply drug cases and associated firearms and murder allegations
Operation Lantern: Chinese triad violent disorder in Manchester’s China town . Instructed by all 20 defendants and dealt with them all at the police station stage. Acted for the main defendant as the matter progressed through the court .
R v A : Case requiring sensitivity and understanding of the cultural issues involved.
R v B: Complex human rights matter concerning cyber crime. This matter was eventually resolved at the police station stage. The client e-mailed to say “thanks to Brian Mason Esq, who showed great consideration, decency, efficiency, intelligence, legal acuity and wisdom”.
R v C: International money laundering investigation with an FBI involvement.
R v D: International conspiracy to defraud and associated money laundering offences.

List of Notable Business Crime Cases

Operation Erasure: One of the largest Missing Trader Intra-community Fraud cases the UK has ever seen heard at Liverpool Crown Court. Achieved successful half time submission of no case to answer. Value of the fraud was estimated at £130 million (acting for company director).
Operation Forbear: Missing Trader Intra-community Fraud. Estimated alleged value of last to the revenue deemed to be approximately £100 million (acting for company director).
Operation Duma: Large scale allegation of carousel trading within the mobile phone industry resulting in a six month trial with a value of approximately £80 million (acting for company director).
Operation Pylon: Large scale mortgage fraud conspiracy with 17 defendants. Representing the only client out of 17 defendants to be acquitted following trial. Value approximately £2 million. Not guilty verdict.
Operation Brimstone: Valued at £4 million, highly complex mortgage fraud and money laundering case. Successfully represented, the prosecution case collapsed.
Operation Fluency: One of the largest ever UK internal Inland Revenue fraud conducted by internal affairs department and associated money laundering counts (acting for company director).
R v Environmental Waste Agency: Involved in the preparation of defending in a very complex case which revolved around a waste disposal fraud. This case revolved around the loss to the revenue of up to £1 billion as a result of exploitation of weighbridge operations on industrial waste sites (acting for company director).
R v C: International money laundering and mortgage fraud conspiracies investigation revolving around alleged Ponzi fraud in the USA and Europe. This case had multi agency teams investigating including the FBI (acting for company director).
Operation Incubus: £50 million international duty evasion and money laundering offences case involving the illicit cigarettes trade. Not guilty verdict (acting for company director).
R v D: Electoral fraud case requiring in depth knowledge of electoral system and voting procedure.
R v J: Conspiracy to defraud and money laundering allegations by a cyber group involving one of the largest multi-national companies in the world. Not guilty verdict.
R v E: Environmental case involving multi agencies around the UK involving illegal tipping of noxious substances on a huge scale. Not guilty verdict (acting for company director).
R v F: Defending in large scale Trading Standards case involving price competition within the energy industry.
R v W: Defending in large scale national fraud upon pharmaceutical agencies. This required an in depth knowledge of practice within the pharmaceutical legislative. Successful outcome (acting for company director).
Advising on HMRC investigations involving gaming industry internationally.
Advising on HMRC investigations involving construction industry internationally.
Expert advice in restraint proceedings for individuals, national and international companies with cross-border issues with the UK.
Advising on some of the largest cigarette and alcohol duty evasion cases on international level.
Advising on large scale phoenix fraud investigations on national and international level.