Ellen Gallagher

Career

Before joining Vardags, Ellen was a key member of a highly ranked team at a major international law firm. She advises on various financial crime and regulatory matters, including issues relating to the UK’s anti-money laundering and anti-bribery & corruption regimes. Ellen defends clients in connection with allegations of offences and regulatory breaches such as market abuse, insider dealing, and fraud; she also represents respondents to public inquiries. She has conducted both internal corporate and statutory investigations, and her work frequently involves cross-border issues. Some notable examples include:

• Representing individuals in connection with high profile prosecutions by the Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”) for conspiracy to defraud US Dollar and Yen Libor.
• Acting in relation to investigations by authorities in numerous overseas jurisdictions, including the US Department of Justice and FBI, the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
• Representing a pharmaceutical company responding to the UK Covid-19 public inquiry.
• Representing senior executives of major financial services institutions in connection with enforcement action by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) and Prudential Regulation Authority.
• Conducting a wide-ranging statutory investigation and producing a comprehensive independent report into the collapse of a Gibraltar insurance company pursuant to the appointment of statutory inspectors by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.
• Representing individuals under investigation in connection with allegations of breaches of the UK anti-money laundering regime and advising both individuals and firms in connection with compliance with the regime.
• Advising individuals and firms responding to compelled information notices from the SFO and FCA, including those made in assistance of overseas authorities.
• Representing an individual in connection with the first non-financial misconduct enforcement action undertaken by Lloyd’s of London.

Languages

Ellen is an intermediate Dutch speaker (previously fluent).

Personal

Ellen previously lived and worked in the Netherlands and Singapore. She is a member of the violin section of the London Lawyers Symphony Orchestra.