Sonal Dashani

Barrister

Sonal specialises in defending complex fraud and white-collar crime cases and has significant expertise being prosecuted amongst others, by the Crown Prosecution Service (including the Serious Fraud Division), the Serious Fraud Office, Revenue and Customs, the Financial Conduct Authority and Trading Standards agencies. She heads the Business Crime team at 25 Bedford Row.

Acting for both the Corporate and individual client, Sonal advises on all stages of proceedings and is sought after for lengthy and complex frauds. She is regarded as a fearless and skilful advocate who prepares her cases meticulously. She is renowned for her client care and her ability to deal with vulnerable clients particularly through the use of intermediaries.

Sonal has particular expertise in all aspects of confiscation proceedings including forfeiture and enforcement proceedings and asset freezing orders. She has particular expertise in cryptocurrency.

Having practised almost exclusively in serious and complex financial crime cases for the past 10 years, she has substantial experience in associated money laundering allegations, confiscation and enforcement proceedings. She is well adept at handling high profile and sensitive cases and those cases involving large volumes of material.

As a result of her confiscation experience, she is regularly asked to assist the asset recovery unit set up in the Caribbean to train local judges and magistrates on confiscation proceedings and asset recovery.

Sonal can be instructed via the Direct Access scheme.

Publications

Apportionment in Confiscation Proceedings - the tide turns in the defendant's favour. An article on the impact of the Supreme Court judgment in the case of R v Ahmad & Others [2014] UKSC 36

Professional Associations

Criminal Bar Association
Member of the Fraud Lawyers Association
Member of the Female Fraud Forum
South Eastern Circuit

Qualifications

LLB (Hons) Brunel University

Testimonials (2025)

“The best thing is how much the clients like her. She forms an immediate connection and the clients are reassured having her involved.” Chambers UK 2025 Financial Crime
“Sonal has such polish and presence. She gives exceptionally grounded advice, never mismanages client expectations and is very reassuring to clients.” Chambers UK 2025 Financial Crime
“Sonal is such a delight to work with. There is real substance in her preparation and attention to detail and her advocacy is first rate.” Chambers UK 2025 Financial Crime
“Sonal is very knowledgeable and utterly fearless in court. She has enormous empathy as well as a great legal mind.” Legal 500 Fraud

Operation Mickey – Sonal acted as led junior represented the second defendant in a large and complex prosecution brought by West Midlands Police Regional Organised Crime Unit, HM Revenue & Customs and the CPS Complex Fraud Unit. The 8 defendants were charged on a 15-count indictment alleging Conspiracy to Defraud, Conspiracy to Cheat the Revenue and Perverting the Course of Justice in an operation that involved numerous corporate identities set up to effect a high value “cash for crash” fraud. Significant legal arguments were made over a 3-month trial period including applications relating to collateral use of documents obtained in civil proceedings, numerous disclosures requested and abuse of process arguments alleging the bad faith of the prosecution. The prosecution ultimately offered no evidence on all counts.
Operation Hickory – Sonal acting as leading counsel represented the wife of the main defendant who was prosecuted by the Financial Conduct Authority alleging a Conspiracy to Defraud relating to crypto investments, Conspiracy to Breach the General Prohibition and Possession of Criminal Property. Sonal’s client was acquitted of 2 of the 3 counts and unanimously acquitted by jury of the remaining money laundering count.
Operation Veritas – (ongoing) A Trading Standards prosecution in which Sonal as leading counsel represented the first defendant of 4 charged with 11 conspiracies relating to the marketing and sale of counterfeit goods including Apple earphones which were alleged to have breached the protected trademark design. Appeal pending for conviction and sentence.
Operation Alva – (ongoing) Financial Conduct Authority prosecution in which Sonal as led junior represents the first defendant who faces a 40-count Indictment with allegations of Fraudulent Trading and Breaches of the General Prohibition contrary to the Financial Services and Markets Act.
Operation Centime – Sonal as junior alone represented the second of 6 defendants charged with a Missing Intra-Community (MTIC) Fraud. This involved a sophisticated fraud involving numerous companies through which £56m had passed resulting in over £8m of VAT being evaded. Sonal’s client was said to have managed at a high level the movement of funds which were disguised using fraudulent trading documents and buffer companies. Sonal’s client was one of only 2 defendants acquitted by the jury.
Operation Joseph – Southwark Crown Court. Eight defendants charged with 4 counts of Conspiracy to commit Bribery of a police officer revolving around the activities of police officers deployed within the City of Westminster Licensing Unit and the alleged corrupt nature of those relationships. High profile case. After successfully applying to sever the case against her client, the Prosecution ultimately offered no evidence.
R v D – Leading in a case concerning Unauthorised use of Trademarks and Money Laundering in respect of £1m of counterfeit clothing. Although convicted of the Trademark count, the defendant was acquitted of the associated money laundering count and Sonal was able to secure a non-custodial sentence and a reduced confiscation order with no hidden assets by agreement with the prosecution.
R v G – The defendant was charged with an extremely complex fraud and Theft that occurred at a firm of solicitors at which the defendant was employed. A 29 Count indictment was charged and involved a complex investigation by the SRA. A Very-High-Cost case with 3.5 million pages of served evidence. Following instruction of a Forensic Accountant and comprehensive disclosure requests relating to counter allegations of insurance fraud, the prosecution offered no evidence in respect of all counts.
Operation Sanguine – Sonal represented the girlfriend of the main defendant who was charged with Fraud and money laundering arising from £1m having been stolen from a large American Law firm at which her partner worked. Sonal’s client was charged with money laundering of a significant portion of these funds and required a “cut-throat” defence. Sonal secured a unanimous acquittal of her client.
Operation Hyperion – The defendant was charged alongside 12 others with a conspiracy to commit courier fraud (by a series of false representations). Elderly and vulnerable people were contacted over the telephone by males pretending to be police officers investigating crimes in relation to the victim’s bank accounts. Although convicted by the jury (the remaining defendants having entered guilty pleas after the jury had been sworn), Sonal was able to secure a suspended sentence of imprisonment for her client.
R v M – Sonal as junior alone represented a doctor charged alongside her Consultant husband with multiple counts of fraud, mortgage fraud and perverting the course of justice. A complicated and sensitive case with the value of the frauds totalling £1.1m. The case involved a significant “cut-throat” defence as between the husband and the wife with Sonal having to cross-examine the husband over 4 ½ days. Following a trial that lasted over 4 months, Sonal’s client was the only defendant to be acquitted.
Operation Bulkhead - Sonal as a led junior defended the first of five defendants in a trial spanning over 9 months, concerning allegations of Conspiracy to Cheat the Revenue involving the use of a complex film scheme where the loss to the Revenue as a result of the Fraud was over £100m.
Operation Dojo – Sonal represented the second defendant of 6 charged with the Conspiracy to Cheat the Revenue in respect of the evasion of UK duty on the distribution and sale of smuggled tobacco.
Operation Harpseal – Sonal represented the 3^rd of 18 defendants charged with Cheating the Revenue in the sum of £2.6m. This complicated case involved 46 companies set up to facilitate the fraud via fraudulent VAT claims.
R v B – Sonal led by Queen’s Counsel successfully represented a defendant charged with Theft of money from Russian Oligarchs for whom he was employed. The theft was said to be in the sum of £12m. The defence made numerous legal arguments including an abuse of process argument. The Prosecution eventually offered no evidence in this case.
R v A - Sonal as junior alone represented one of 11 defendants charged with a Fraud against Virgin Media involving the illicit access of the subscription television network and the use of illicit set top boxes. The value of the Fraud was estimated to be over £50m (representing the loss of revenue over the period in question).
R v B - Sonal (as a led junior) represented 1 of 4 defendants charged with money laundering of $15m (USD) which was the proceeds of a theft from a bank in Germany. The defendant solicitor was said to have laundered a proportion of the funds through complex conveyances. The defendant was acquitted following successful submissions at half time.
R v MR - Sonal successfully defended a Labour Councillor in a benefit fraud case in which the prosecution offered no evidence against her client. Sonal advised on the instruction of an expert to review the overpayment due to anomalies in the way in which the regulations had been applied. The judge agreed there was no prosecution case after the DWP admitted it had acted in error and said the defendant "could leave the Court without a stain on his character".
Operation Panga – Representing a defendant charged with a courier fraud whereby elderly victims are targeted by persons over the telephone pretending to be police officers.
R v B – Leading counsel representing a defendant charged alongside his wife with multiple counts of Theft, Fraud and Money Laundering relating to their supplying care services to vulnerable adults and overcharging for those services and stealing money from them. Acquitted of 21 of the 23 counts charged.
R v A – Representing a defendant charged with a Conspiracy to defraud relating to false representations alleged to have been made in respect of wine investments in a “boiler room” fraud. Sonal’s client was acquitted following successful submission of no case to answer.
Operation Zedoary – Instructed to defend one of 10 defendants charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit identity fraud and Perverting the Course of Justice.

Confiscation and Enforcement Proceedings

R v G – Sonal represented the defendant in confiscation proceedings in a case where the prosecution had originally sought a confiscation order in the sum of £30m. Through seeking disclosure in a related matter and negotiations with the prosecution, the order to pay was reduced to a sum of £275k.
Operation Michin – Sonal is instructed (ongoing) in a confiscation case arising from drug and associated money laundering convictions for one of the largest distributions of counterfeit Xanax in the UK where payment for the drugs was received via bitcoin via the “dark web”.
R v K - Sonal was instructed in an application to appoint a receiver as part of enforcement proceedings where there was a third-party interest registered by the wife. The question of law posed for the court was whether there was a discretion in respect of interest accrued. Sonal argued that there was not. The Court agreed.
R v Z - Sonal was instructed in the High Court to respond to a case stated involving the issue of a warrant of commitment following non-payment of a confiscation order and the power to revoke such an order. The case was resolved in the Respondent's favour.
R v L - Sonal was instructed in respect of enforcement proceedings following convictions for drugs offences. The case involved advising in respect of appointing a receiver and special consideration had to be given to jurisdictional issues in trying to give effect to a confiscation order on a property in South Africa.

Violent Crime

R v S - Defending one of three defendants charged with Conspiracy to Rob and having a firearm with intent to commit an Indictable offence involving the attempted robbery at a newsagent where ammonia was sprayed into the face of the shop keepers.
R v S - Defending in a blackmail case which involved cross-examining the complainant (and ex-partner of the defendant) on previous sexual history and previous unsupported allegations of sexual assault. The defendant was acquitted by the jury.
R v I - Defending a 15-year-old boy charged with wounding with intent whereby he hit a fellow classmate over the head with a hammer within the vicinity of his school. He pleaded guilty and following lengthy mitigation, he was sentenced to a community order.
R v H - Defending (as a led junior) a defendant charged with others with conspiracy to rob. The case concerned a series of 25 car jackings over a period of three months and involved the examination and preparation of complex cell sites analysis expert evidence.

Sexual Offences

R v N - Sonal represented one of 3 young defendants charged with multiple counts of Rape against 2 vulnerable young girls, one of whom suffered from serious learning difficulties and the second of whom suffered from Downs Syndrome. Due to extent of their learning difficulties the complainants could not be directly challenged about their evidence and leading questions in cross examination were not permitted. The defendant was acquitted.
R v O - Sonal secured the acquittal of a defendant charged with historic sexual abuse against his sister's best friend when she was 10 years old.
R v M - Sonal secured an acquittal for the defendant who was charged with stranger rape of a 57-year-old woman 5 years earlier. The evidence included semen DNA, and the issue was one of consent.
R v P - Sonal represented the defendant charged with administering a substance with intent, contrary to section 61of the Sexual offences Act 2003. It was alleged that the defendant put MCAT into the drink of the complainant (which was accepted). The defendant was acquitted.
R v A - The defendant was charged with two counts of sexual assault of a complainant. Following an acquittal on Count 2 in the first trial. Sonal went on to argue successfully the merits of adducing that acquittal in the second trial. The defendant was acquitted.

Other Cases

R v A - Sonal represented one of six defendants charged with public order offences following their controversial protests at the homecoming parade for soldiers of the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglican Regiment. The trial centred on the argument of freedom of speech under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act versus using words such as 'British Soldiers go to Hell' that caused harassment, alarm and distress. Sonal secured one of the two acquittals in this case.