Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

counsel definition

What does counsel mean? In UK and Irish legal practice, counsel means the specialist court advocate instructed to represent a party and to advise, including by giving a written Counsel’s opinion. In England & Wales and Northern Ireland it ordinarily refers to a barrister; in Scotland, to an advocate; in Ireland, to a barrister. The term is descriptive rather than defined by statute, but is widely used in case law and court practice. Counsel are typically instructed by solicitors (under a brief or instructions to counsel) to settle pleadings, appear at trials and hearings, and conduct advocacy before courts and tribunals. References to leading counsel...

Corporate Internal Investigations in the UK: Practical Guide to Planning, Legal Professional Privilege, Evidence Preservation, Interviews, Regulatory Engagement, Reporting, Employment Issues and Remediation

Published by a LexisNexis Risk & Compliance expert

Practice notes

An internal investigation is a formal legal exercise carried out by an organisation, with or without external counsel, to examine and determine facts around a particular allegation, concern or misconduct, and to address any potential irregularities...

What sort of events may trigger an investigation?

A concern raised internally via a whistleblowing hotline or other channel (whistleblower)
A response to a demand from a regulatory or criminal authority
Part of due diligence ahead of a merger or acquisition
A civil litigation claim
An internal or external auditor’s report
Media reports
An external allegation, for example from a customer or counterparty

Why conduct an internal investigation?

Internal investigations play a vital role in establishing the factual background of an event or sequence of events in a manner that best safeguards the organisation and its board. The primary objective is to ascertain the facts and reduce legal, regulatory and reputational consequences, i.e.:

Identify the relevant facts so the board can take fully informed decisions on the organisation’s response, including disciplinary action for any employees who engaged in conduct breaching internal corporate policy or suspected breach of...

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Noel Power

Addleshaw Goddard

Noel Power specialises in internal and regulatory investigations and white-collar criminal defence. Noel advises large corporate clients, financial institutions and senior executives across a range of industries including financial services, transport, pharmaceuticals and defence, on their interactions with the UK Serious Fraud Office, the National Crime Agency, HM Revenue & Customs and the US Department of Justice.Noel focuses his practice on complex, multi-agency and cross-border investigations particularly involving bribery, fraud, corruption and money laundering. Noel’s practical experience of investigating and defending organisations and individuals has led to a compliance and advisory practice assisting national and international organisations in designing, implementing and testing effective compliance measures.Noel has been listed as a key lawyer by the Legal 500 2022....

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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