Shortlisted Legal 500 ‘Silk of the Year 2026
Times Lawyer of the Week November 2025
Main Areas of Practice
- Corporate & business crime
- Multi-jurisdictional criminal & related investigations / regulatory proceedings
- Fraud, bribery & corruption
- Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) & confiscation proceedings
- Corporate internal investigations & compliance
- Tax evasion
- Appellate advocacy
Biography
Mark Mulholland K.C. S.C. has developed a unique practice in multi-jurisdictional proceedings, global investigations and bespoke advisory work. He is a seasoned and highly experienced trial counsel spanning 32 years in practice. Mark has worked with many of the leading firms in financial crime in London, Dublin and New York. His caseload has spanned some of the most complex matters across Ireland, the UK, US, UAE, Russia, Greece and the Cayman Islands. He has acted for clients in investigations/prosecutions relating to the NCA, SFO, FCA, DOJ, SEC, HMRC and MI5. His vast trial experience in both jury and non-jury trials in a variety of courts and jurisdictions is matched by few Silks across the British Isles and Ireland.
He has extensive experience as an appellate advocate and has appeared on several occasions in the UK Supreme Court. He also represents clients in cases where UK DV security clearance is required as well as ultra high net worth individuals facing serious criminal allegations with related proceeds of crime or regulatory implications. Mark has also acted in serious criminal and regulatory proceedings for barristers, solicitors and police officers for over 20 years. Mark has also acted for a number of sports personalities including those with backgrounds in international rugby, MMA and professional boxing. Mark is on the PPS Senior Counsel panel and is instructed in serious and complex criminal cases including fraud.
Mark joined Cloth Fair chambers given his expertise in financial crime, fraud and regulatory work and his proven track record in numerous cases at both trial and appellate level in criminal and commercial/civil proceedings.
In 2016 Mark was nominated and admitted into the US International Academy of Trial Lawyers in Washington DC – the selection criteria required an evidence base of appearing in 1000 trials. Over the last 10 years Mark has appeared frequently in the most complex criminal trials and secured Not Guilty verdicts in every case that has gone to verdict. Within the past 12 months Mark has secured acquittals in two of the most high-profile criminal trials to come before the courts in the United Kingdom in recent years.
Mark has advised on the provisions of the Fraud Act 2006 and Bribery Act 2010, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparncy Act 2023 and the Police Crime & Policing Act 2026. Mark has experience conducting internal investigations and advising on remediation and compliance in several jurisdictions. He has been a guest speaker at events in Cape Town, Hong Kong, Boston, London, Kuala Lumpur, Edinburgh, New Zealand, Vienna and New York amongst other places. He has published articles on the Bribery Act & DPAs, Wrongful Trading and Company Director Disqualification and has been published in the Lloyds Financial Crime Law Reports on asset forfeiture in the UK and Ireland. Mark has previously taught Commercial Law at Queens University Belfast, and has given talks to government agencies and corporate entities on the Proceeds of Crime Act and Company Director Disqualification. Mark is regularly retained to defend corporates and directors in environmental and waste proceedings proceedings and also to advise and represent corporate clients in health and safety related prosecutions.
Cases include
Bribery & Corruption
- Senior Counsel in a 5-year fraud & bribery investigation by the NCA, DOJ & SEC relating to a £1 billion property deal, acting for senior partner in an international law firm from pre-charge stage to non-prosecution decision with ongoing advisory role with CEO of the law firm relating to extant criminal proceedings against third parties (multi-jurisdictional)
- Retained on behalf of company director in £650 million NCA, SFO & FCA investigation relating to allegations of bribery in property acquisition and related POCA proceedings
- Advised the board of directors of a multi-national corporation on failure to prevent bribery and fraud obligations under the Bribery Act 2010 & Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023
- Advised a US client on the implications of Anti-Corruption legislation in Ireland regarding gifts to governmental officials including the President of Ireland
- R v McD Successfully represented Government official on charges of alleged corruption involving the payment of subsidies/grant funding plus successful High Court settlement for malicious prosecution
- R v M & others – Represented government employee on charges of corruption by crown servant contrary to the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906
Fraud & Investment Fraud
- Represented the CFO of CHC Capital in a €60 million conspiracy to defraud pension fund investors, in one of Ireland’s most notorious and high-profile white collar investment fraud cases
- Instructed in commercial proceedings of Trafalgar Developments Ltd & Ors v Mazepin & Ors – represented Mr Mazepin (oligarch) & international entities
- Acted in a £50 million commercial claim for a US law firm against a law firm and its managing partner for fraudulent misrepresentation / breach of contract relating to the acquisition of €1.2 billion NAMA portfolio in Ireland
- Acted in successful civil fraud proceedings relating to the misuse of a corporate entity to dissipate assets from former wife in course of divorce proceedings (Miller v Miller, Dulling & Aviva Insurance)
- R v Ochiltree – Represented the accused on counts of fraud & abuse of trust
Tax, Duty Evasion & Proceeds of Crime
- R v McComb & Ors – Retained to prosecute 15 accused, including two company directors, in cross-jurisdictional VAT carousel fraud in the sum of approximately £65 million
- R v Paul Doherty – Represented the company director & company charged with evasion of duty & related confiscation proceedings approximating £100 million
- R v Gerard Derry – Secured acquittal after two-week trial for the Managing Director of company charged with evasion of duty (£1 million) and successful challenge to forfeiture proceedings against company
- R v Elizabeth Mulholland – Represented client in multi-defendant £60 million construction fraud trial on charges of fraudulent evasion of excise duty, contrary to S 170 (1) (b) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 & converting proceeds of crime
- R v S & Others – Represented company directors and companies facing allegations of several million pounds due in unpaid taxes to the Revenue
- R v McParland & McParland – Represented hoteliers relating to HMRC investigation on charges of tax evasion
Regulatory Investigations, Advisory & Compliance
- Advised a Corporate Board on internal investigation arising from accountancy firm regarding the failure to prevent fraud provisions and related regulatory obligations with FRC
- Advised a US Fortune 100 Company on UK banking regulations and voluntary self-disclosure to the UK FCA
- Represented a US law firm before the Cooke Committee of Inquiry Dublin
Serious Crime & Other High-Value Matters
- Retained to advise a high-net-worth individual in criminal investigation into allegation of attempted murder resulting in non-prosecution decision & related FCA / UAE regulatory reporting obligations
- Represented Managing Director of UK-wide company providing strategic advice on corporate liability & potential civil and criminal proceedings
- R v Soldier F – Acquittal on 2 counts murder & 5 counts of attempted murder
- R v Paul McIntyre & Ors – Acquittal on count of murder of journalist Lyra McKee
- R v Robert Beggs – Acquittal of accused on charges of rape and serious sexual assault and successful dismissal of prosecution appeal to the Court of Appeal
- R v Brian McKenna – Acquittal of police officer charged with gross negligence manslaughter arising from death in custody
- Brown Rudnick v Ian Coulter & Tughans LLP – Lead Silk in commercial action claiming £50 million grounded upon allegations of fraud and misreprestation – pending
- Retained to advise ultra high net worth individual in criminal investigation into allegation of attempted murder resulting in non prosecution decision & related regulatory reporting obligations
Mark has advised on the provisions of the Fraud Act 2006 and Bribery Act 2010 (and published) as well as conducting internal investigations and advising on remediation and compliance in several jurisdictions and spoken at events including IBA , World Bar Conference, IATC and also delivered lectures to governmental agencies and corporate entities on the Proceeds of Crime Act, Company Director Disqualification and Wrongful Trading, Deaths in the Workplace & Corporate Liability.
Education & Organisations
- LLB Hons, Queens University Belfast, 1992
- LLM Commercial Law, University College Dublin, 1993-1994
- Chairman of the Professional Conduct Committee of the Bar of Northern Ireland, 2010-2012
- Chairman of the Bar of Northern Ireland, 2012-2014
- Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2015
- Bencher of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland, 2016
- Fellow of the International Society of Barristers, 2022
- Director of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2024
