Arun Chauhan

Since 2007 I have specialised in advising on fraud investigations and disputes.

My day-to-day role is steering Tenet and managing a number of our cases.

I set out to manage Tenet in a way that resonated with my approach to work.  I aimed to demonstrate how a law firm can thrive by focussing on its people ahead of its work, taking away targets and presentism to allow colleagues to focus on their work product and their own wellbeing to allow them time with their families. This removal of distractions for our people allows for focus on the solution for the client.  That has always been central to our mission at Tenet.

I strongly believe that focus on our people and culture is a key reason for our progress, with new business often being secured through recommendation / referral.

My cases often arise out of investments (fraudulent misrepresentation claims involving company shares (private or listed on the AIM market), property, crypto currency)and company issues (unfair prejudice due to diversion of money or assets, breach of fiduciary / statutory duties owed by directors, employee and supply chain fraud).

I also advise on compliance and counter fraud issues principally for fintechs and housing associations https://tenetlaw.co.uk/sectors/housing-associations/.  I obtained a post graduate diploma with the International Compliance Association for financial crime compliance (that is the FICA reference in my profile – Fellow of the ICA).

I am committed to volunteering my time to help combat the ever-present threat of fraud, speaking at conferences and for numerous media channels https://tenetlaw.co.uk/fraud-hub/media/ (BBC, Sky News, LBC radio and news publications) on issues around investigating and preventing fraud as well as being honoured to be a Trustee Director for the charity, the Fraud Advisory Panel.

I have a broad range of clients. I have managed cases and advisory work for listed companies, fintech payment services firms, housing associations, SMEs (often in the manufacturing sector) and for directors and individual high net-worth investors or claimant groups that have suffered loss to fraud.

I am proud that we have remained dedicated to our specialist area of work since Tenet started as well as our approach of not having targets or presentism requirements for our people.  We have been recognised as boutique law firm of the year by the Legal Business Awards & for client service at the Clio Reisman Awards amongst others.

As Simon Sinek promotes and I firmly buy into, my ethos is about leaders eating last.

I have advised clients from a range of sectors including Housing Associations, Fintech / Financial Services, Private Equity, Real Estate, Manufacturing, Food and Beverage and the SME sector generally.

My experience is spread across both financial crime compliance and investigations / disputes work.

Compliance

• Advising fintech payment service providers on a range of financial crime compliance issues, including AML and reporting, advice in relation to compliance with the MLRs and POCA, risk relating to new products, reporting obligations on specific instances of concern, FCA obligations and self-reporting,  account suspension issues, terms and conditions advice relating to Authorised Push Payment, the failure to prevent fraud offence and advice in relation to the application of the Payment Services Regulations 2017.
• Advising fintech cryptocurrency exchanges on AML reporting, designing their procedures for AML reporting and ad-hoc financial crime compliance advisory projects.
• Governance advice delivering training, policy and procedure assessment and drafting in relation to fraud and financial crime risks for housing associations. Examples of work include reviewing their bribery, fraud, money laundering, ethics and behaviour, procurement, contract terms in relation to fraud protection with counter parties and money laundering policy, procedure and reporting. Policy and procedure advice on fraud prevention, fraud response, risk registers, code of ethics / employee handbooks and procurement policies.
• Other examples including preparing anti-bribery / fraud / AML advice and procedures for companies in the fast-food sector, oil and gas sector, precious metals and manufacturing sectors.

• Providing business-wide fraud and financial crime risk and maturity assessments followed by a report to the Board for a range of clients including a large supplier to a large fast-food chain, a large owner of ports in the UK and housing associations.

• Fraud and financial crime awareness, prevention and investigation training information. Examples include delivering training to the Board of a Middle Eastern Bank on consumer fraud risks and remediation, internal auditors on a range of issues such as the link between leadership, culture and fraud and investigating fraud best practice, and housing associations on a range of fraud issues impacting teams such as finance, procurement, housing management and repairs.

Investigations & Disputes

I have represented clients in a range of civil fraud cases typically in cases with losses up to £10m.

 Employee fraud

• I have acted for a number of clients ranging from housing associations, manufacturers, charities and in the construction sector on employee fraud issues, typically in relation to misappropriation of assets, conflicts of interest and collusion with suppliers.
• Examples include employees favouring contractors of housing associations in exchange for personal benefit through removing procurement barriers for those suppliers involved. One employee had secured their family member a job at a supplier in exchange for work. Another had an extension built at their home in exchange for favouring the contractor. Another had diverted purchase money for the sale of a new home to their personal bank account. A further case dealt with the issue of a housing officer being named as a beneficiary of a deceased tenant’s estate leading to allegations of undue influence.
• Other examples of employee fraud include acting for an architects practice where their office manager had diverted a substantial six-figure sum to themselves under a false nominal code for training, representing a research company pursuing an employee for manipulating accounts through advance booking of income and acting for a timber supply company where an employee had diverted stock for personal benefit.
• I have also represented companies where employees have breached confidence and fidelity with their employer. Examples include acting for a company in military defence where a former employee had stolen confidential information leading to our securing a springboard injunction against them to prevent use of the stolen confidential information and against an employee of a medical device research and manufacturing company for similar misconduct.
• These cases often led to successful applications for freezing injunctions and / or successful Norwich Pharmacal / disclosure orders to assist the client to avoid dissipation of assets and enable them to trace assets and the proceeds of fraud.

Supply Chain / Procurement disputes

• I have advised companies in disputes with suppliers where they have misled clients on experience, financial stability, delivery of projects (all typically fraudulent misrepresentation claims), in claims where suppliers have been found to be acting in collusion with employees and in cases of overcharging. Examples of cases are below.
• I have advised a multi-billion-dollar turnover US listed company in relation to seeking a freezing injunction and anti-suit injunction in the Commercial Court alleging losses of $15m. These applications arose out of the award of a tender in the Middle East to the client company, the tender being worth in excess of $100m. The client retained their contract award, limiting exposure to their agent company and retaining the work arising from the tender.
• I represented a large manufacturing company in relation to it being misled in relation to procurement of postal services. The company was misled through misrepresentation and conspiracy to enter into finance agreements through a scheme operated by a supplier which was alleged to provide savings on postal services via purchase of office equipment.  The case proceeded to a 14-day trial in which the client succeeded in proving the fraud and obtained judgment against all defendants.
• I advised a company alleged to have been unjustly enriched through under supply of cable ties they manufactured, thereby securing payment for goods not supplied. The company successfully defended the claim based on an accepted industry margin of error given the volume of supply.

Investment Fraud / Fraudulent Misrepresentation / Private Equity

• I have advised clients in numerous investment claims in relation to the acquisition of assets including share purchase agreements, property and other financial investments. I act for high-net-worth individuals, private equity investors and have advised on losses to institutional investors in relation to AIM listed companies. Examples of cases include those below.
• Advised two high net worth investors in relation to recovery of losses after investing in a private company. They successfully brought a fraudulent misrepresentation claim with respect to share valuation (the valuation was inflated by alleged ‘off-balance’ sheet assets). The clients were awarded £1.5m.
• I advised a family on a fraudulent misrepresentation case arising from their investment into commercial property. The property was sold with an existing tenant in place on a long-term lease. Shortly after completion, the tenant entered into insolvency leaving the property without a tenant and significantly reduced in value. The clients suffered loss in excess of £2m and were successful in securing a freezing injunction against the defendants’ assets including assets held by a third-party company said to be a repository of one of the defendant’s assets.  The client secured judgment for approximately £2.3m.
• I advised the victim of a large romance fraud, with the victim having lost £1.7m through a series of payments to the fraudsters across four countries.
• I advised a group of over 340 property investors in relation to an alleged fraudulent property scheme causing investment into properties in multiple jurisdictions including the UK, Spain, the US and Cyprus. With the benefit of litigation funding, the group obtained a non-party disclosure order at Court which gave access to the company’s books and records to reveal the extent of the fraud where no due diligence had been carried out and discounts for properties had been inflated.

Company director disputes / Breach of Fiduciary Duties

• I have advised on a number of company shareholder disputes and company director disputes (derivative actions and breach of fiduciary duty claims). Examples of cases are below.
• I advised minority shareholders in a manufacturing company in relation to allegations that the majority shareholders had been deceiving them about profitability and monies extracted through alleged management charges leading to their securing a buyout of their shares.
• I represented an individual in relation to payment of money on account to a third-party agent company to purchase precious metal products for him. The director of the agent company thereafter used those monies for their own benefit in breach of what is known as a “quistclose trust”, a breach of duty claim.  The client successfully secured a freezing injunction in excess of £150,000 against the agent company and its director (thereby piercing the corporate veil), which led to successful proceedings and recovery of the judgment sum together with costs.
• I advised four brothers in defending an unfair prejudice petition brought by another brother where it was alleged £2m had been misappropriated and further wrongdoings had taken place. The case led to a 10 day trial where three of the respondent brothers were not held liable and the other was held liable for approximately 5% of the claim value alleged against him. The clients secured favourable costs orders having defeated the majority of the claim.
• I represented a company that sued its director for breaching his duty to act in the best interest of the company by failing to prevent the company from being victim to a fraudulent scheme. The director had the benefit of director and officer insurance cover, and a claim was brought for the loss suffered, resulting in a favourable settlement for the company.

Company Law  

• Acted in the Court of Appeal to obtain the leading judgment on issues concerning the legitimacy of the appointment of Administrators where a company was used as a vehicle to shield assets of a defendant liable to our clients for £2m. The case succeeded in the Court of Appeal establishing a leading authority on the Duomatic principle. (More information)

Financial Services

• I have represented a number of fintech payment services providers in relation to consumer fraud litigation issues. Examples of work we have undertaken are below.
• I have led work by the team in a claim against customers that were unjustly enriched through a ledger technical error on the part of the client which led to the customer being credited over £100,000. Our advice and assistance led to an immediate admission by the customers and compromise of the claim.
• I have advised electronic money institutions on a range of litigation issues arising from dealing with court orders served on them, including freezing and Norwich Pharmacal orders.
• I have represented a payment services provider on a case where customers have colluded to bring a false claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Our work led to the substantial claim being dismissed.  I have advised on other claims presented to the Ombudsman where there were instances of evidence of first party fraud used to challenge the complaint.

Conspiracy

I have represented clients (both individuals and companies) in unlawful means conspiracy cases. Examples include

• I managed a case resulting in a successful 13-day trial concerning the fraudulent inducement and conspiracy between two companies that caused a company client to enter into lease agreements in excess of £1m.
• I advised a large US vehicle manufacturing company with annual turnover over of $30bn in relation to abuse of a warranty scheme administered through its dealerships. Allegations related to certain UK based dealerships where concerns existed of conspiracy between the dealerships and customers. Assistance was provided to the client in co-ordinating their investigation into the UK dealership sites of concern. This investigation process enabled the client to conclude if there had been abuse of the warranty schemes available to customers to create unlawful profits for the dealerships.

Professional Negligence

• I have acted for clients who have brought professional negligence claims where there was either loss caused by the failure of solicitors to advise properly on a transaction or in cases where solicitors have acted unprofessionally in breach of conduct rules causing loss to a client. Examples of cases are below.
• Advised clients who had been the victims of fraud in relation to a property investment. It was alleged they had suffered loss caused by former litigation solicitors who had failed to advise positively on the merits of a claim and to pursue an application for a freezing injunction. When the clients did take these steps later their losses had increased due to the passage of time and dissipation of some of the defendants’ assets.   A claim was brought against their former solicitors for professional negligence.  The claim was resolved leading to a six-figure settlement.
• I have advised multiple clients in relation to negligence claims against conveyancing solicitors where during the transaction, fraudsters have caused misdirection of payment that was intended for solicitors. One client suffered loss of near £0.5m.  The clients I have represented have secured settlement from the law firms that acted for them.
• I represented the shareholders of a company who had suffered loss of over $10m as a result of the advice of a large firm that failed to protect them on a share sale transaction. It was said that the partner acting in the transaction had sweat equity in the client business and therefore had focus on the outcome of the proceeds of sale rather than correct advice on the transaction.  The claim was funded by litigation funders and resulted in a compromise to the claim in the client’s favour.

• Arun provided evidence to a House of Lords Committee about the impact of digital fraud and the effectiveness of the Fraud Act 2006.
• Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Crime Compliance with the International Compliance Association [2016].
• In 2023 Arun was awarded Transformational Leader in the Business Desk Leadership Awards for his innovative approach to leadership.
• Arun regularly speaks on counter-fraud, financial crime compliance and fraud matters having featured on the BBC 2016, featuring on Watchdog, Panorama, Rip Off Britain, Crimewatch and BBC Radio 4 (Money Box) and BBC Radio 5 Live.
• Arun has been a Trustee of the counter fraud charity, the Fraud Advisory Panel since 2016 and served as Deputy Chair for two years.
• A fellow of the International Compliance Association and a member of the Commercial Fraud Lawyers Association.
• He is a trainer on counter fraud and financial compliance across a variety of sectors including Financial Services, Housing Associations, Public Sector, Banking and Food Sector.
• In 2019 and 2020 Arun was highly commended as a sole practitioner at the Law Society’s Excellence awards.
• Shortlisted in 2022 and 2023 for the West Midlands Business Desk Leadership Awards in the professional services category.
• He is often quoted in the media publications including The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, Quality Assurance & Food Safety, New Food Magazine, RICS, Chartered Institute of Credit Management and The Paypers.
• International guest panelist at the 2023 Clio Cloud Convention in Nashville Tennessee. The Clio Cloud Conference, a.k.a. ClioCon, is the most highly-anticipated and influential event on the annual legal technology calendar. The conference attracts thousands of leaders from across the legal and technology industries who want to learn, be inspired, and innovate. Arun shared insights on different channels to communicate with clients. How to achieve client success from first meet and manage their expectations along the way and how to have difficult conversations with care and clarity and encourage referrals and reviews.
• Featured on the 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List for commitment to pro bono work over the past year.

The Telegraph – 14,000 workers report employers for committing furlough fraud

The Guardian – ‘I lost £240,000’: UK fraud victims share their stories

BBC News – I paid scammers thousands thinking they were my farm suppliers

BBC News – ‘I feel sick about signing that phone contract’

BBC News – Fraud victim’s 18-month fight for £80,000 refund

Law 360 – New Bill Introduces Important Whistleblower Protections