The UK’s Evening Standard reports
A high-flying lawyer swindled the Commonwealth and a top international legal firm out of more than £600,000 in a series of frauds.
Joshua Brien, 48, established himself during 12 years at the Commonwealth Secretariat as an expert on the laws of the sea, offering advice around the world. But at the end of his tenure, Brien — a former adviser to the Australian attorney general — diverted £140,000 of client payments into his own bank account.
After leaving the organisation and becoming a special counsel at US law firm Cooley in 2017, Brien siphoned off £493,000. Brien, right,from Notting Hill, denied wrongdoing, claiming money was paid to him for work he had carried out as a private consultant.
But he was convicted on all counts following a trial at Southwark crown court, and faces a jail term when he is sentenced on Friday. Jurors heard how Brien was able to steal money while at the Commonwealth Secretariat because basic anti-fraud checks were not routinely carried out.
