About Proelium Law LLP

Whether you are in a profession considered high risk or running a business located in complex environments, we draw on our own professional experiences of having worked in the UK and some of the most recent conflict zones, post-conflict reconstruction areas and emerging markets of the Middle East, Southern Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. We don’t just sit in our offices claiming experiences of these locations, our Partners and Consultants regularly travel to them as well.

If you are looking for that specialist, bespoke law firm, or want or need to do business in a challenging or conflict-affected environment, or you are setting up in one of the industries we specialise in, talk to us first. As experts with first-hand local knowledge we will help you to set up, connect, build, grow and conduct your business UK or abroad safely, both within the confines of local laws and understanding the reach of international laws.

Adrian Powell 

SOLICITOR & Managing  Partner

Adrian has extensive experience of providing a broad range of commercial, corporate, criminal and regulatory legal advice in both the UK and high risk and complex jurisdictions around the world and increasingly in the cyber and digital spaces. Clients have included the full scope of commercial and international organisations in the defence, security, international development, extractives, insurance and legal industries. He qualified as a Solicitor in 2004 following 11 years in the British Army. After several years in general legal practice, from 2006 to 2013 he spent the majority of his time in Iraq and Afghanistan as a legal advisor with various entities including the US DoD, a major private security company and the UK FCDO. From 2013 to 2015 he managed a significant legal project focusing on war crimes in Syria. As our senior legal partner he brings expertise in the legal complexities and geo-politics faced by our clients. Adrian is security cleared to a high government standard. 

Contact Adrian directly: apowell@proeliumlaw.com | +44 (0) 7725 329437 | +44 (0) 20 3875 7422

Alan Taylor

Solicitor & Partner

Formerly a senior officer and member of the Army’s general staff, Alan began his career transition to law in 2015 and qualified as a solicitor in November 2020. 

Amongst other areas, he brings to the firm his experience as the disciplinary lead under the Armed Forces Act 2006 for the investigation and prosecution of contraventions of service and civil matters within the discrete environment. His understanding of the facilitation and oversight into allegations of criminal acts and civil complaints, the investigations by Police (civil and service) and the HSE into allegations against individuals who are accused of wrongdoing or negligence and dealing with their outcome is directly relevant to our clients. A former head of the confidentiality and disclosure branch for specialist troops he has previously worked with the Government Legal Services, usually under Public Interest Immunity (PII) conditions, at coronial Inquest and in civil and criminal courts on allegations emanating from Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan and other recent operational theatres.

Since transitioning over to the legal world, Alan has developed a particular specialism in providing corporate law focused legal advice. Alan is security cleared to a high government standard.

Contact Alan directly: ataylor@proeliumlaw.com | +44 (0) 7703 162523 | +44 (0) 20 3875 7422

David Frend 

BARRISTER & Partner

David Frend was called to the Bar in 1994 and practiced predominately as a criminal defence advocate before commissioning into the Army Legal Services in 1997. During his military career he undertook a multitude of roles within the three core Army Legal Services’ areas of work: prosecution advocacy before the Court Martial and the Court Martial Appeal Court; legal advice to the chain of command on internal discipline, administrative and employment matters and legal advice on the lawfulness and conduct of military operations. He was also the first permanent military legal advisor to the United Kingdom Special Forces.

Following 18 years’ military service, David took up a position of Specialist Prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service, Proceeds of Crime, before returning to the independent Bar in March 2016 as a self-employed barrister. From 2016, David acted as a consultant with Proelium Law and undertook several positions including short term expert to the European Rule of Law Project in Montenegro providing advice and guidance in respect to prosecuting offences of bribery, corruption and money laundering. In February 2017 he was appointed as the international prosecutorial mentor and advisor to the newly formed Afghan Anti-Corruption Justice Centre; a role he he still performs through funding from the UK, EU and Denmark.

David became a Partner in July 2018 and has been involved in all of the main cases dealt with. David is security cleared to a high government standard. 

Contact David directly: dfrend@proeliumlaw.com | +44 (0) 7786 224729 | +93 7995 57694 (Afghanistan) | +44 (0) 20 3875 7422

jasmin bonello 

Trainee Solicitor

Jasmin Bonello graduated from Bournemouth University having obtained her LLB (Hons) Degree in July 2019. She then started as a paralegal at Proelium Law LLP in February 2020 whilst completing the Legal Practice Course and Masters at BBP University. 

Jasmin’s undergraduate dissertation focused on the regulation of private security companies, whilst her Masters piece focused on the Private Security Act 2001.  

Jasmin begun her training contract in November 2020 and is expected to be admitted to the roll of solicitors in May 2022. 

Contact Jasmin directly: jbonello@proeliumlaw.com | +44 (0) 7720 695268 |+44 (0) 20 3875 7422

sinead keenan

employment solicitor

Sinead Keenan is a consultant solicitor specialising in employment law. Sinead has acted for clients (including FTSE 100 companies and SMEs) in defending employment tribunal claims covering a wide range of issues such as discrimination, unfair dismissal, whistleblowing and equal pay. She regularly advises clients on a day to day employment matters including disciplinaries, sickness absence, performance management and employee rights as well as advising on redundancy situations and TUPE.

Sinead also drafts and negotiates employment contracts, settlement agreements and employment law policies and provides employment law support on corporate and commercial transactions. 

After training with a magic circle firm in London, Sinead qualifed as a solicitor and worked for a national law firm for 6 years. During her career, Sinead acted in-house during a secondment within an international airline. 

Contact Sinead directly: skeenan@proeliumlaw.com |  +44 (0) 20 3875 7422

Sylvia White

Legal Consultant

Sylvia White is a lawyer who brings a large scale corporate understanding of legal issues for our clients.

As a former General Counsel of two of the largest and most active private security companies over the past 15 years, Sylvia provides exceptional globally focused legal advice ranging from steering boards post M&A integration to legal risk management at the operational level.

Sylvia has worked across numerous industries both in-house and when she practised as a solicitor, with experience spanning complex legal scientific , intellectual property and corporate governance she combines all of this to offer clients a truly comprehensive legal and business savvy approach.

Contact Sylvia directly: swhite@proeliumlaw.com | +44 (0) 7818 013258 | +44 (0) 20 3875 7422

israa almusawi

Lawyer and member of iraqi bar association

Israa is a qualified lawyer in Iraq and a member of the Iraqi Bar Association.

Israa is an experienced legal practitioner with a particular specialty in commercial cases and matters relating to foreign companies. She provides expertise and is a legal advisor to international companies operating and registered in Iraq.

Among her numerous responsibilities is advising corporates on Iraqi legal issues, contracts both commercial and employment, liaising with governmental ministries and other institution on legal matters, Israa also specialises in civil law, personal status and sharia law.

Besides her native Arabic language, Israa is also a fluent English speaker and is a member of the Iraqi Translators’ Association.

Contact Israa directly: ialmusawi@proeliumlaw.com | +964 7827 24108544 (Iraq) | +44 (0) 20 3875 7422

Martin Cartwright

Lead Investigator

Martin is an experienced civil law and criminal law investigator with over 20 years experience.

 Martin gained significant experience whilst serving with both the Royal Military Police and Metropolitan Police Service during which he conducted and managed numerous criminal investigations including major crimes.

After leaving the police, Martin continued his career focusing on civil law investigations both in the UK and overseas. He has recently represented Proelium Law on investigations in the UK and Afghanistan utilising his extensive experience of evidence gathering to support a significant civil litigation case.

In 2016 he was appointed as a board member of the UK Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) serving for 2 years. Martin is security cleared to a high government standard.

Contact Martin directly: mcartwright@proeliumlaw.com | +44 (0) 7887  802802 | +44 (0) 20 3875 7422

Dr Wahad Al Safi

Iraq Based Legal consultant

Dr Wahad Al Safi is an Iraq-based legal consultant. He is a qualified lawyer in Iraq and an experienced legal practitioner with a particular specialty in commercial cases and matters relating to foreign companies. He provides expertise and is a legal advisor to several international companies operating and registered in Iraq.

Additionally, Dr. Al Safi is experienced in the field of “Trade Marks” being licensed by the Iraq Supreme Judicial Council and by the Companies Registration Department – Ministry of Trade, as a Company Registration Agent in Iraq. 

As a geologist, he also has experience in the area of oil marketing and maintains relations with the oil sector in Iraq. His experience in oil-related matters combined with his legal experience as a lawyer ideally places him to advice many clients wishing to do business in Iraq. Besides his native Arabic language, Dr. Al Safi is also a fluent English speaker. (Click here for an Arabic version.)

Martin Tobin

Business COnsultant

Martin left the British military in 2014 following a career spanning 28 years, 22 of which were with UKSF. Starting in the ranks and being awarded a rare UKSF commission, Martin brings a wealth of knowledge of global high risk and complex environments over the past 3 decades.

More recently he has been a senior advisor to one of the world’s largest nuclear energy companies. Martin is ideally placed to advise all manner of companies on their business resilience and risk, as he has a proven track record both commercially and in government in planning and change management

Glynne Evans

Business COnsultant

As a career diplomat, Glynne Evans specialised in multilateral areas particularly the European Union and United Nations, serving both at the UK Mission to the UN in New York and in Brussels.

She was responsible for devising international exercises in conflict management , civil -military relations and peacekeeping which she ran  with Staff colleges in the UK, South America and Africa and she was a regular lecturer  at the UK Defence Academy and overseas. She was Ambassador to Chile and to Portugal, two highly commercial posts where she worked with companies on market entry and development.  After retirement, she has been a Senior Adviser to a well-known risk management company, working with Governments to help develop international standards for the sector,  and played a leading role as an Executive Committee member of the SCEG, founding and chairing the SCEG Standards and Accreditation Group to help companies in the risk management sector achieve and demonstrate their compliance with international and national norms and obligations. She has also worked with companies in the digital and cyber area.