Clyde & Co has hired RPC’s white-collar crime head, Sam Tate, to take up the new role of global head of regulatory and investigations. 

Tate, who is joining with three other lawyers, will also be his new firm’s white-collar crime and sanctions lead.

Tate, who was also co-head of RPC’s Middle East operations, has two decades of experience in regulatory and compliance matters across the infrastructure, trading, energy, insurance, technology and media sectors.

He spent six-and-a-half years at RPC, where he advised on two of the most recent Deferred Prosecution Agreements with the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and acted as an Independent Reviewer for the SFO.

Other high-profile roles included conducting an independent investigation for the Financial Times, which saw him exonerate journalists of claims they colluded with investors over reports on irregularities at the German fintech company Wirecard.

Clyde & Co senior partner Carolena Gordon said: “The expansion of the regulatory and investigations team will enhance our ability to serve our clients in the increasingly complex and rapidly changing environment of white-collar crime and sanctions. This dedicated practice will allow us to provide comprehensive, global solutions to our clients’ most pressing regulatory challenges.” 

It is understood that Tate’s role is new, with the global practice previously governed by a multi-partner executive committee comprised of key jurisdictional leads, which Tate will lead. 

Tate said he had moved to leverage Clyde’s international presence and strong sectoral coverage in key client areas like commodities, energy, infrastructure and insurance. Writing on LinkedIn, he said: “Clyde’s is a firm with amazing people, in the right places at the right time to do something meaningful and long-lasting in this space, and I intend to help harness that energy and talent and to build out our offering where clients tell us they need our support.”

Tate’s previous roles include five years at Clifford Chance, and four years at BP, where he oversaw investigations, provided corporate financial crime advice and advised on the UK Bribery Act and the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Tate also spent time at compliance adviser Exiger, where he developed the European investigations practice and held global anti-money laundering and sanctions positions in relation to US Department of Justice monitorships of HSBC and Credit Agricole.

The team joining Clyde & Co with Tate comprises consultant Osama Al Jayousi and associates Toby Lamarque and Robert Semp. They will all be based in London.

Al Jayousi has experience at PwC and KPMG and as global head of ethics and compliance at Carillion, where he spent nine years, giving him experience in liquidation processes and regulatory inquiries from various financial authorities. While at RPC, which he joined in June 2020, he was seconded to clients as interim head of compliance. 

Earlier this week, Gateley significantly bolstered its bench in Dubai with the hire of a six-lawyer corporate team from Clyde & Co that included partners Darren Harris and Nora Al Muhamad.

An RPC spokesperson thanked Tate and wished him well.