Associated lawyer of SAVOLAINEN Avocats, Steven Kay KC is a leading international criminal lawyer with a global reputation who has been in the landmark cases that have established modern international criminal law including: the first UN trial at the Yugoslavia Tribunal (Dusko Tadic); the first trial of a former Head of State (ex-President of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic); the first trial at the ICC of an incumbent Head of State (President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya). Steven is experienced in advising clients at the crisis stage of an international situation by setting out their options and guiding their responses, whilst also making the preparations necessary for future litigation.

As a leading trial lawyer, Steven’s career has involved cases in the international courts, but he is also engaged by individuals, governments and organisations to advise and represent them when they face a crisis and need to challenge matters of national and international concern. Below are some examples - the 30 years conflict in Sri Lanka between the Tamils and the State; Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood; Montenegro Corruption and Conflicts of Interest - see Report and TV interview Corruption in Montenegro.; Human rights abuse alert Algeria; IBA report on Political Prisons in North Korea - available here; Armenia – Azerbaijan conflict Read Report ; A Report on the Lundin Case commissioned by the Board of Lundin Energy. For the causes of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts in South Sudan that discredited the narratives of the UN and AU - Read South Sudan Report; Libya: Voice of the Tribes a report in support of the peace and unification process.

Steven’s international fraud, bribery and corruption practice has included cases of global interest and are often multijurisdictional. The fraud cases often arise in complex international commercial transactions where he may be engaged to work with multi-national and multi-disciplinary teams. The bribery and corruption cases have involved international commodities traded at high value on the world markets. In 2022 he was lead counsel in the private prosecution at Southwark Crown Court of solicitor Stephen Jones who fraudulently misappropriated funds of $16,000,000 intended for the purchase of a Scottish castle.

Other international areas of practice include International Human Rights, Sanctions and Interpol Red Notices. These cases often involve politically or financially motivated attacks upon individuals in states where the Rule of Law has been subverted, particularly in so-called totalitarian democracies. National and international strategies may be needed to defend the rights of those attacked. In April 2022 he presented a review of UK sanctions laws to the All Party Parliamentary Corporate Governance Group in the Houses of Parliament. Some of his interesting cases are listed below. Steven is registered to accept instructions under Direct Public Access and is licensed to litigate in the courts of England and Wales.
Steven is registered to accept instructions under Direct Public Access and is licensed to litigate in the courts of England and Wales.