Mark Spragg
Jeffrey Green Russell

Who? Mark Spragg, 47-year-old partner and white-collar fraud specialist at Jeffrey Green Russell in London.


Why is he in the news? Acts for three ex-NatWest bankers, dubbed the 'Enron Three', facing extradition to the US on fraud charges. Gary Mulgrew, Giles Darby and David Bermingham will appeal against a magistrates' court decision this month under new extradition laws that they should face trial in the US, even though all witnesses, documents and the alleged victim are sited in the UK. The bankers are accused of defrauding NatWest out of £6 million in relation to the sale of an asset to Enron.



Background: LLB at Trent Polytechnic, graduating in 1979, then Law Society finals at Guildford College of Law. Articles at Titmuss Sainer & Webb, qualifying in 1982 and becoming partner in 1986. Moved to current firm as a partner in 1989.



Route to the case: 'I received a call from Alun Jones QC asking me to recommend a list of solicitors. We went through the list, and then I agreed to take on the case myself.'



Thoughts on the case: 'The court did not weigh in the balance the human rights of my clients. It is hard to see a more deserving case, when the problems they will face in the US are so enormous. They won't get bail in Texas, and will have to spend £2 million each defending themselves. They will not get that money back even if they win. They will wait two years before the trial starts, and there are at least 30 witnesses here in the UK they will have to send to Texas at their own expense. They will also have to rely on the US court to ask NatWest for specific documents, rather than a UK prosecuting authority that would have the right to demand all documents.'



Dealing with the media: 'There has been huge interest from all the main newspapers. Most wanted to report the case fairly and have been amazed by the attitude of the UK authorities that are prepared to let the US prosecute our people over there. Initially, I think the papers thought it concerned three fat cats, but now they realise it is a far wider issue that will have a big knock-on effect for a lot of people. If the safeguards [contained in the extradition legislation] are not applied in this case, they will never be applied.'