Vivian is a qualified barrister with over 40 years experience in the London and international legal market. He specialises in all aspects of white collar crime, particularly those involving fraud and corruption, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel and a Recorder of the Crown Court in 1986. In 2004, Vivian was elected Head of Chambers at QEB Hollis Whiteman, widely recognised as one of the leading sets of barristers’ chambers in the country, and he subsequently went on to be appointed the first General Counsel to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in 2009.

As General Counsel to the SFO, Vivian led the development of the SFO’s enforcement policy under the UK Bribery Act. He also served as the SFO’s primary liaison to the public and the business community, alerting them to the Bribery Act’s requirements at conferences from London and New York to Brazil, Brussels, Switzerland and Germany.

As a partner in the London office of McGuireWoods LLP, and member of the firm’s Government, Regulatory and Criminal Investigations (GRCI) Group, Vivian currently advises clients on the impact of the UK Bribery Act, as well as white collar crime matters involving global fraud or corruption, including the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Honours

• Appointed as a Recorder of the Crown Court, 1986
• Appointed Queen's Counsel, 1986 

Previous Experience

• General Counsel, Serious Fraud Office, April 2009 - July 2011
• Head of Chambers, QEB Hollis Whiteman, 2004 - 2007
• Barrister, Criminal Bar, 1967 - 2009

Education

• Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, 1963 - 1966
• The Leys School, Cambridge, 1957 - 1962
• Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield, 1952 - 1957