A City lawyer has pleaded not guilty to five counts of alleged insider dealing for trading in the assets of maternity fashion brand Seraphine Group.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed in July that it charged Richard Bloomfield, 38, with allegedly using inside information he obtained in his role as a lawyer on an acquisition of the City-based maternity clothing company to buy and sell Seraphine Group shares on the stock market.
The City watchdog stated that it is not investigating either the law firm involved or Seraphine.
The case was sent to Southwark Crown Court, where he was initially expected to plead on 5 August, but the case was adjourned to 11 September.
On Friday he pleaded not guilty to all five charges of alleged insider dealings related to acquiring shares on five different occasions between 28 March 2022 and 10 January 2023 on the London Stock Exchange ahead of the proposed acquisition.
Bloomfield’s lawyer, Alison Clare KC, proposed 11 September 2028 for trial, to which the prosecutor raised no objection, and Judge Baumgartner agreed. Another case management hearing will occur on 13 September 2027.
The Silk also informed the court that her client underwent a medical assessment on Monday, but the report would not be ready until later in the month. The court was informed that Bloomfield didn’t want to delay the proceedings, so the judge will be updated later on the report’s conclusion.
Bloomfield was an M&A lawyer who qualified in 2012 at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, where he remained until 2016.
He moved to Bird & Bird as a senior associate, then joined the US law firm Goodwin Procter before leaving earlier this year to become chief legal officer and general counsel at a legal tech firm.