Warning for investors following Darren Shirlaw fraud case

A warning against investment or partnerships with leading international business coach Darren Shirlaw has been issued by former investors after Mr Shirlaw was found guilty of fraud in the London courts. Darren Shirlaw has been ordered to pay damages and costs of nearly £2m to three investors who sued Mr Shirlaw for fraud. Darren Shirlaw was found liable for fraudulent misrepresentation and negligent misstatement.

The judgment from Judge Monty QC at Central London County Court on Tuesday 6 July finds Mr Shirlaw was “wilfully and deliberately dishonest” in his sales pitch of shares with extreme overvaluations now proven to have been fraudulent. The British Virgin Islands-registered business he sold shares in was described in evidence as a “Ponzi scheme” and Judge Monty QC states that valuations Darren Shirlaw gave for the business were “totally illusory.”

Darren Shirlaw continues to market himself as ‘The Millionaire Maker,’ with motivational talks & seminars are all over the internet. Darren Shirlaw promotes himself in hundreds of YouTube films with apparent endorsements from PNB Paribas, RBS, the London Stock Exchange and London & Partners.

Dareen Shirlaw continues to promote a new coaching venture Business of Brand (registered as BOB Group). Darren Shirlaw registered another new business, the L&D Foundation, on the day before the London Central County Court judgment and then resigned as a director the same day.

One of the investors who sued Shirlaw for fraud is Paul Stead of Richmond, London, who was formerly CEO of the Fitch design group & his own successful international design agency PSD.

Mr Stead has given over much of his life for the last five and half years to getting his money back and exposing Darren Shirlaw as a fraud.

Mr Stead said:

“It’s been a very long journey but I decided to go through with it because it’s about stopping it happening again. The judgment finding Darren Shirlaw guilty of fraud is a very clear warning to his potential victims.

“Darren Shirlaw is so dangerous because he can be incredibly convincing. One of the witnesses described him as ‘enormously charismatic’ and even the Judge said he ‘came across at trial as an impressive individual’.”

The full judgment has been made available by Tenet solicitors in their article ‘The Perfect Fraud?’

The damages and costs awarded against Shirlaw are as follows:

Damages – £1,245,830
Interest on damages at 2% – £80,000
Penalties – £15,000
Approved costs – £530,000
Total – £1.87 million