Financial crime (and efforts to tackle such crime) has long been an area of strength at IALS. Expertise at the Institute is recognised internationally, by governments, civil servants, practitioners and other academics. The Institute has a track-record of funded research projects in this area (including as far back as the EU Falcone and Grotius Programmes). Particular strengths include anti-money laundering; counter-terrorist financing; proceeds of crime; bribery/ corruption; fraud; corporate crime; white-collar crime and punishment; financial crime and regulation; the financial crisis; art crime; and professional crimes.

The Institute has a number of PhD graduates who completed their doctoral theses on financial crime-related subjects, such as anti-money laundering in different countries (eg China; Nigeria; UK; USA); anti-corruption; tax evasion; and the financial crisis. 

Both the Institute and the Society for Advanced Legal Studies are involved in the annual International Symposium on Economic Crime held at Jesus College Cambridge.