The Legal 500

2 Bedford Row ‘has a refreshing commercial realism coupled with a determination to provide a prompt, efficient and reliable service‘. Highly commended silks include William Clegg QC and Nigel Lithman QC, who is expert in medico-legal cases. Jim Sturman QC is ‘an outstanding trial advocate with an acute grasp of evidence and tactics‘. Junior talent includes Michael Levy, Christine Agnew and Dean Armstrong. Valerie Charbit ‘gives clear and understandable advice in complex matters‘. Jamas Hodivala is ‘methodical, efficient, and meticulous in every detail‘. Quentin Hunt, ‘has all the attributes an instructing solicitor wants in counsel‘. Stephen Ferguson is recommended.

2 Hare Court ‘is a first class criminal set with strength at all levels‘. Orlando Pownall QC is ‘a great jury advocate and pretty much at the top of his game‘, and Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC ‘has a thoroughly devastating style of cross-examination which is a pleasure to watch‘. Also highly rated are Peter Wright QC, Martin Hicks QC, David Waters QC and David Howker QC. Christopher Coltart is also recommended. Brian O’Neill is ‘recommended for heavy criminal cases requiring good strong advice and advocacy‘. Parmjit-Kaur Cheema, ‘is an excellent role model for the new breed of barristers who need to be team players‘.

6 King’s Bench Walk ‘combines quality with depth in the way that is vital for modern criminal work‘. David Perry QC led Miranda Hill in representing three senior police officers at the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes. Roy Amlot QC’s skills as a trial advocate are ‘beyond exaggeration, he is simply superb‘. Nicholas Hillard QC is expert where complex scientific evidence is present. Duncan Penny is an ‘impressive all-rounder‘. Gareth Patterson has developed a solid niche in extradition matters. Alison Morgan appeared in R v Muktar Ibrahim and others - the 21st July bomb plot trial.

Three Raymond Buildings has a deserved reputation for extradition expertise. Alexander Cameron QC and Michael Bromley-Martin QC continue to impress. James Lewis QC appeared in United States of America v Tollman leading James Hines. Hugo Keith QC represented David Mills and Silvio Berlusconi in mutual assistance proceedings. Clair Dobbin was instructed in Abu Hamza v USA. Simon Farrell QC is ‘very persuasive‘ in serious crime defence. The ‘formidably bright‘ Richard Atchley has a very strong following. Saba Naqshbandi is expert in terrorism law. Kevin Baumber is ‘first class; very clever and hard-working‘.

25 Bedford Row’s Jeremy Dein QC is ‘an impressive performer backed by an excellent group of junior counsel‘. Diana Ellis QC ‘has a very good style‘. George Carter-Stephenson QC, Peter Doyle QC and Paul Mendelle QC are highly recommended, as are juniors Jonathan Mann, Tom Price and Ali Naseem Bajwa. Jo Sidhu, ‘is superlative; he punches way above his weight‘. Arlette Piercy is ‘bright, intuitive, and practical‘. Annette Henry is ‘fabulous, a real fighter, whose clients trust her‘ and Aisling Byrnes, ‘hugely impressive‘.

Cloth Fair Chambers’ silks taking instructions in such complex criminal matters as corporate or professional manslaughter, or prosecutions carrying reputational risk, include Nicholas Purnell QC, Timothy Langdale QC and Ian Winter QC. Recent arrival Clare Sibson is ‘an exceptional young barrister‘.

‘You can be assured of top quality advice, service, and advocacy at 23 Essex Street '. Christopher Kinch QC, ‘is brilliant, with a calm presence which re-assures defendants‘. Daniel Janner QC provides ‘excellent first instance and appellate advocacy‘. Simon Russell Flint QC is also highly rated. Fiona Horlick, ‘is one of the best in the business‘. Mark Fenhalls, has ‘an excellent understanding of DNA & forensic matters‘. Eloise Marshall’s ‘witness handling and legal argument is excellent‘. Also highly recommended are John Causer, Rupert Pardoe and Paul Bogan

QEB Hollis Whiteman provides ‘high service levels and efficient clerking‘. William Boyce QC and Anthony Glass QC, who ‘scores highly on judgement, ability and determination‘, are well-established leaders in criminal defence. Adrian Darbishire is ‘impressive all round‘, Benn Maguire, ‘approaches all his cases very seriously and prepares very thoroughly‘, and Lucy Kennedy undertakes ‘fantastically thorough preparation‘.

7 Bedford Row’s well-followed criminal group houses the highly effective cross-examiner Nigel Rumfitt QC, William Coker QC, whose attention to detail has secured impressive acquittals, and top level prosecutor Richard Latham QC. Rupert Mayo and Gordon Aspden are recommended for defence.

36 Bedford Row’s David Farrell QC led for the Crown in R v Hamid. Frances Oldham QC is expert in cases involving complex medical, scientific, and mental health issues, as is William Harbage QC, who led for the defence in R v Norris, the complex, ‘insulin injection murder‘ trial. Rosa Dean is an experienced junior as is Michael Fowler. Declan O’Callaghan is expert in Parole Board representation.

Doughty Street Chambers ‘provides true strength and depth‘ in criminal defence. Edward Fitzgerald QC is on the silk shortlist for complex extradition; he appeared in Rwanda v Ugirashebuja. Ben Cooper also specialises in extradition. Proceeds of Crime Act guru Richard Fisher is highly recommended.

Garden Court Chambers is well known for determined criminal defence and particularly for appellate expertise. Henry Blaxland QC led Adrian Eissa in the R v Ahmet and others ‘terror training‘ prosecution. Courtenay Griffiths QC is representing former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, before the Special Court for Sierra Leone in the Hague.

Matrix Chambers’ Clare Montgomery QC, expert in extradition as in much else, ‘is one of those silks that they try to retain early‘. Tim Owen QC is ‘first choice for Court of Appeal and House of Lords work‘. Julian Knowles is a leading junior in appellate matters and extradition. Danny Friedman ‘combines exceptional intellectual abilities with a frightening capacity for hard work‘. Matthew Ryder is ‘exemplary in court‘.

18 Red Lion Court’s accomplished David Etherington QC recently appeared in R. v. Powar, the gang hockey stick murder. David Huw Williams QC led Tom Forster for one defendant in R v Jamal Dyce et al, a multi-handed murder trial complicated by hostile cut-throat defences. Gillian Jones is recommended for multi-jurisdictional instructions.

Tooks Chambers is ‘an excellent set of chambers with counsel of vast experience, and very efficient clerks‘. Michael Mansfield QC is specialises in cases with civil liberties features. Stephen Kamlish QC is ‘the type of counsel that you could never go wrong with‘. Peter Wilcock, ‘is all-round excellent‘. Also mentioned in very positive terms are Joel Bennathan QC, Danielle Cooper and Martin Huseyin.

9 Bedford Row has become well known for international cases including major war crime trials, in which Anthony Berry QC is experienced. Steven Kay QC is leading Andrew Cayley for Ivan Cermak at the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Elizabeth Marsh QC and David Williams QC are recommended.

9-12 Bell Yard’s Mukul Chawla QC specialises in the defence of police offers and Michael Birnbaum QC has succeeded in numerous criminal appeals. Steven Hadley is a heavyweight in defence as is Anita Saran, particularly for sexual offences.

Carmelite Chambers’ Richard Ferguson QC is representing the Northern Ireland Police Service in The Robert Hamill Inquiry. Pavlos Panayi has defended very effectively in serious crime including terrorism and honour killing. Zacharias Miah is recommended for cases with complex or medical aspects.

Outer Temple Chambers’ counsel maintain their expert practices to fraud, extradition and regulatory crime such as negligent manslaughter, but do accept instructions for extradition proceedings and appellate matters, for which Christopher Wilson-Smith QC is recommended.

Sir Desmond De Silva QC, at Argent Chambers, is an accomplished jury advocate who has served as chief prosecutor to UN-backed criminal courts.

Charter Chambers’ robust Trevor Burke QC continues to attract complex defence instructions.

Andrew Trollope QC at 187 Fleet Street Chambers has appeared in numerous serious and organised crime cases and Michael Borrelli QC is a strong defender.

Furnival Chambers’ Oliver Blunt QC has unparalleled experience of violent crime.

15 New Bridge Street’s Patrick Upward QC successfully defended Moussa Brown on terrorist charges; John Burton and Sophie Shotton are also recommended.

9 Gough Square’s Rosina Cottage is ‘extremely sensitive‘ where vulnerable witnesses are involved. Tom Little is recommended for his work in the harrowing ‘caustic soda’ rape trial R v McMorris, Brew and Muaimba.