Ben Close > Chambers of Sara Lewis KC > Birmingham, England > Barrister Profile
St Philips Chambers Offices
St Philips Chambers
55 TEMPLE ROW
BIRMINGHAM
B2 5LS
England
- Set Profile
- Go to...
Ben Close
Work Department
St Philips Crime & St Philips Regulatory
Position
Ben has been a specialist criminal practitioner since he was called to the Bar in 2009. His practice also encompasses regulatory work.
Ben is instructed by various prosecuting authorities and the defence, typically in serious and complex cases. His recent and ongoing cases include murder, attempted murder, large and complex drug conspiracies, high-value fraud and cases involving serious sexual offences.
Ben’s regulatory practice covers trading standards, consumer protection, food safety, environmental law, licensing, inquests, health and safety, and corporate and gross negligence manslaughter.
As well as appearing regularly in the Crown Court, he has also appeared successfully numerous times in the Court of Appeal including in reported cases, where he has been complimented for his thorough approach.
He is a Grade 4 prosecutor (the highest grade). He is on the specialist Grade 4 lists for Fraud, Serious Crime and Proceeds of Crime and he is on the Grade 3 Counter-Terrorism panel. He has also been appointed to the CPS specialist rape panel.
He has several ongoing cases in which he is leading junior counsel.
Ben is on the Serious Fraud Office’s Panel A for confiscation and Panel B for fraud, and he has been appointed to the ‘B’ list of Specialist Regulatory Advocates.
Ben has earned a reputation for a hard-working and thorough approach, but without losing sight of the importance of being personable and persuasive. He is equally at home addressing juries or judges.
After obtaining a First Class degree in Law where he achieved the highest marks in his university year, Ben completed an LLM in Criminal Justice prior to completing the Bar course.
He is a Midland Circuit trained advocacy tutor.
In 2020 Ben was elected to the Bar Council where he sits on the Education and Training Committee. He is a member of St Philips’ pupillage committee.
Career
Called 2009, Lincoln’s Inn.
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Midland Circuit > Business and regulatory crime (including health and safety)
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Regional Bar > Midland Circuit > Crime (general and fraud)
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Ben Close – St Philips Chambers ‘Ben is hard-working, bright and industrious. He is always amiable despite sometimes very stressful situations. He is always on top of the case to the smallest detail. He is sharp and decisive.’