Lewis MacDonald > Chambers of Jonathan Laidlaw KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
2 Hare Court Offices
2 Hare Court
TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 7BH
England
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Lewis MacDonald
Position
Lewis practices in serious crime and business crime, asset forfeiture, tax, professional discipline, and inquests and inquiries.
He has quickly developed a reputation as a very bright junior with a calm court room manner, and is frequently instructed in document heavy cases raising complex issues of fact and law. His practice increasingly focuses on white collar and business crime.
Lewis has conducted and defended private prosecutions for companies and individuals, both acting alone and led, and is a highly regarded junior in this area. He has acted in cases from start to finish, both in the Magistrates’ and Crown Court, and is well placed to advise on prospects, the investigatory process, the drafting and issuing of summons, representations to the Director of Public Prosecutions, disclosure, and costs.
He has acted in a number of cases involving evidence from multiple jurisdictions, and has successfully brought and resisted abuse of process arguments turning on the specific law applicable to private prosecutions. His recent work includes acting as the prosecution junior for a US multi-national corporation in a multi-million pound counterfeiting fraud committed in the UK, Italy, Spain and China, resulting in a sentence of 8 years’ imprisonment for the first defendant and a £7.5 million fine for his company. Acting for the defence he has secured the dismissal of private prosecutions against a foreign bank, and a high-profile political organisation, in both instances with an award of wasted costs against the prosecutor.
Career
Year of Call 2014
Memberships
- 2020: Appointed to SFO Panel B
- CPS Advocate Panel Level 3
- Criminal Bar Association
- Young Fraud Lawyers Association
- Association of Regulatory & Disciplinary Lawyers
- Health & Safety Lawyers Association
- Private Prosecutor’s Association
Education
- MA Hons in Law, Queens College, Cambridge
- Droop & Levitt Scholarships, Lincolns’ Inn
- BPTC (Outstanding), Nottingham Law School
- Taylor Prize for Best Overall Student, Nottingham Law School
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 4London Bar > Fraud: crime
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 4Lewis MacDonald – 2 Hare Court ‘Lewis is excellent at considering the details of a voluminous case and being able to spot a complex legal argument which many others may not have seen. His preparation and understanding of a case is outstanding and he is a very intellectual barrister. This is coupled with good court presence and ability to communicate well with lay clients.’