The Legal 500

Described by The Legal 500 as ‘a set of choice for many solicitors for a range of general as well as high-profile and complex crime’ and by Chambers UK Guide as a set which ‘stands out for offering a high level of consistency and expertise’ and as ‘the set providing all the best people for high-profile criminal cases’, 2 Hare Court has been recognised consistently as one of the UK’s leading chambers specialising in criminal law, fraud, regulatory work and other related fields.

The set: Chambers comprises 55 tenants including 17 Queen’s Counsel, three Senior Treasury Counsel, one Junior Treasury Counsel, three deputy High Court judges and 15 members who sit as recorders. Many former members of chambers have become judges. Chambers provides counsel of first choice to leading defence firms as well as principal prosecuting authorities in London, nationwide and abroad. It has a proven track record of delivering the highest standards of service to clients, together with excellence in advocacy and trial management in cases of the utmost gravity and complexity. In 2008 the set was recognised as ‘Crime Set of the Year’ and Orlando Pownall QC as ‘Crime Silk of the Year’ in the Chambers & Partners Bar Awards.

Types of work undertaken: Crime: the strength and depth of experience amongst the set’s specialist advocates enables chambers to defend and prosecute in all types of criminal work, particularly more serious and complex matters such as murder, terrorism (including special advocate work in closed proceedings), international drug and human trafficking, corruption, serious organised crime and sexual offences. Examples include Delroy Grant (‘night stalker’); Saudi Prince murder; Jill Dando murder; Damilola Taylor murder; Dhiron Barot (Al Qaeda dirty bomb attack plan); Omar Khyam (terrorist fertilizer bomb plot); Suffolk Strangler, London 7/7 bombings; Home Secretary v AF (terrorist control orders case); Heathrow bombers; Goren, Goren & Goren (honour killing); Ali Dizaei (Metropolitan Police commander case); and the MPs’ and Lords’ expenses cases.

Fraud and corporate crime: the set is routinely instructed in large and complex fraud and financial crime cases. Examples include: Kent Pharmaceuticals, the Darwin canoeist case, Lord Rodney Bank fraud, Regent Commodities and the British Airways pricefixing case. Members have significant experience of restraint, confiscation, asset recovery, cash forfeiture and other proceedings under POCA. They are now also instructed in appeals before the VAT Tribunal arising out of fraud and alleged criminal conduct. Members are regularly instructed in criminal cases brought by the FSA (market abuse, etc).

Professional discipline: the set has an established and expanding team, applying their long experience of high quality advocacy in criminal courts. It has significant expertise in healthcare regulation, appearing in proceedings before the GMC, GDC, GOC, HPC, GSCC and NMC, both presenting on behalf of the regulator and defending individual practitioners. It is also involved in disciplinary proceedings involving the police, accountants and actuaries, solicitors and barristers. Members are increasingly instructed in telecommunications regulation and in the regulation of football, rugby, horse racing and cricket.

Financial regulation: dovetailing members’ experience of serious and complex financial crime and professional disciplinary proceedings, members are regularly instructed to advise and act for firms and individuals working in the financial services sector. Advisory work often includes potential liability under the criminal law in parallel with regulatory breaches of FSMA 2000, eg insider dealing, market abuse, fraud and the withdrawal of authorisation of professionals.

Other areas: members are also recognised by the directories for their work in environmental and licensing law, and are frequently instructed in health and safety and corporate manslaughter matters. A number of members of chambers are authorised to receive instructions through the Bar Council’s Public Access and Licensed Access schemes.

International: members are frequently instructed in complex and high-profile cases in other jurisdictions including Ireland, mainland Europe, Hong Kong and the Caribbean. Languages spoken include French, Spanish, Greek, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and Russian.