The Legal 500

187 Fleet Street is a leading set of chambers specialising in criminal and regulatory work, providing representation at every level, for both publicly and privately funded instructions. The set has gained a reputation for excellence in its advocacy and advisory work, offering a first-class service to professional and lay clients alike.

The set: Chambers is regularly instructed in high-profile and leading cases and is well-equipped to deal with all types of criminal and regulatory matters, in this country and abroad. The set has particular expertise in serious fraud and white-collar crime, as well as homicide, terrorism, revenue cases, money laundering and all forms of serious organised crime.

Chambers additionally offers a wealth of experience in many other areas related to criminal law, including disciplinary and tribunal hearings, and provides specialist representation in the following areas: VAT tribunals, police discipline, courts martial, immigration and parole board hearings, mental health reviews, prison law, health and safety, immigration and human rights.

Types of work undertaken: A key strength of chambers lies in the breadth and depth of experience of its members, who have conducted many high-profile cases across a wide spectrum. 187 Fleet Street has particular expertise in the following areas: serious fraud, including market rigging in share issues and takeovers, cartels and price-fixing, advance fee, high-yield investment/ponzi and ‘boiler-room’ frauds, fraudulent trading/Phoenix, money laundering/confiscation, MTIC, VAT/excise evasion and revenue cases; drugs offences and ancillary matters arising under the Drug Trafficking Offences Act and Proceeds of Crime Act; terrorism offences; murder; serious sexual offences; offences against the person; and health and safety.

Members of chambers prosecute for the CPS (at all grades, including the specialist rape list) DWP, HMRC, BERR and Special Casework Directorate.

Members have advised and appeared in many notable cases, including:

Fraud: Guinness; Blue Arrow; the ‘Harrovian’ series of fraud trials; HM Customs VAT/excise fraud (London City Bond (prosecution and defence) and MTIC/diversion cases, including Operations Vitric, Venison, Carina and Devout); the Cheney pension fraud; the Dome fraud; Ikea fraud/corruption case; and the SFO ‘pharmaceutical cartel’ case.

Serious crime: Brinks Mat; Knightsbridge Safety Deposit case; Ireland (gay serial murder); Evans (Joy Gardiner manslaughter); Stuart Campbell (Danielle Jones murder); Tovey (Oxford bomber); Abrams (attempted murder of George Harrison); Mainstone (UK’s largest ever currency counterfeiting case); murder of Damilola Taylor; the Stansted hijack case; the Reading schoolgirl murder; the Tonbridge Securitas robbery; the fertiliser bomb plot trial (Operation Crevice); terrorist conspiracies to murder (Heathrow and transatlantic flights) and the murder of Special Constable Patel-Nasri.

Chambers was one of the first sets to be awarded the ‘Quality Mark’ for the Bar. The clerks’ room has a wealth of experience and is staffed by a diligent, able and friendly team. There are five clerks, an administrator and a fees clerk.