Ben Lawrence > Chambers of Frances Heaton KC and Richard Norton > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile
St John's Buildings Offices
St John's Buildings
24A-28 ST JOHN STREET
MANCHESTER
M3 4DJ
England
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Ben Lawrence
Work Department
Crime; personal injury.
Position
Ben’s main area of specialism is crime. He both defends and prosecutes. He has defended in cases of the utmost seriousness, including murder, rape, sex trafficking, conspiracy, complex frauds and money laundering.
Through a strong grasp of the law and the facts of each case, Ben provides straightforward advice and represents clients robustly and with tenacity.
Ben is a category 4 prosecutor and is on the rape, Proceeds of Crime and fraud panels. He was on the former RCPO panel and continues to receive instructions from the central fraud group.
He is regularly instructed as a junior in complex cases, including drugs, money laundering and attempted murder. He has prosecuted trials instructed by the CCU.
Ben frequently appears before the Court of Appeal, including successfully arguing a legal point in the leading authority on sections 119 & 122 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003: see R -v- Hulme [2007] 1 Cr.App.R. 26.
Ben’s main specialism within crime is fraud. He prosecutes and defends and accepts instructions from legally aided or privately paying clients. His thorough preparation and consequent knowledge of a case is key to representing his clients. It also allows him to bring life to a case before a jury.
Ben has experience of all major types of fraud, including missing trader frauds, corporate frauds, Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, short and long firm frauds, alcohol, cigarette and tobacco duty evasion, VAT frauds, NHS frauds and trademark offences.
Ben is available to advise and represent clients at all stages of a case. He provides pre-charge advice for the prosecution and will advise Defendants under investigation. He is a meticulous and tenacious trial advocate. He has a wealth of experience dealing with complex confiscation proceedings, including high value and high profile cases, equitable interests and hidden assets, and other aspects of proceeds of crime, such as pre-charge restraint, enforcement, contested High Court receivership applications and contested High Court certificates of inadequacy.
Ben is also part of SJB Chambers’ strong Court of Protection team. where his main expertise is in health and welfare cases.
Career
Ben studied law at the University of Manchester and was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 2003.
Education
Denes High School, Suffolk; University of Manchester (2001 LLB Hons).