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Fraud: Crime

1
2 Bedford Row
2 Hare Court
25 Bedford Row
QEB Hollis Whiteman
Three Raymond Buildings
2
23ES
Cloth Fair Chambers
Red Lion Chambers
3
33 Chancery Lane
6KBW College Hill
Crucible Chambers
Doughty Street Chambers
Foundry Chambers
Garden Court Chambers
Matrix Chambers
Mountford Chambers

Leading Silks

1
Narita Bahra KC  – 33 Chancery Lane  'Narita is a maverick in her approach and leaves no stone unturned. There are no weaknesses.'
Cameron Brown KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Cameron is an outstanding KC who can hold his own against any opponent.’
George Carter-Stephenson KC – 25 Bedford Row ‘His work ethic is unrivalled and he achieves success in cases which might at first appear hopeless. He has a friendly manner and always places himself on a level with the lay client never appearing haughty or remote.'
Michael Goodwin KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Michael is incredibly meticulous in his preparation and one of the best advocates around. You want him on your side.'
Nicola Howard KC – 25 Bedford Row 'Nicola is a superb advocate, great strategist, brilliant with clients, great on her feet and a first rate silk for fraud.'
John Kelsey-Fry KC – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘The best criminal fraud barrister in the country. Hugely sought after. Extremely intelligent. Unparalleled advocacy skills in front of both a judge and a jury. Highly analytical and strategic.’
Jonathan Laidlaw KC – 2 Hare Court ‘Jonny is top-drawer. He works incredibly hard but makes it look effortless. Always on top of his brief and takes responsibility for all of the big calls on his cases.'
Sean Larkin KC –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘One of the best silks in this area practising at the Bar today.'
Helen Malcolm KC – Three Raymond Buildings
Charles Miskin KC – 23ES
Keir Monteith KC – Garden Court Chambers ‘Keir is a superb advocate. He is highly intelligent and able to absorb and process information rapidly without showing effort.’
Cairns Nelson KC – 23ES
Paul Ozin KC – 23ES
Simon Pentol KC – 25 Bedford Row 'Simon is a tenacious defender. His advocacy is charming, forceful and mesmerising.'
Nicholas Purnell KC – Cloth Fair Chambers
Jim Sturman KC – 2 Bedford Row ‘Jim is uncompromising and a really powerful barrister. He can turn his hand to anything. He is a very no-nonsense and confident KC who doesn’t get fazed.’
David Whittaker KC – 2 Hare Court ‘David has a wonderful court manner and holds the jury’s attention in the palm of his hands.’
Ian Winter KC – Cloth Fair Chambers
Richard Wormald KC – Three Raymond Buildings ‘A forceful presence in court.’
2
Christine Agnew KC – 2 Bedford Row ‘Christine is always very well-prepared and and responds well in difficult situations. She is always calm under pressure.' 
Jane Bewsey KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘No one in financial crime cross-examines better than Jane.'
Edmund Burge KC – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Edmund is very calm and incisive. Inclusive in his decision-making but at the same always prepared to take control and, ultimately, responsibility for those decisions.’
Julian Christopher KC – 5 Paper Buildings
David Durose KC – Furnival Chambers ‘David’s advocacy is always informed by meticulous preparation, yet it never feels forced. He is a natural advocate. He allies his fierce intelligence to an impish wit, to great effect.’
Mark Fenhalls KC – 23ES
Richard Fisher KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Richard is an excellent advocate and good on his feet.'
Dean George KC – 2 Bedford Row
Neil Hawes KC – Crucible Chambers
Mark Heywood KC – 5KBW 'Mark is a master tactician and a real class act. His advocacy is smooth and eloquent. Everyone in the room listens to him when he speaks.' 
James Lewis KC – Three Raymond Buildings
Mark Milliken-Smith KC – 2 Bedford Row
Brian O’Neill KC – 2 Hare Court ‘Brian is an excellent leader. He is thorough, well-organised and decisive. He has immense presence in court.'
Tim Owen KC – Matrix Chambers ‘Tim is a very bright guy, very accessible and easy to work with. He focuses on issues very quickly.'
Amanda Pinto KC – 33 Chancery Lane ‘Amanda is a tremendous advocate: her judgement is spot on and she is very well-respected by the court.’
Alison Pople KC – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Alison is extremely intelligent and analytical. She is a superb tactician.'
Mark Rainsford KC – 33 Chancery Lane ‘Mark is very much a safe pair of hands in complex and difficult fraud investigations and proceedings.’
Bernard Tetlow KC – Garden Court Chambers 'Bernard is tenacious and dedicated to the interests of his client; he will go to the lengths necessary to ensure that the client receives the best result possible.'
Collingwood Thompson KC – 7BR
Richard Whittam KC – Matrix Chambers ‘Richard knows just how to pitch a case so that a jury cannot resist it. He has an excellent track record in bringing complex private prosecutions home and simplifying them for jurors. He has excellent judgment and is extremely capable.' 
3
Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC – Three Raymond Buildings 'Jonathan is exceptional in all areas. His written submissions are par excellence with great attention to detail.'
Colin Aylott KC – Mountford Chambers ‘Colin works incredibly hard and has an ability to reach to the heart of the case with ease. He puts clients at ease even in the most stressful circumstances.'
Ali Bajwa KC  – QEB Hollis Whiteman
Gary Bell KC – No5 Barristers’ Chambers
Henry Blaxland KC – Garden Court Chambers 'Henry is a calm, intelligent, purposeful advocate. He grasps the case factually, brings his intellect to the legal issues and is able to generate confidence in the client.'
Charles Bott KC – Mountford Chambers ‘Charles is brilliant at cross-examination. Magisterial with difficult clients'
Graham Brodie KC – 33 Chancery Lane ‘Graham is exceptional. He is tactically-astute and a very good strategist who gets results.'
Michael Brompton KC – 5 Paper Buildings
Gideon Cammerman KC – 187 Fleet Street Chambers ‘An understated but highly-effective advocate who has excellent client care skills.’
Richard Christie KC - 187 Chambers 'Richard is a diligent, articulate advocate with a mind for detail and an ability to absorb huge amounts of information but nevertheless dilute the salient points into a coherent and effective defence strategy.'
Giles Cockings KC – Furnival Chambers ‘Giles has an excellent style and approach with clients – he quickly gains the trust of the client and puts them at ease.’
Mark Cotter KC – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Mark has a forensic attention to detail and an in-depth knowledge in particular in relation to matters concerning disclosure and Public Interest Immunity applications.’ 
Adam Davis KC – 3TG ‘Adam is an incredibly impressive silk at the top of his game. He is a robust advocate who delivers with elegance, charm and wit.'
Kevin Dent KC – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Incredibly hard-working and well-prepared.’
Adrian Eissa KC – MC Chambers  ‘Adrian is excellent on his feet, charming and good with clients, sharp on the law and responsive in the thick of a trial.’
David Etherington KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘David is absolutely brilliant with individual clients – he is calm, compassionate and empathetic.’
Jonathan Fisher KC – Red Lion Chambers 'Jonathan is a total leader in his field. He is hugely-knowledgeable, responsive and easy to work with. You absolutely feel he is on your side.' 
Philip Hackett KC – The 36 Group
Martin Hicks KC – 2 Hare Court 'With a gentle touch, gains the confidence of the client and the court.'
Gillian Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Gillian is a silk of outstanding ability, one of the best of her generation of fraud lawyers at the Bar: very clever, relentlessly hard-working and a superb advocate held in high regard by judges and opponents alike.’
Adam Kane KC – Libertas Chambers ‘Adam is an incredibly erudite courtroom performer. His greatest asset is his way with words. He is charming in front of a jury but firm with witnesses when firmness is called for. He is always well-prepared and often spots arguments that others have overlooked.’
Abbas Lakha KC – 9BR Chambers ‘Abbas is an exceptional advocate. He presents his case in a clear and passionate manner. Clients are left in no doubt that he is defending their interests. He prepares his cases thoroughly and is extremely hard-working.’
John McGuinness KC – Foundry Chambers 'It is no surprise that he is the first choice of the FCA, SFO and CPS Economic Crime Unit for their more complex and difficult cases - he is an outstanding advocate, lawyer and tactician and always has total mastery of the material.'
Andrew Mitchell KC – 33 Chancery Lane  'Andrew has extraordinary advocacy skills and experience.'
Miranda Moore KC – 5 Paper Buildings
Pavlos Panayi – 7BR ‘He is quite an able silk.’ 
Orlando Pownall KC – 2 Hare Court
Tom Price KC – Millennium Chambers ‘Tom is a brilliant advocate with a calming court presence – nothing fazes him. He commands the attention of the jury quite exquisitely.’
Clare Sibson KC  – Fountain Court Chambers  ‘Clare has a brilliant mind and is a fantastic strategist. She is able to absorb a plethora of facts and hone into the key case-changing issues quickly.’
Jason Sugarman KC – Foundry Chambers ‘Jason is a supreme fraud practitioner who once instructed will develop a clear case strategy from pre-charge investigation all the way through the proceedings.’
James Waddington KC – Foundry Chambers ‘James has many years of experience and a great presence, as a consequence, in court,’
David Walbank KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘First-class. Understands the law, judges and clients and has a complete set of weaponry to deploy in any given situation.'
Sasha Wass KC – 6KBW College Hill
Adrian Waterman KC – Matrix Chambers ‘Adrian is a master strategist. A confident advocate, he has a great manner with clients.'
Alistair Webster KC –33 Chancery Lane ‘Alistair is always meticulously prepared, and his legal acumen is of the highest level.'
Andrew Wheeler KC – 7BR ‘Highly knowledgeable. Very pragmatic and liked by clients. Extremely smooth.’
Natasha Wong KC – 5KBW 'Natasha's client care is fantastic. Her submissions are precise, concise and always persuasive. Her cross-examination is devastating.'
4
Rupert Bowers KC – Doughty Street Chambers
William Boyce KC – QEB Hollis Whiteman 'Fantastic cross-examiner, a real fighter, excellent attention to detail.'
Allison Clare KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Allison is unflappable when under pressure.'
Sarah Clarke KC  - Serjeants' Inn Chambers 'Sarah is the undoubted expert in financial crime. She has been in the cases which have established the necessary definitions of technical terms in regulatory financial legislation.'
Peter Doyle KC – 25 Bedford Row ‘Peter is excellent: smooth, polished, and thoughtful.’
Tom Forster KC – Red Lion Chambers
Mark Harries KC – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
Alexandra Healy KC – Foundry Chambers ‘Alexandra is undoubtedly one of the best Silks to instruct in a fraud, whether defending or prosecuting.’
Leon Kazakos KC –2 Hare Court ‘Leon is an exceptional barrister. He attention to detail is impeccable, his advocacy is top-notch and his client care is excellent.’
Tom Little KC – Deka Chambers
Gareth Patterson KC – 6KBW College Hill
Andrew Radcliffe KC – 2 Hare Court
Paul Raudnitz KC – QEB Hollis Whiteman
Stan Reiz KC – 2 Bedford Row ‘Stan is a mastermind. Intelligent and quick to respond on his feet in the courtroom. You will struggle to compete with his advocacy.’
Nigel Sangster KC – 25 Bedford Row 'Nigel is efficient in managing high volumes of material and sifting out the core issues. He is hard-working and always on top of his case.'
Charles Sherrard KC – Furnival Chambers ‘Charlie is a bright and able advocate who brings a common sense jury-friendly style of advocacy to fraud cases.’
Kieran Vaughan KC – 2 Bedford Row

2022 Silks

Rachel Barnes KC – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Rachel is fiercely intelligent and has a forensic eye for detail. Her advocacy is always impressive and she inspires confidence in clients and solicitors alike.’
Claire Davies KC - Farringdon Chambers 'Claire is a focused and determined advocate who is perfect for cases of complexity and detail.'

Leading Juniors

1
Rhys Meggy – QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Rhys is an exceptional barrister who never fails to deliver. He is a phenomenally-intelligent advocate, is extremely bright, tenacious and strategic in his approach.'
Neil Saunders – Three Raymond Buildings 'Neil is the consummate jury advocate. His skill is in reading the room and bringing the jury with him on even the most tricky of defences. '
Alastair Smith – 2 Bedford Row ‘Alastair is an outstanding advocate. He has his eye on the ball at all times and he is very quick to identify the issues. 
2
Graham Arnold – Farringdon Chambers ‘Graham is thorough and expansive in his consideration of legal arguments. Prepared to push the boundaries of law and be innovative.'
Faras Baloch – Red Lion Chambers ‘Faras is a highly accomplished senior junior: very clever, exceptionally hard-working, a polished advocate calm and courteous in manner but also tough and tenacious.’
Stuart Biggs – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Stuart is simply outstanding. He has a brilliant mind and combines it with a effective and charming advocacy style.’ 
Rebecca Elizabeth Chalkley – Red Lion Chambers ‘Rebecca brings exceptional oral advocacy and has a very deft touch with judges in court.‘
Ben FitzGerald – QEB Hollis Whiteman
Tim Forte – 3TG ‘Tim is a highly skilled advocate and is very adept at arguing complex points of law.’
Leila Gaskin – Crucible Chambers
Duncan Jones - 25 Bedford Row 'Duncan is excellent. Hard-working and committed, with great insight on strategic issues and a complete understanding of the landscape.'
Timothy Kendal – 2 Bedford Row
Benjamin Newton – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Benjamin is great with clients and a pleasure to work with. He is very calm and reassuring. He gives clear, accessible and smart advice. He is one of the best senior juniors around.' 
Tom Payne – Red Lion Chambers ‘Tom is a thorough, diligent and persuasive advocate.'
Samantha Riggs – 25 Bedford Row 'Samantha brings excellent client care and analysis skill as well as top-notch advocacy in court.'
Rachel Scott – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Rachel is fiercely-intelligent and has a forensic eye for detail. Her advocacy is always impressive and she inspires confidence in clients and solicitors alike.'
Vivienne Tanchel – 2 Hare Court ‘Vivienne brings superb attention to detail, excellent advocate, great with clients.’ 
3
Angus Bunyan – 2 Hare Court ‘Angus is well-informed and extremely diligent. He is not phased by the challenges faced and anticipates problems before they arise.’
Peter Caldwell – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Peter is an excellent advocate, hard worker, sound judgement, easy to work with, very good with clients, excellent drafting skills, talented all-round counsel.'
Christopher Convey – 33 Chancery Lane ‘Christopher is one of the best juniors around. He is an absolutely charming advocate who gets results.'
Thomas Daniel – 2 Bedford Row ‘Passionate and intense, but meticulous and thorough when defending. He is a phenomenal technical lawyer and a persistent and persuasive advocate, able to adjust his style to a jury or a judge seamlessly. A real star at the Bar.’
Sonal Dashani – 25 Bedford Row ‘Sonal is an exceptional fraud barrister. Her advocacy is measured, persuasive and highly-effective. Judges and juries instinctively trust her.'
Felicia Davy – Red Lion Chambers ‘Felicia can master voluminous cases and can identify the important issues with ease. She has a pleasant rapport with clients. Her advocacy is persuasive and demonstrates her competence with her legal knowledge and through understanding of her cases. '
Dominic D’Souza – Goldsmith Chambers 'An outstanding advocate with impressive interpersonal skills, clients always provide excellent feedback owing to the strong rapport he has with all clients. Jurors are charmed by his persuasive and charming advocacy.' 
Philippa Eastwood – Doughty Street Chambers
William England – Mountford Chambers ‘Will is a very experienced leading junior, he puts together well-drafted and well-crafted legal arguments. Very versatile.' 
Rachna Gokani – QEB Hollis Whiteman 'Rachna is a first-class criminal junior and an absolute joy to work with. Clever, responsive, proactive, astute, strategic, incredibly hard-working, and very passionate about her work. '
Jenny Goldring – 5 Paper Buildings
Gerard Hillman – Libertas Chambers
Dominic Hockley  – 2 Harcourt Buildings ‘Dominic is a polished advocate with an easy and engaging courtroom manner. He is exceptionally bright and has all the law at his fingertips.'
Frederick Hookway – 5KBW ‘Freddie is a very smooth and polished advocate. He is excellent at cross-examination.'
Stephen Hopper – 5 Paper Buildings
Henry Hughes - 187 Chambers 'Henry is fiercely bright and incredibly hard working. He maintains a calm composure always and often during very stressful situations that arise inevitably during trial. He keeps everyone on track.'
Tim Hunter – 23ES
Roderick James – Crucible Chambers
Alex Jamieson – 25 Bedford Row ‘Alex is extremely knowledgeable. He is down-to-earth which makes him well-liked by clients. He is a passionate advocate.' 
Annie Johnston – Drystone Chambers 'Annie has an amazing understanding of people and what makes them tick, as well as a great understanding of the trial process and the many undercurrents that exist in all criminal cases.'
Rachel Kapila – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Rachel is hard-working. Very effective.' 
Ashraf Khan – 2 Bedford Row 'Ashraf combines meticulous preparation and excellent client skills with a particularly persuasive style of advocacy.'
Eleanor Mawrey – Deka Chambers ‘Eleanor is particularly adept at analysis of complex financial and expert evidence. She is an accomplished advocate.’
Martin McCarthy – Farringdon Chambers ‘Martin is a forceful, formidable advocate who is adept in heavyweight crime and financial crime cases.’
Keith Mitchell – Libertas Chambers 'Keith is an excellent all-round barrister - he is good with clients, pro active and attentive to instructing solicitors, top quality advocacy and very persuasive written work.'
Vedrana Pehar – Matrix Chambers ‘Vedrana is extremely bright and extremely diligent. She has excellent judgment and is unflappable under pressure.’
Andrew Price – Drystone Chambers 'Andrew is a very astute and intelligent fraud practitioner.'
Gordon Ross – 3TG ‘Gordon Ross is an excellent barrister, and thoroughly impresses with his commitment, diligent preparation, client skills and communication.’
Esther Schutzer-Weissmann – 6KBW College Hill ‘Esther is an exceptional white-collar crime lawyer with a focused strategic approach.’
Alexandra Scott – Mountford Chambers  ‘Alexandra is a poised advocate, who commands the confidence of the court and her clients. She is respectful, but tenacious.'
Kabir Sondhi – 9BR Chambers ‘He has every tool in the box and knows how to use them.’
Ben Summers – Three Raymond Buildings
Kevin Toomey – 2 Bedford Row
Ini Udom – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Ini is an excellent lawyer, in both civil and criminal disciplines. She is meticulous in her preparation and is able to assimilate complex facts and detail with apparent ease.'
Nicholas Yeo –Three Raymond Buildings 'An extremely intelligent junior who is great with clients and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of financial crime. He possesses exceptional judgement.' 
4
Ben Isaacs –7BR
Neil Baki –Farrar’s Building
Richard Bentwood – 23ES
Matthew Buckland – Mountford Chambers
Daniel Chadwick – 2 Hare Court ‘Daniel is a very good trial lawyer with an ability to communicate well with lay clients and ensure a case is fully prepared for trial.’
Polly Dyer – QEB Hollis Whiteman 'Polly has an impressive ability to absorb vast quantities of complex evidence and translate to concise and clear advocacy.'
Adam Gersch – Goldsmith Chambers ‘Adam has an highly-effective style in cross-examination, is innovative in his thinking, with no obvious weaknesses.'
Tom Godfrey – 23ES
Michael Gomulka  - 25 Bedford Row  'Michael is a fearless and effective advocate with a sharp mind and real presence. He gets great results and has a great practice.'
Peter Guest – 187 Fleet Street Chambers ‘Exceptional advocate with a huge amount of courtroom presence – respected by judges and peers alike. Brilliant legal mind and tactically astute.’
Sean Hammond – 2 Bedford Row ‘Sean is an exceptionally talented barrister, his air of reassuring calmness always makes him a pleasure to work with for both professional and lay client.'
Michael Hick – 5 Paper Buildings
Joe Hingston – Mountford Chambers
Nicholas James – 2 Bedford Row ‘On his feet Nick is an extremely skilled advocate, one of very the best at the Bar, who combines meticulous preparation with exceptional client care.’
Paul Jarvis – 6KBW College Hill ‘With a great courtroom presence, Paul is balanced in his approach and excellent at wining a tribunal over.’
Dermot Keating – 25 Bedford Row
Helen Law – Matrix Chambers 'Helen is very astute, pleasure to work with, excellent drafting skills, very responsive.' 
Jonathan Lennon – Doughty Street Chambers 'Jonathan is a first-rate criminal defence barrister. He is a thorough, diligent and persuasive advocate.’
John Lucas – Farringdon Chambers 'John is a confident, successful barrister.'
Lewis MacDonald – 2 Hare Court ‘Lewis is an outstanding junior barrister. His strength is his ability to apply his intelligence and legal knowledge in a practical and strategic way.'
James Martin – 5KBW
Gareth Munday – Deka Chambers ‘Gareth’s particular strength is his ability to remain calm and collaborative when prosecuting.’ 
Osman Osman – 25 Bedford Row ‘Osman is very hard-working and resolute in the way he prepares his cases. Sound judgment. Very diligent.' 
Sophie O’Sullivan - Outer Temple Chambers
Adam Payter –6KBW College Hill ‘Adam is a phenomenal advocate.’
Jonathan Polnay - 5KBW ‘ Jonathan is immensely impressive. He is incredibly clever, extremely hard working, and thinks incredibly quickly on his feet. A lethal cross-examiner. ’
Luke Ponte – Three Raymond Buildings
Peter Ratliff –6KBW College Hill ‘Peter is a fearless advocate who leaves no stone unturned in preparing his client's case. Clients know he is in their corner.'
Jack Talbot – Red Lion Chambers ‘Jack has an easy manner with a jury, and presents dense evidence comprehensibly and with a deceptively light touch. He is extremely hard-working, and handles emotive and difficult cases with professionalism and ease.’
Jessica Tate - Foundry Chambers 'Jessica has all the detail at her fingertips, but is able to keep a sense of perspective at the same time. She is a fluent advocate.'
James Thacker – Deka Chambers ‘James is formidable and feisty, with an excellent knowledge of the law. His written work is outstanding. A true star at the Bar.’ 
Greg Unwin – 187 Fleet Street Chambers ‘Greg is an understated but highly-effective advocate who has excellent client care skills.'
Benjamin Waidhofer – Foundry Chambers 'Ben is enthusiastic and loves a challenge - no case is too complicated. He is not afraid to stand his ground in court, and is always ready with an argument - he knows his subject matter inside out. Ben's advocacy rivals many a silk - he is someone solicitors want in their corner.'
Tom Wainwright – Garden Court Chambers 'Tom has a great legal mind and is able to get to the nub of a case very quickly.'
Colin Wells – 25 Bedford Row ‘Colin has a very individual style which works wonders with juries.'

Fraud: crime in London Bar

2 Bedford Row

‘A set with tremendous strength in depth’ with a ‘reputation as one of the leading sets for serious fraud’, 2 Bedford Row advises and provides defences to corporate and individual clients on fraud and financial crime matters from allegations of money-laundering and a full spectrum of serious fraud, in addition to counseling on investigations and prosecutions by the  SFO. Simon Baker KC is currently representing the Post Office in criminal appeals concerning the Horizon scandal, which involves challenges to hundreds of fraud, theft and false accounting convictions in the wake of a well-publicised use of evidence from faulty software in private prosecutions. In an SFO case, Sean Hammond represents a defendant accused of conspiring to defraud investors in forestry schemes involving teak plantations in Brazil.

Testimonials

Set

‘They have fantastic strength in depth and have well earned their reputation as one of the leading London sets for fraud and heavyweight crime.’

‘2 Bedford Row is rightly recognised as a leading set, with some very serious silks and juniors in terms of advocacy skills and legal knowledge.’

‘A set with tremendous strength in depth who have well earned their reputation as one of the leading sets for serious fraud.’

‘2 Bedford Row is in the top tier of criminal law chambers with very high quality counsel through its ranks.’

Clerking

‘John Grimmer is a pleasure to work with and always goes the extra mile to provide a top-quality service.’

‘Paul Rogers – he gets things done and doesn’t mess about.’

‘John Grimmer, Paul Rogers, Tom Powell and Lee Bartlett are stand-out clerks who will go over and beyond to provide an exceptional service.’

‘Clerks’ room is well-run. Paul Rodgers is excellent, very helpful in trying to arrange court hearings and barristers’ availability.’

2 Hare Court

With its ‘excellent, intelligent, strategic and approachable barristers’, 2 Hare Court remains a predominant defence set in the practice area, with ‘strength in depth for complex fraud’, representing clients across a wide range of matters, from major SFO investigations to boiler room and carbon credit trading frauds. Brendan Kelly KC defends in a case concerning Loncon Capital & Finance, an alleged Ponzi-type scheme involving a loss estimated at £400m. In another case, Daniel Chadwick represented the first defendant on the indictment, who is accused of participating in twenty boiler room frauds involved in the mis-selling of carbon credits to the public. Notable arrivals include Richard Heller (January 2022) from Drystone Chambers and Madeleine Wolfe (April 2022) from 23ES.

Testimonials

Set

‘2 Hare Court are a very impressive set of chambers with quality throughout the set.’

‘2 Hare Court are an excellent set who have real strength in depth for complex fraud.’

‘The set has excellent, intelligent, strategic and approachable barristers.’

Clerking

‘Chloe Skingley is a hidden gem. She is an asset to chambers.’

‘Julian Campbell is very effective and user-friendly.’

 

25 Bedford Row

‘An excellent set with top silks and really strong juniors across the board’, 25 Bedford Row continues to hold its position in the market as a top fraud defence set, representing clients involved in high-profile prosecutions and investigations. George Carter-Stephenson KC represented the lead defendant the long running 22 handed fraud case Operation Surging (concluded in November 2021) which involved the alleged laundering of over £25m through 14 shell companies set up as traders of alcoholic beverages. Nicola Howard KC is currently defending in a matter involving alleged fraud money laundering by the Vatican and its cardinals via a £299m London property venture. Simon Pentol KC (in Operation Toll) represented the lead defendant who has been accused of a complex scheme involving alleged fraudulent trading and money laundering arising out of a multi-agency investigation into carbon credit investment.

Testimonials

Set

‘A set with tremendous strength in depth who have well earned their reputation as one of the leading sets for serious fraud.’

’25 BR is a pre-eminent defence set. They have an outstanding reputation for fraud work, from junior through to silk.’

’25 Bedford Row provide seamless service for fraud cases.’

’25 Bedford Row is an excellent set with top silks and really strong juniors across the board.’

’25 Bedford Row is one of the best criminal & fraud sets that there is around.’

Clerking

‘Guy Williams ensures that the clerks room runs like clockwork, but he is also backed up by the very capable Emma Makepeace and also Alfie Lee.’

‘Emma Makepeace is without question the best criminal clerk in the country. Her knowledge of both criminal law and procedure is equal to a qualified lawyer in some areas. This in-depth knowledge means that she is capable of understanding the individual need of a case at an early stage and has a particularly good skill at matching the correct barrister with the case.’

‘The clerks are incredibly hard working and regularly go above and beyond. Alfie Lee and Emma Makepeace standout in this regard.’

‘Alfie Lee is very helpful and is able to provide cover at short notice.’

QEB Hollis Whiteman

‘Home to a vast array of exceptional talent in both financial and general crime’,  QEB Hollis Whiteman remains a market-leading set for defences and taking instruction in high-profile prosecutions and investigations. Ben FitzGerald represented a defendant accused of conspiracy to cheat the revenue of £109m through sham carbon credit trading scheme. In one case part of the SFO’s long-running fraud and false accounting prosecution involving the British government contractor Serco), Rhys Meggy acted alone as a junior defending an individual, following a deferred prosecution agreement.

Testimonials

Set

‘The set is home to a vast array of exceptional talent in both financial and general crime.’

‘The set are undoubtedly one of the best in the country for representation in white collar crime.’

‘Excellent in strength and depth and from junior to senior.’

‘First-class set.’

Clerking

‘Clerks Sam Window, Tom Hemmens, Cameron Clark and James Booth are highly-professional, efficient and engaging, and eager to assist with all matters.’

‘Chris Emmings and David O’Sullivan are superb to work with. They go above and beyond in their clerking duties and form very good relationships with solicitor firms.’

‘Led by Chris Emmings, they are a very strong clerks team.’

Three Raymond Buildings

”Containing individuals who possess excellent skills in dealing with fraud cases whether for the prosecution or defence’, Three Raymond Buildings defends clients against and takes instruction in high-profile investigations. Nicholas Yeo is currently acting for a defendant accused of extensive million-pound bank fraud through the alleged obtained of compromised card data and the impersonation of customers.

Testimonials

Set

‘3 Raymond Buildings is the pre-eminent set for criminal litigation. It contains first-class barristers from the most senior to the most junior. An astonishing array of talent.’

‘An excellent set containing individuals who possess excellent skills in dealing with fraud cases whether for the prosecution or defence.’

‘Top-ranking counsel in criminal defence work. Very professional, top-quality service.’

‘ Counsel at the top of this field, with incredible strength in depth and expertise.’

Clerking

‘Their clerks’ room is extremely efficient and very trustworthy. Eddie Holland in particular as a clerk.’ 

‘The clerking at 3RB is at the very pinnacle in crime. Dean Brown in particular is an outstanding clerk. The service is genuinely 5-star.’

Work highlights

    23ES

    The experienced criminal fraud set 23ES (formerly 23 Essex Street) defends and prosecutes major SFO investigations and other high-profile financial crime matters. On behalf of a trading standards body, Cairns Nelson KC is prosecuting 11 defendants accused of defrauding elderly members of the public in a boiler room fraud, which made cold calls offering fake energy saving measures. Nelson KC also leads Tom Godfrey in the representation of Newcastle United Football Club, which is the subject of a long-running HMRC tax evasion investigation, with a focus on agents’ fees. Tim Hunter arrived from 2 Harcourt Buildings in May 2022.

    Cloth Fair Chambers

    ‘With a wealth of talent at all levels’, the set at Cloth Fair Chambers defend and prosecute corporates and individuals involved in high-profile financial crime cases and major investigations related to a wide range of alleged offences, not limited to bribery and corruption, insider dealing, false accounting and tax fraud. In R v Umerji, Alison Pople KC represented an absent defendant in £37 million pound confiscation proceedings after an MTIC VAT fraud case. Tom Allen KC represented a defendant charged with conspiracy to commit false accounting offences for the alleged £81m falsification of Royal Mail invoices.

    Testimonials

    Set

    ‘Every barrister in this set is exceptional. Each has their own strength, making it the go-to for the full range of criminal work.’

    ‘Cloth Fair Chambers is blessed with a wealth of talent at all levels.’

    ‘Excellent set of chambers.’ 

    Clerking

    ‘Reinforced by the recruitment of the astute Annaleen Stephens as chambers director, the clerks’ room, led by the capable Adrian Chapman, goes from strength to strength. Commercial in their approach, and utterly professional, the Cloth Fair clerks’ room is second-to-none.’

    ‘The clerks are excellent.’

    ‘The clerks team, led by Adrian Chapman, are first-class.’

    ‘All the clerks are only too happy to help.’

    Red Lion Chambers

    With ‘individual barristers of high ability at every level’, the experienced set at Red Lion Chambers prosecutes and defends high-profile cases and investigations across the practice area. Allison Clare KC successfully defended reality TV personality Lewis Bloor on allegations of being part of a £3m diamond investment fraud. David Walbank KC is prosecuting a fraud by abuse of position through the exploitation of a Power of Attorney to allegedly denude an elderly man of his estate.

    Testimonials

    Set

    ‘Red Lion Chambers has very good strength and depth across the board.’

    ‘An excellent set with individual barristers of high ability at every level in this field.’

    ‘Red Lion Chambers has strength in depth in criminal fraud.’

    ”An excellent range of seniority is available at all levels.’

    Clerking

    ‘Mark Bennett is one of the best clerks in the industry. He is supported by an outstanding team.’

    ‘Lee Young is an outstanding clerk. His client care is second-to-none.’

    Crucible Chambers

    Members of Crucible Chambers bring expertise to defending clients involved in boiler rooms, money laundering and other financial crime cases, including heavyweight tax frauds. Head of chambers Neil Hawes KC leads a team of juniors from chambers defending in the widely-publicised SFO prosecution of David Ames, who was allegedly involved in an investment scheme involving unbuilt hotels and a loss of £420m to investors. Leila Gaskin is currently representing the principal defendant accused of a boiler room fraud preying on 30 high-net-worth individuals.

    33 Chancery Lane

    A ‘perfectly-formed group of real white collar crime specialists’, the set at 33 Chancery Lane defend and prosecute high-profile investigations involving allegations of bribery, money-laundering, fraud and other financial offences. Amanda Pinto KC was instructed by the SFO in the successful prosecution if individuals running investment schemes targeting UK and Swedish investors in “sustainable and ethical” teak forest schemes in Brazil. Narita Bahra KC (who joined the set from 2 Hare Court  in November 2021) exposed key disclosure failings in one case which led the collapse of a high-profile prosecution for alleged diamond investment fraud. Alistair Webster KC  successfully defended a former Chief of the Gloucester Fire Service charged with fraud by breach of trust.

    Testimonials

    Set

    ‘Probably the best boutique financial crime set in the country.’

    ‘Perfectly-formed group of real white collar crime specialists.’

    ’33 Chancery Lane have gathered some of the most highly-regarded barristers, who come with a real down-to-earth approach.’

     ‘A select group of barristers who are all incredibly-talented.’

    Clerking

    ‘The clerking, led by Martin Adams, is excellent.’

    ‘Martin Adams is particularly impressive.’

    ‘Martin Adams and Chris Chiles are fantastic to deal with.’

    6KBW College Hill

    ‘With exceptional counsel engaged both by the prosecution and defence’, the set at 6KBW College Hill is instructed by clients and regulatory bodies involved in major investigations. Paul Jarvis is currently instructed by the FCA in Operation Haines, to advise on potential charges against several financial advisors alleged to have operated a year-long Ponzi scheme. Esther Schutzer-Weissmann represents the British Business Bank, which is presently the subject of an SFO investigation into the financing and conduct of the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

    Testimonials

    Set

    ‘A very strong set. Good work ethic and responsive.’

    ‘6KBW are one of the most highly regarded sets in white collar crime.’

    ‘Definitely on of the top white collar and corporate crime sets in the country with exceptional counsel engaged both by the prosecution and defence.’

    Clerking

    ‘Richard Summerscales is very efficient and responsive and helpful.’

    ‘Andrew Barnes is in a league of his own. He understands exactly what is needed and has gone above and beyond to help.’

    ‘Andrew Barnes and Mark Essex provide an excellent service.’

    Mountford Chambers

    ‘An emerging set’, the experienced barristers at Mountford Chambers defend and prosecute high-value fraud prosecutions, from civil fraud and money laundering, to cases involving bribery and corruption. For example, Colin Aylott KC is defending a client charged with an Ministry of Defence contract fraud related to the disposal and destruction of ammunition.

    Testimonials

    Set

    ‘An emerging set.’

    ‘The crime barristers in chambers are all very capable in this field.’

    ‘Excellent. Very approachable. The chambers is an array of talented advocates.’ 

    Clerking

    ‘Ben Heaviside is a proper clerk I would put in a high bracket. A good air of judgement.’

     

    Doughty Street Chambers

    With ‘real strength in depth’, Doughty Street Chambers is ‘a go-to set for financial crime’, defending and prosecuting high-profile cases and major investigations brought by the SFO, FCA and other regulatory bodies. In R v James Stunt & 12 others Richard Fisher KC represents James Stunt, former son-in-law of ex-Formula One mogul Bernie Ecclestone, in a high-profile money-laundering prosecution concerning events which allegedly saw £266m deposited in the account of a gold dealer in Bradford. Peter Caldwell defended a Lebanese businessman, who was the subject of a private prosecution related to fraud, the proceeds of which were alleged to fund his divorce from his wife, who left him for footballer Cesc Fabregas. In another case Benjamin Newton defends a woman accused of exaggerating her care needs to receive £700,000 in direct payment from Hertfordshire County Council for over a decade.

    Testimonials

    Set

    ‘They have many really good silks and juniors so real strength in depth. They are a go-to set for financial crime.’

    ‘Very busy set, with great depth and experience at all levels.’

    ‘Top quality set with some of the brightest in the profession.’

    ‘Doughty Street is a well-known and high calibre set of chambers.’

    Clerking

    ‘Very efficient, reliable, helpful and always willing to assist.’

    Foundry Chambers

    Cited for their ‘depth of expertise in fraud representation both from prosecution and defence’, the set at Foundry Chambers are instructed in and defend corporates and individual involved in SFO and FCA investigations. In R v Dominic Thorncroft, John McGuinness KC successfully prosecuted a defendant who held himself out as an anti-money laundering expert while allowing the proceeds of an investment fraud to be sent overseas to Hong Kong and mainland China. James Waddington KC (in London Capital and Finance) represents five directors of London Oil and Gas, with regards to an SFO investigation into the collapse of London Capital and Finance Ltd (LCF) and LOG. In another case, Jessica Tate defends a client accused of conspiracy to commit a “boiler room” fraud relating to Ecuadorian gold mines as a vehicle for money laundering. Mukul Chawla KC rejoined the set in January 2022 from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, where he remains a consultant.

    Testimonials

    Set

    ‘Foundry Chambers are renown for their depth of expertise in fraud representation both from prosecution and defence, which adds to their complete roundness and ability.’

    ‘Foundry Chambers is well-established and has an excellent, well-deserved reputation. There is a good mix of barristers at all levels.’

    ‘Foundry are an established set of chambers with real strength in depth.’

    ‘Wide variety of counsel who offer skills in multi-disciplines. The fact that many of them both prosecute and defend is advantageous in defence work as they are able to identify weaknesses in the prosecution case swiftly.’

    Clerking

    ‘Recommend Angela May, a real solid pair of hands.’

    ‘The clerks are always extremely willing to assist, in particular I would recommend Angela May, one of the head clerks.’

    Garden Court Chambers

    ‘With good strength and depth across the board’, the set at Garden Court Chambers defends individuals and corporate involved in investigations and prosecutions across a wide range of alleged fraud and financial crime offences. Bernard Tetlow KC currently represents one of 13 defendants (including the ex-son-in-law of former Formula One personality Bernie Ecclestone) in a widely-publicised case stemming from NatWest’s alleged failure to detect a five-year, £268m money laundering operation running through Bradford gold dealer Fowler Oldfield. Tom Wainwright is currently represents a Dubai-based defendant charged with the alleged laundering of proceeds from a £20m cryptocurrency fraud, by allegedly converting the them into local currency or property. Mark Gatley KC was appointed a Silk in March 2022. 

    Testimonials

    Set

    ‘There are a number of professionals cover all areas of law – an excellent set.’

    ‘Garden Court are efficient chambers with good strength and depth across the board. A heavyweight criminal set with a personal touch, and a good spread of work.’

    Clerking

    ‘Colin Cook is amazing.’

    ‘The clerks are very efficient and Colin Cook is always helpful. Charlie Tennent is always on hand to help and find solutions.’

    ‘Best in the business – Charlie Tennant.’

    Matrix Chambers

    With a ‘stellar group of KCs’ that is ‘matched by an expanding band of juniors of all levels’, the criminal fraud set at Matrix Chambers brings experience to defending major corporates and individuals against high-profile prosecutions and investigations related to a diverse spectrum of alleged financial offences. In an FCA investigation taken over by the SFO, Tim Owen KC continues to represent one of the suspects in the collapse of London Capital and Finance allegedly due to its sale of mini-bonds. Vedrana Pehar represents the ex-husband of Petra Ecclestone on money-laundering charges. Richard Whittam KC conducted the successful private prosecution of a Lebanese businessman with regards to a multi-million pound Knightsbridge property and a real estate scam from which the defendant used to fund family litigation after his wife left him for a footballer.

    Testimonials

    Set

    ‘Matrix Chambers is in the very top tier of London sets for fraud and crime. Their stellar group of silks is matched by an expanding band of juniors of all levels.’

    ‘Matrix is head and shoulders above other chambers.’

    ‘Matrix Chambers has a number of high profile members who are very well-regarded. It is a leading set in this field.’

    Clerking

    ‘Paul Venables is one of the senior clerks. He is a really cool guy and nothing phases him.’

    ‘The clerking team, led by Paul Venables, is top-notch.’