No5 Barristers’ Chambers is a ‘well run professional set of chambers with range of experience and expertise’ in the crime sector. Michael Duck KC is a specialist in serious organised crime and is currently leading a prosecution of Polish and Kurdish organised crime groups on behalf of HMRC, while Michelle Heeley KC has built a reputation for handling cases involving vulnerable clients or witnesses. Newly appointed silks Harpreet Singh Sandhu KC and Sultana Tafadar KC are regularly instructed by the CPS in cases of grave and complex nature. Turning to the set’s juniors, Ian Bridge is described as a ‘formidable advocate who is able to quickly grasp the real issues in the case’ and is regularly instructed in high profile fraud and money laundering cases.
Crime (general and fraud) in
Regional BarNo5 Barristers' Chambers
Testimonials
Set
‘The chambers has strength in depth of astute and intelligent silks and grade four prosecutors.’
‘Reliable and trustworthy.’
‘Very professional chambers.’
‘The set is large and full of experienced, competent practitioners. It has strength in depth and breadth.’
‘Professionally run set of chambers with vast experience.’
‘Good availability of experienced Counsel when required.’
‘Very professional with a high level of expertise available.’
‘No. 5 Chambers is a very large and leading set of chambers that provides an excellent range of advocates for all criminal cases.’
Clerking
‘The clerking team is always happy to assist. Andrew Trotter is especially helpful, responsive, and organised, he anticipates your requests or what counsel will require before being asked.’
‘The clerks provide a first-rate service.’
‘Always really helpful and go out of their way to ensure Counsel is available to assist.’
‘Clerks provide an excellent service, very efficient and always keep us informed of any changes with counsel or listing of cases. Andrew Trotter and Marc Forest stand out as the more experienced and professional in the service they provide.’
‘Well organised and accessible team of clerks.’
‘Always available to support and assist. All clerks are able to provide information when required.’
‘The clerks are perfectly adequate.’
‘Andrew Trotter is an exceptional clerk. He cannot do enough to help and is always 10 steps ahead. Extremely organised and efficient. Tony McDaid is a very impressive and charismatic CEO. He has excellent business sense and clearly holds the best interests of No5 Chambers closely at heart.’
St Philips Chambers
St. Philips Chambers is a ‘large and efficiently run set of chambers’ with an ‘extensive range of advocates available to cover all levels of criminal cases’. Head of the chamber and ‘excellent orator’ Richard Atkins KC specialises in murder cases and regularly appears in the Court of Appeal. Andrew Smith KC’s recent work highlights include prosecuting Gareeca Gordon, who was convicted of murdering a former friend and attempting to dispose of her body in the Forest of Dean. Jennifer Josephs is praised for her ‘preparation and care during cases’ and secured a conviction for a father accused of shaking one of his twin babies to death in case that dealt with complicated medical evidence. Simon Davis is now the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Cayman Islands.
Testimonials
Set
‘Lovely set, full of excellent barristers with varying levels of strengths and experience. Counsel instructed are always very informative and try to cover their cases as much as possible.’
‘St Philips Chambers is a strong set with a good range of counsel even when an instructed advocate is not available.’
‘The strongest spread of counsel at all levels in criminal work, including the best selection of silks in the Midlands.’
‘The best set in Birmingham.’
‘A very strong set, with great strength in depth.’
‘The premier set for crime in Birmingham. Many of its members go to the bench or take silk. It is a breeding ground for high quality advocates.’
‘St Philips Chambers is the go-to set in the Midlands area.’
‘St. Philips has numerous strong advocates practicing in crime and fraud at all levels.’
‘Good efficient set of chambers with wide range of experienced counsel.’
‘A powerful set with a wealth of talent in criminal advocacy.’
‘Fantastic set who care for their instructing solicitors and who will endeavor always to provide excellent alternative counsel if instructed counsel is unavailable. They regularly provide training sessions that deal with updates in the law and showcase the talent of their counsel.’
Clerking
‘Clerking is excellent.’
‘The clerks are helpful in the extreme and efficiently deal with problems when they arise.’
‘The clerks are very helpful and considerate.’ ‘The clerks are always willing to assist and will go the extra mile.’
‘The clerks will endeavor to assist however they can.’
‘Clerks are accommodating of needs and always assist in helping with the court.’
‘The Clerks provide a first-class service. The clerks are efficient, friendly, and sensitive to customer needs.’
7BR
7BR is a London based set with a long-running connection to the Midland circuit. James House KC recently managed to secure murder and manslaughter convictions for four defendants from London accused of murdering a homeowner from Northampton after a robbery attempt. Adrian Langdale KC successfully led the prosecution of an internet based sexual abuser, who targeted thousands of victims worldwide. Vanessa Marshall KC has appeared in several complex murder trials and recently successfully prosecuted a 6-week multi-defendant murder trial.
St Ives Chambers
St Ives Chambers is a ‘pool of highly talented criminal practitioners’ often involved in complex and lengthy murder trials and large-scale drug, firearm, and fraud conspiracies. The criminal practice group is led by ‘the tremendously diligent and hard-working’ Rebecca Wade who has ‘good judgement and great eye for detail’. Justin Jarmola is known for his ‘exceptional written advocacy’ and secured acquittal for a teenager defendant in a multi-week attempted murder trial. William Douglas-Jones ‘demonstrates the gravitas and demeanour of a highly experienced barrister’ and was led junior for a defendant in this 9-handed conspiracy to murder trial in the Crown Court.
Testimonials
Set
‘St Ives retains the ‘cut above’ edge when it comes to barristers. It offers the brilliant professionalism and expertise of counsel who are ready to assist at the last minute. Their insight of other local chambers offers a positive and informative approach in addition to understanding adversaries when on trial. The barristers are always courteous and immaculately presented when in Court. There are a variety of barristers to call upon for their opinion on legal issues and to assist with cases up and down the country.’
‘St Ives Chambers is available whenever someone require counsel and is always on hand to assist.’
‘St Ives Chambers is a strong set with a number of heavyweight juniors.’
‘St Ives Chambers punches above its weight in Crime. It has a relatively small criminal group but one of genuine quality.’
‘St Ives Chambers is a superb growing set populated by immensely talented advocates.’
‘A very strong set, with a strong team of criminal practitioners.’
‘St Ives is a wonderful set full of enthusiastic and able counsel.’ ‘St Ives Chambers is a great set of criminal barristers. The criminal set has a number of brilliant barristers who deal with all types of criminal law cases, from the mundane to the extremely serious.’
Clerking
‘Clerks are excellent in communicating and try their very best to accommodate the demands. Philip Hidson will always ‘go the extra mile’ to help with logistics and availability of counsel.’
‘Philip Hidson is proactive and responsive.’
‘Clerking service at the chambers is efficient and helpful.’
‘The clerks are always helpful, even when something urgent needs to be covered. Philip Hidson stands out, who is always willing to help.’
‘The clerking is excellent, and they compete well with much larger chambers – the ever approachable and hardworking Philip Hidson is in particular a credit to chambers.’
‘Philip Hidson is determined to do the very best for both counsel and instructing solicitors. He does not shirk the hours demanded or complexities of his role.’
‘The clerks are always helpful and willing to help. Phillip Hidson stands out. The addition of Sheila Doyle makes the team stronger.’
The 36 Group
The 36 Group is a ‘good all-round chambers’ with a set of ‘good quality advocates’ and strong presence in the Midlands circuit. Mary Prior KC is ‘particularly good at questioning vulnerable witnesses’ and recently handled a murder case involving complex medical evidence. Sarah Gaunt handled a case of a widescale and country-wide sophisticated ATM theft conspiracy. Nadeem Holland prosecuted and convicted a thirteen-defendant drug conspiracy case, in which all defendants were convicted. Samuel Skinner is an ‘ambitious and astute lawyer with excellent judgement’ and prosecuted around 109 defendants in dozens of linked trials of conspiracy to supply drugs. Mary Loram KC and William Harbage KC, as were, have been appointed circuit judges, based in Chelmsford and Nottingham respectively.
Testimonials
Set
‘The 36 Group is a well-managed multi-disciplinary set with a traditionally strong presence on the Midland Circuit.’
‘The 36 Group has a very solid cadre of silks and many of their juniors are either leading or being led in cases of note across the country.’
‘The 36 Group is a very organised and well-respected chamber which produces advocates of the highest standard.’
‘The 36 Group is a leading group of chambers. Their members are all well regarded, and it has especial expertise in the more serious cases of homicide, cybercrime and fraud, gang related offending and significant sexual violence. Members are sought after and work nationally.’
‘The 36 Group is very helpful, very accommodating, always keeping us up to date, constant communication, offering training programs and legal updates.’
Clerking
‘The senior clerk Michelle Simpson always goes above and beyond to try and accommodate the solicitors’ demands.’
‘The clerks are very professional, in particular Elliot Styles, who will go out of his way to keep you updated and make sure suitable counsel is available.’
‘All clerks are very helpful and try to assist you to the best of their ability.’
No5 Barristers' Chambers
Testimonials
Set
‘The chambers has strength in depth of astute and intelligent silks and grade four prosecutors.’
‘Reliable and trustworthy.’
‘Very professional chambers.’
‘The set is large and full of experienced, competent practitioners. It has strength in depth and breadth.’
‘Professionally run set of chambers with vast experience.’
‘Good availability of experienced Counsel when required.’
‘Very professional with a high level of expertise available.’
‘No. 5 Chambers is a very large and leading set of chambers that provides an excellent range of advocates for all criminal cases.’
Clerking
‘The clerking team is always happy to assist. Andrew Trotter is especially helpful, responsive, and organised, he anticipates your requests or what counsel will require before being asked.’
‘The clerks provide a first-rate service.’
‘Always really helpful and go out of their way to ensure Counsel is available to assist.’
‘Clerks provide an excellent service, very efficient and always keep us informed of any changes with counsel or listing of cases. Andrew Trotter and Marc Forest stand out as the more experienced and professional in the service they provide.’
‘Well organised and accessible team of clerks.’
‘Always available to support and assist. All clerks are able to provide information when required.’
‘The clerks are perfectly adequate.’
‘Andrew Trotter is an exceptional clerk. He cannot do enough to help and is always 10 steps ahead. Extremely organised and efficient. Tony McDaid is a very impressive and charismatic CEO. He has excellent business sense and clearly holds the best interests of No5 Chambers closely at heart.’
St Philips Chambers
St. Philips Chambers is a ‘large and efficiently run set of chambers’ with an ‘extensive range of advocates available to cover all levels of criminal cases’. Head of the chamber and ‘excellent orator’ Richard Atkins KC specialises in murder cases and regularly appears in the Court of Appeal. Andrew Smith KC’s recent work highlights include prosecuting Gareeca Gordon, who was convicted of murdering a former friend and attempting to dispose of her body in the Forest of Dean. Jennifer Josephs is praised for her ‘preparation and care during cases’ and secured a conviction for a father accused of shaking one of his twin babies to death in case that dealt with complicated medical evidence. Simon Davis is now the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Cayman Islands.
Testimonials
Set
‘Lovely set, full of excellent barristers with varying levels of strengths and experience. Counsel instructed are always very informative and try to cover their cases as much as possible.’
‘St Philips Chambers is a strong set with a good range of counsel even when an instructed advocate is not available.’
‘The strongest spread of counsel at all levels in criminal work, including the best selection of silks in the Midlands.’
‘The best set in Birmingham.’
‘A very strong set, with great strength in depth.’
‘The premier set for crime in Birmingham. Many of its members go to the bench or take silk. It is a breeding ground for high quality advocates.’
‘St Philips Chambers is the go-to set in the Midlands area.’
‘St. Philips has numerous strong advocates practicing in crime and fraud at all levels.’
‘Good efficient set of chambers with wide range of experienced counsel.’
‘A powerful set with a wealth of talent in criminal advocacy.’
‘Fantastic set who care for their instructing solicitors and who will endeavor always to provide excellent alternative counsel if instructed counsel is unavailable. They regularly provide training sessions that deal with updates in the law and showcase the talent of their counsel.’
Clerking
‘Clerking is excellent.’
‘The clerks are helpful in the extreme and efficiently deal with problems when they arise.’
‘The clerks are very helpful and considerate.’ ‘The clerks are always willing to assist and will go the extra mile.’
‘The clerks will endeavor to assist however they can.’
‘Clerks are accommodating of needs and always assist in helping with the court.’
‘The Clerks provide a first-class service. The clerks are efficient, friendly, and sensitive to customer needs.’
7BR
7BR is a London based set with a long-running connection to the Midland circuit. James House KC recently managed to secure murder and manslaughter convictions for four defendants from London accused of murdering a homeowner from Northampton after a robbery attempt. Adrian Langdale KC successfully led the prosecution of an internet based sexual abuser, who targeted thousands of victims worldwide. Vanessa Marshall KC has appeared in several complex murder trials and recently successfully prosecuted a 6-week multi-defendant murder trial.
St Ives Chambers
St Ives Chambers is a ‘pool of highly talented criminal practitioners’ often involved in complex and lengthy murder trials and large-scale drug, firearm, and fraud conspiracies. The criminal practice group is led by ‘the tremendously diligent and hard-working’ Rebecca Wade who has ‘good judgement and great eye for detail’. Justin Jarmola is known for his ‘exceptional written advocacy’ and secured acquittal for a teenager defendant in a multi-week attempted murder trial. William Douglas-Jones ‘demonstrates the gravitas and demeanour of a highly experienced barrister’ and was led junior for a defendant in this 9-handed conspiracy to murder trial in the Crown Court.
Testimonials
Set
‘St Ives retains the ‘cut above’ edge when it comes to barristers. It offers the brilliant professionalism and expertise of counsel who are ready to assist at the last minute. Their insight of other local chambers offers a positive and informative approach in addition to understanding adversaries when on trial. The barristers are always courteous and immaculately presented when in Court. There are a variety of barristers to call upon for their opinion on legal issues and to assist with cases up and down the country.’
‘St Ives Chambers is available whenever someone require counsel and is always on hand to assist.’
‘St Ives Chambers is a strong set with a number of heavyweight juniors.’
‘St Ives Chambers punches above its weight in Crime. It has a relatively small criminal group but one of genuine quality.’
‘St Ives Chambers is a superb growing set populated by immensely talented advocates.’
‘A very strong set, with a strong team of criminal practitioners.’
‘St Ives is a wonderful set full of enthusiastic and able counsel.’ ‘St Ives Chambers is a great set of criminal barristers. The criminal set has a number of brilliant barristers who deal with all types of criminal law cases, from the mundane to the extremely serious.’
Clerking
‘Clerks are excellent in communicating and try their very best to accommodate the demands. Philip Hidson will always ‘go the extra mile’ to help with logistics and availability of counsel.’
‘Philip Hidson is proactive and responsive.’
‘Clerking service at the chambers is efficient and helpful.’
‘The clerks are always helpful, even when something urgent needs to be covered. Philip Hidson stands out, who is always willing to help.’
‘The clerking is excellent, and they compete well with much larger chambers – the ever approachable and hardworking Philip Hidson is in particular a credit to chambers.’
‘Philip Hidson is determined to do the very best for both counsel and instructing solicitors. He does not shirk the hours demanded or complexities of his role.’
‘The clerks are always helpful and willing to help. Phillip Hidson stands out. The addition of Sheila Doyle makes the team stronger.’
The 36 Group
The 36 Group is a ‘good all-round chambers’ with a set of ‘good quality advocates’ and strong presence in the Midlands circuit. Mary Prior KC is ‘particularly good at questioning vulnerable witnesses’ and recently handled a murder case involving complex medical evidence. Sarah Gaunt handled a case of a widescale and country-wide sophisticated ATM theft conspiracy. Nadeem Holland prosecuted and convicted a thirteen-defendant drug conspiracy case, in which all defendants were convicted. Samuel Skinner is an ‘ambitious and astute lawyer with excellent judgement’ and prosecuted around 109 defendants in dozens of linked trials of conspiracy to supply drugs. Mary Loram KC and William Harbage KC, as were, have been appointed circuit judges, based in Chelmsford and Nottingham respectively.
Testimonials
Set
‘The 36 Group is a well-managed multi-disciplinary set with a traditionally strong presence on the Midland Circuit.’
‘The 36 Group has a very solid cadre of silks and many of their juniors are either leading or being led in cases of note across the country.’
‘The 36 Group is a very organised and well-respected chamber which produces advocates of the highest standard.’
‘The 36 Group is a leading group of chambers. Their members are all well regarded, and it has especial expertise in the more serious cases of homicide, cybercrime and fraud, gang related offending and significant sexual violence. Members are sought after and work nationally.’
‘The 36 Group is very helpful, very accommodating, always keeping us up to date, constant communication, offering training programs and legal updates.’
Clerking
‘The senior clerk Michelle Simpson always goes above and beyond to try and accommodate the solicitors’ demands.’
‘The clerks are very professional, in particular Elliot Styles, who will go out of his way to keep you updated and make sure suitable counsel is available.’
‘All clerks are very helpful and try to assist you to the best of their ability.’