Cloth Fair Chambers > London, England > Set Profile

Cloth Fair Chambers
39-40 CLOTH FAIR
LONDON
EC1A 7NT
England

London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) Tier 1

Cloth Fair Chambers offers high-level financial crime expertise to corporates and senior executives, with members regularly leading on complex regulatory investigations and prosecutions initiated by UK and international prosecutors and enforcement bodies. Standout areas of expertise for the set include the full range of financial and corporate crime cases, encompassing bribery and corruption, corporate fraud, money laundering, and Companies Act violations, with multi-jurisdictional SFO settlements a particularly notable area of expertise. Head of chambers John Kelsey-Fry KC represented NatWest in Operation Fordbridge, the first FCA prosecution for offences under money laundering regulations, reflecting the involvement of members in precedent-setting cases. A standout junior and ‘extraordinarily persuasive advocate‘, Kathryn Arnot Drummond is regularly instructed by companies on internal investigations, provides advice on sanctions issues, and also regularly defend in Account Forfeiture Order cases.

Leading Silks

John Kelsey-Fry KC –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Number one fraud barrister in the country, he gets the very best in his juniors. John has a skill few people have got- representation before charges. In every era there are two or three outstanding criminal advocates. In any era, John is a superstar.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Alison Pople KC –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Excellent judgement, superb manner with clients, razor sharp intellect, no pomposity or ego despite her stellar reputation.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Nicholas Purnell KC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘ Clever, experienced, and strategic. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Ian Winter KC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘ A tremendous and fearless advocate, who applies his huge intelligence with inexhaustible rigor and energy. Having him lead the team can be the difference between winning and losing. A pleasure to work with. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Tom Allen KC - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘ Tom does not approach any case from a traditional perspective and this uncommon trait means that he is able to navigate complex cases and evidence with innovation and creativity. Clients love Tom's passion for the law and their case, both of which he argues giving his full attention and commitment. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Jonathan Barnard KC –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Jonathan is focused and firm when dealing with clients whilst making them feel at ease. He is incredibly organised and over the detail of the case, more so than any of his opponents. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Stuart Biggs –Cloth Fair Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Kathryn Arnot Drummond –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Kathryn is very approachable and provides clear, practical, robust advice. She is also an extraordinarily persuasive advocate, which is enhanced by charismatic presence that dominates the room. Although Kathryn is incredibly bright and quickly gets to the heart of any issue, she is also able to explain the matter in a clear digestible way that makes her advice both indispensable and user friendly. Most of all, Kathryn is an outstanding and persuasive advocate who is able to hold the attention of the relevant audience with her incisive arguments.‘

Ranked: Tier 2

Rachel Kapila - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘ Incredibly hard-working, very bright and an absolute pleasure to work with. Combines a fierce intellect with a prodigious capacity for work, mastering complex and heaving paper-based matters in remarkably short time-frames, all the while instilling confidence in her lay and professional clients. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Rhys Meggy – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘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. He is well suited for serious fraud and complex cases. His ability to handle and steer his client through a difficult and serious business crime fraud over many weeks is impressive.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

‘Excellent high quality advocates.‘

‘Right up there at the very top. All members are hugely in demand and in the biggest cases you can safely assume that several Cloth Fair barristers will be instructed.‘

‘Cloth Fair is a solid and well-regarded criminal set. A go-to for any complex criminal matters.’

‘Hugely sought-after. All very good. Popular.‘

Clerking

‘The clerks are always on the ball and provide a high quality service.‘

‘Clerks are very helpful to assist with organising matters with the court.‘

London Bar > Fraud: crime Tier 2

‘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.

Leading Silks

Nicholas Purnell KC – Cloth Fair Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Ian Winter KC – Cloth Fair Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

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.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Alison Pople KC – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Alison is extremely intelligent and analytical. She is a superb tactician.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Rhys Meggy - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘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.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Stuart Biggs – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Stuart is simply outstanding. He has a brilliant mind and combines it with a effective and charming advocacy style.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Rachel Kapila – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Rachel is hard-working. Very effective.'

Ranked: Tier 3

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.’

London Bar > International crime and extradition

Leading Juniors

Rachel Kapila –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Rachel is a hugely intelligent barrister.’

Ranked: Tier 2

London Bar > Elections

Leading Juniors

Rachel Kapila - Cloth Fair Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

London Bar > Crime

Leading Juniors

Rhys Meggy - Cloth Fair Chambers ‘He is bright and hard-working and his written work is outstanding. He inspires confidence in his clients and in those who instruct him.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Chambers was founded in 2006 by seven KCs at the top of the criminal Bar. Its bespoke and focused set was created to meet the market’s growing demands for strategic advice and litigation experience in the developing interface between criminal/civil-commercial fields. Its members have been hand-picked for their proven performance in the very top tier of the criminal, fraud and regulatory Bar.

The set: Chambers’ unparalleled litigation expertise in these areas attracts considerable market attention from companies and company directors, City professionals and other high-profile individuals with a view to either avoiding litigation altogether or to ensuring the adoption of the best strategic position in preparation for it. The continuity that expert strategic advice provides from the earliest possible point pre-charge throughout the process often has a direct correlation to the achievable result.

Often working in tandem, members of chambers have been heavily involved in most of the large fraud, cartel, corruption and corporate crime cases as well as the most high-profile cases of general crime that have been investigated or prosecuted in this country and several of those investigated and prosecuted abroad.

In addition, members of chambers regularly advise potential defendants, companies and their directors globally across several jurisdictions in relation to pre-charge tactical strategic options; internal whistle-blowing inquiries; money laundering investigations; anti-bribery system requirements; CMA investigations and prosecutions; civil settlement negotiations; and DOJ investigations.

Types of work undertaken: Financial and corporate crime, regulatory and disciplinary proceedings, and high-profile general crime.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Head clerks	Ben Sundborg

Members of Chambers	KELSEY-FRY KC, John (1978)
Members of Chambers	PURNELL KC, Nicholas (1968)
Members of Chambers	WINTER KC, Ian (1988)
Members of Chambers	POPLE KC, Alison (1993)
Members of Chambers	ALLEN KC, Tom (1994)
Members of Chambers	BARNARD KC, Jonathan (1997)
Members of Chambers	BIGGS, Stuart (1999)
Members of Chambers	KAPILA, Rachel (2006)
Members of Chambers	ARNOT DRUMMOND, Kathryn (2008)
Members of Chambers	MEGGY, Rhys (2009)

Name	Position	Profile
Tom Allen	Tom Allen KC specialises in cases of commercial and business crime and…	View Profile
Kathryn Arnot Drummond	Advocacy An accomplished court advocate, experienced in jury trial and appellate work, Kathryn…	View Profile
Jonathan Barnard	Jonathan is a highly respected leading advocate in the fields of crime and…	View Profile
Stuart Biggs	Stuart’s practice focuses on matters involving allegations of misconduct by companies, directors,…	View Profile
Rachel Kapila	Rachel is a sought-after junior in the fields of financial crime (individual…	View Profile
John Kelsey-Fry	John Kelsey-Fry KC is Head of Cloth Fair Chambers. He is widely…	View Profile
Alison Pople	Alison Pople KC is widely recognised as a leading silk with particular…	View Profile
Nicholas Purnell	Nicholas Purnell KC’s career at the Bar spans over four decades and…	View Profile
Ian Winter	Ian Winter KC is firmly established as one of the leading silks…	View Profile