Cairns Nelson KC KC > 23ES > London, England > Barrister Profile
23ES Offices
1 Gray's Inn Square
WC1R 5AA
England
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Cairns Nelson KC KC
Position
Over the years, Cairns has acquired considerable expertise in the field of fraud and in particular revenue fraud (direct and indirect tax frauds) including civil actions. Formerly Standing Counsel to the AG (Revenue and Customs), he is currently representing Newcastle United in its litigation with the Revenue.
He has appeared in a number of cases involving prosecutions relating to the trade in military goods under the Export and Trade Control legislation and regulations.
His very recent cases include –
- 2023 -Defended a former MP on an allegation of election donation fraud – he was acquitted
- 2021-24 Defended in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands in a 3 month trial involving allegations of CONCACAF / FIFA related fraud and money laundering trial.
- 2022-24 Defended in the £120m Axiom investment fund fraud trial and re-trial at Southwark
- 2024 Defending in a complex anti-dumping duty fraud and VAT evasion trial (£110m) relating to Chinese imports of solar panels.
Career
Called 1987; Gray’s Inn; Silk 2010.
Memberships
Criminal Bar Association.
Education
King’s College, London (1986 LLB).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Fraud: crime
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Cairns Nelson KC – 23ES ‘Cairns commands the court room with his advocacy. Judges and juries listen to him with intent. He is extremely cerebral, approachable and skilled. He is a top silk.’
The team of ‘talented barristers‘ at 23ES is well known for advising on a broad spectrum of complex fraud and financial crime matters. Cairns Nelson KC ‘offers a masterclass in advocacy each time he steps foot into a courtroom‘. Alexander Upton represented one individual in a multi-defendant case concerning the mis-selling of alleged energy saving devices called “Magic Boxes.” Other key contacts include Tim Hunter, who specialises in handling multi-handed fraud cases, and recently appeared for the prosecution in a national SMS phishing fraud case.