23ES

Elisabeth Acker

Elisabeth is a persuasive and precise advocate who understands the importance of client care and active case management. She practices in crime, the civil offshoots of crime and various professional discipline/regulatory arenas. Her trial work includes arson with intent to endanger life, witness intimidation, supply Class A, burglary, robbery, threats to kill, harassment, and sexual assault. She has also worked under others in more complex cases. She was junior to defence investigations counsel, Gary Summers, in His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ICC trial. She was instructed by the SFO as independent counsel for the purposes of LPP in Operation Steamroller and by the FCA for the purposes of disclosure in Operation Ripley. Having completed secondments with both, she continues to be instructed by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, both as an advocate and in an advisory capacity. She is regularly instructed to defend in professional discipline cases by the Royal College of Nursing and the National Head Teachers Union. She also has experience of police complaints and discipline. Her article on the implications of the judgement in Jones v Kaney was published in Medicine, Science and Law and she was interviewed by Baroness Kennedy about female defendants on BBC Radio 4. She was involved in the Law Society consultation on Youth Justice, attending meetings with government representative, charities and other stake holders. She provides advocacy training at the College of Law. Before coming to the bar she studied history at Oriel College, Oxford and worked in the music industry.

Salek undertakes all areas of Chambers criminal work, predominantly within the Crown Court. Salek has a mixed practice, prosecuting and defending in equal measure. In his 2 years of criminal work he has been instructed in a broad range of cases, from driving offences to human trafficking. Salek has developed a reputation for being a friendly and approachable advocate, with the ability to quickly build rapport with lay clients. He is a dynamic advocate and has gained praise for his persuasive jury speeches. Salek intends to develop his practice to include regulatory and professional discipline matters. Prior to joining the Bar, Salek worked as a Parliamentary Aide to a Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament.

Zafar Ali QC is a highly experienced defence advocate, international arbitrator and mediator with a military background. Recently instructed to defend the leader of a north London mosque charged with Murder and separately with possession of Explosives and Ammunition. Trials due to start early 2016. The cases have already attracted high-profile national media attention due to the defendant’s family connection with a celebrity pop star. Described by the Legal 500 as a barrister who ‘stands out’, a ‘well-prepared and meticulous advocate’ who is a ‘flawless courtroom performer’. He specialises in grave criminal allegations including: terrorism, homicide, international drugs conspiracies, money laundering and complex fraud including commercial tax fraud against HMRC. He is regularly instructed in High Court and appellate work, including appeals against conviction, civil asset recovery and appeals on points of law e.g. developing the law on confiscation (R v Allpress et al). He recently secured the rare intervention of the Court of Appeal (presided over by Hallett LJ the Vice-President of the Criminal Division), via substitution of a lower charge and early release of a young defendant who had wrongly pleaded to s.18 Wounding under the misapprehension he was pleading to s.20, further to former Counsel’s advice (R v McCarthy). Zafar is on the list of Defence Counsel at the International Criminal Court. He has also been selected as Lead Defence Counsel at the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague. Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) having completed the International Commercial Arbitration Course at the University of Oxford and a successful peer interview with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Lead Counsel in numerous international arbitrations across a multi-disciplinary range of commercial disputes. Currently instructed as Lead Counsel in a mining dispute between a German and a Sierra-Leonian company, to be held at the London Court of International Arbitration Zafar’s appointments include: – Appointed to the Special Controls Review Panel of the Legal Aid Agency – CIArB Diploma in International Arbitration – Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – Member of the Bar of Northern Ireland – Accredited Mediator to International Standards (LSM) – Visiting Lecturer at Leiden University, the Hague – Rights of audience in the DIFC Courts, Dubai

Christopher Amis

Christopher Amis, a senior junior barrister with 25 years’ experience, is regularly instructed both for the prosecution and defence in the most serious cases including homicide, organised crime, rape and other serious sexual offences, complex fraud, firearms and large-scale drugs prosecutions. Prosecution Appointed to the CPS Serious Crime Group Panel at Level 4 (for the prosecution by CPS HQ of serious organised crime, terrorism, money-laundering and other sensitive cases with a national profile). He is a Grade 4 prosecutor (General Crime), is on the Rape List and acts for the CPS in London, the South-East and the Thames Valley. Instructed in cases as leading/sole counsel by CPS London’s Complex Casework Unit (Special Casework and Homicide teams) and on a short-list of security-cleared counsel for the prosecution of serious cases involving extremely sensitive material. His practice embraces homicide, organised crime, cyber-crime, child-pornography, all sexual offences, firearms offences, human-trafficking, complex fraud and financial crime, confiscation, restraint of assets and money-laundering. He often conducts sensitive cases involving complex disclosure issues. Christopher has acted for CPS RASSO units in numerous rape cases throughout London and elsewhere. He also has experience of extradition work. His practice increasingly pits him alone against Queen’s Counsel acting for his opponents. The sensitive cases he prosecutes require the victims’ needs to be placed, at all times, firmly at the forefront of case-preparation and management. He finished prosecuting (in March 2016), as leading junior counsel, a 5 month, organised crime, drugs trial of seven defendants, two represented by senior Queens’ Counsel, at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Defence Christopher defends at a similar level in the same range of cases. He is instructed to defend in murder trials and has acted as sole counsel in attempted murder, gross-negligence and driving manslaughter cases. He frequently defends in rape cases and those involving historic sexual abuse. Christopher is also instructed to defend fraud and money-laundering allegations. His practice is equally divided between prosecution and defence work. He is currently instructed to defend, as leading junior counsel, in a 4 month fraud at Teeside Crown Court which will start in April 2017. “A reliable and hard-working barrister who gives his best in every case and who is liked and trusted by the professional and lay client. A pleasure to work with.” Soheila Richardson, Richardsons Solicitors

Lee Barraclough

Lee undertakes work in all of Chambers’ commercial and chancery practice areas including insolvency (both personal and corporate), commercial litigation, construction, property, banking and insurance. Prior to joining Chambers he practised as a commercial litigation solicitor at a top 50 firm where he was instructed by some of the UK’s leading insurers on matters involving property damage, construction and engineering, landlord and tenant, product liability, sale of goods, contract, negligence/nuisance, party wall disputes, insurance policy interpretation and insurance law generally. Lee has experience of high value and complex litigation and litigation in the County Court, High Court, Technology and Construction Court, Mercantile Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. His solid experience is underpinned by sound commercial judgement and he provides client focused and pragmatic guidance. Professional Memberships Northern Circuit Commercial Bar Association. Northern Circuit.

Lesley Bates KC

Lesley Bates KC was appointed as King’s Counsel in March 2025. She has over 20 years’ experience prosecuting and defending a broad and diverse range of cases including, murder, multiple defendant large-scale importation of drugs and firearms, money laundering and fraud, baby shaking and child cruelty and rape and serious sexual offences. Lesley is able to draw on her previous experience as a nurse to undertake cases involving complex medical issues. Her meticulous approach to preparation enables her to quickly and thoroughly assimilate vast amounts of material to understand the issues and present the evidence in a simplified and easily understandable form. She has been described as an “altogether rounded and stylish advocate”. She is as adept at dealing with the tough technical evidence of experts as she is at dealing with vulnerable witnesses and defendants. She is universally respected and trusted advocate. She undertakes advisory work and regularly advises the CPS on difficult charging decisions. Lesley has spoken on Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live on topics such as anonymity for suspects accused of rape and historical sexual abuse allegations. She collaborated with Channel 5 and appeared in a documentary on Romance Fraud. She was instrumental in the CBA-led production of a short training film (‘A Question of Practice’) on the questioning of young and vulnerable witnesses and defendants. What the Legal Directories say: “Lesley is a highly accomplished barrister. She is extremely hard-working and conscientious, and, more importantly, she is tenacious and fearless in advancing her client’s case. Her advocacy is clear, focussed and persuasive. Lesley is also a tactical and strategic thinker and planner who has complete control of her cases." Legal 500, 2025 “Has excellent legal skills applied in a practical and effective way. She is very strong under pressure and has complete control and management of cases. An extremely effective advocate who is practical and considerate of others, and a tactical and strategic thinker and planner.” Legal 500, 2022 "Well-versed at seeing through the noise of a case.” Legal 500, 2020 APPOINTMENTS King’s Counsel (2025)

Richard Bentwood

‘Carving out a niche for himself in cell site analysis’. Legal 500, 2015 : Crime Richard Bentwood is a leading junior specialising in serious crime and fraud. He has a reputation for being fearless in promoting his clients interests, having faced the threat of custody when a Judge ordered him to advise his client to amend his defence statement. His refusal to do so, as it could harm his clients’ case, led to matters going before the Court of Appeal in the leading case on defence statements R -v- Rochford [2010] EWCA Crim 1928. In recent years, Mr Bentwood has specialised in serious crime, frauds and cases involving mobile phone analysis, where his eye for detail proves invaluable in securing acquittals in the most difficult of cases. Mr Bentwood also has expertise in dealing with sex offences and especially in those cases involving vulnerable and/or young witnesses. Mr Bentwood is heavily involved in the Criminal Bar Association, was the secretary for the year 2015-2016 and remains on the CBA executive.

Josh joined Chambers in 2023 following the completion of his 12 month pupillage. Josh defends and prosecutes in a range of criminal matters in the Magistrates’ Court, Youth Court and Crown Court including violent and sexual offences, drug supply, weapons offences and Public Order Act offences. Josh also accepts instructions in Parole Board hearings and is keen to develop a practice in professional disciplinary and regulatory work. Before coming to the Bar, Josh served as a police officer. He completed the Police Now programme with Lancashire Constabulary, during which he led the investigation into a cannabis cultivation worth over £200,000, assisted rape and murder investigations on a secondment with CID and was Level 2 Public Order trained. Josh then transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service, where he tackled knife-related crime and robbery on a busy Emergency Response Team in Peckham.

James Bloomer KC

James Bloomer KC, prior to his 2025 appointment, was, for a decade or more, an experienced leader, with a heavyweight and complex practice. Whilst the majority of his work has, for some years, been in Hampshire and Surrey, he continues to practice over a much wider geographical area. He has had, for many years, a particular specialism in defending those with complex mental health problems and/or learning difficulties charged with serious offences; an area calling for a particular blend of approachable, patient, careful client-facing skills, plus the robust forensic skills and diligence solicitors have come to know him for. Current instructions include multi-handed conspiracy to murder (defendant with complex mental health issues), manslaughter of a child some 45 years ago, with a previous inquest finding of accidental death and massive issues of missing disclosure, a tragic one punch manslaughter, and an allegation of gross negligence manslaughter by a care home worker in circumstances where systemic failures and attempts to conceal those by the care home concerned are very much a live issue. Even prior to appointment, James had defended as Leading Counsel in an allegation of murder by deliberate running down at the Central Criminal Court. Although the overwhelming majority of his practice has long been in defence work, James has also prosecuted for various different agencies over a period of years. James has been ranked by Legal 500 for more than a decade.

Paul Bogan KC is a defence advocate. He represents clients in the most complex and demanding of cases. Conducting defences in both serious fraud and general crime, for many years he has been ranked in legal directories who have described him as “an exceptional advocate and tactitian” and “an excellent jury advocate!”. He is said to have an “attention to detail second to none” and “a fantastic court manner with a jury and is fearless when presented with obstacles by judges”: Chambers and Partners. Vastly experienced in Appeal work too, he has recently appeared in landmark cases both in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. “Behind the friendly and courteous facade, there lies a brilliant and fierce advocate with a winning manner”: Legal 500 Crime Paul Bogan KC has a wide experience of most types of serious crime especially murder, and often gang-related, involving difficult issues of joint enterprise. In recent times he has represented a 15 year old in a multi-handed murder by stabbing, R v Effionayi & others (Old Bailey), a 19 year old also concerned in a fatal stabbing, R v Innis & others (Birmingham CC) and an 18 year old accused of involvement in the stabbing of 4 men, one fatally, R v Taylor (Chelmsford CC). Other recent cases include representing a doorman charged, with 3 others, with the murder of a party-goer outside a public house and the representation of a young teenager in the 20 defendant Victoria Station murder. In 2020 Paul represented a young man with autism facing charges under the Explosive Substances Act and the Terrorism Act: R v Copeland. Before trial, he took the case to the Supreme Court where rulings by the trial judge and in the Court of Appeal that the Accused had no defence in law were overturned, leading to his acquittal of those offences. Paul had previously represented the principal defendant in a trial of conspiracy to cause explosions charges: R v Taft. An experienced appellate advocate, Paul has often challenged convictions in the Court of Appeal and holds the distinction of representing the last murder appeal from Belize to the Privy Council in which the conviction was quashed and manslaughter substituted. He is the co-author of Identification: Investigation Trial and Scientific Evidence, and wrote the chapter on Self Incrimination, the Right to Silence and the Reverse Burden of Proof for the book Human Right in the Investigation and Prosecution of Crime. Financial Crime Most recently, Paul Bogan KC represented the first and principal defendant in 9 handed pension fraud. The nine month trial, the longest ever at Newcastle Crown Court, concluded with the acquittal of his client and others. He also represented the principal defendant in the leading Court of Appeal case R v Barton & others, relating to the dishonesty test in criminal cases. This followed a 12 month trial at Liverpool Crown Court concerning events at a care home over a 20 year period during which a number of wealthy residents were said to have been defrauded of many millions of pounds. He is currently engaged in representing an accountant alleged to have been involved in persistent tax evasion by his businessman client over a period of 6 years, and who is alleged to owe HMRC more than £5m Paul Bogan’s skill as a fraud advocate is grounded in such challenging and high profile cases as Polly Peck (Old Bailey), representing a co-accused in the SFO prosecution of Asil Nadir, and the Jubilee Line case, a public procurement fraud which became the longest ever Old Bailey trial. He has represented a number of clients in SFO prosecutions, including Lexi Holdings (Manchester Crown Court) concerning the collapse of a bridging loan company with debts of £200m and the Beijing Olympics ticketing fraud (Southwark Crown Court) representing the company accountant. His experience extends to most areas of fraud, including mortgage fraud, for example R v Entwistle & others (Southwark Crown Court), which led to the collapse of a substantial firm of solicitors, MTIC, bank, tax, company and insolvency fraud. He has also defended in the some of the more obscure areas of fraud: pharmaceutical, involving complex EU and trademark legislation, and en primeur wine fraud. Paul is also especially well regarded in conducting money laundering trials and dealing with confiscation and restraint proceedings. Recently he represented a Swiss National in a £2.5m cash seizure / account freezing order case. He was the co-author of ‘Guide to the Proceeds of Crime 2002 (3rd Ed) and has written on the topic of the 4th EC Money Laundering Directive.

Highly regarded, experienced, meticulous and incisive, he is instructed on behalf of the CPS (Grade 3), and the Defence, in criminal cases of considerable gravity and complexity, providing a first-rate service to his professional and lay clients. Noted for his careful and comprehensive case preparation, sound judgment, and skilful advocacy, he has built a busy and successful practice at the criminal bar. He has represented clients in cases across the entire range of criminal offences, including grave offences of violence, rape and other sexual offences, riot and other public order offences, large scale drugs importation and supply offences, conspiracies to kidnap, armed robberies, firearms offences, money laundering offences, and serious fraud.

'She has a cost-effective and commercial approach’. Legal 500, 2015 : Commercial, banking and insolvency Claire’s practice includes company and shareholder disputes, freezing injunctions, professional negligence, sale of goods, consumer credit, restitution, defamation and soft intellectual property. She is frequently retained in high value contractual litigation, recent examples of which include a tri-party High Court dispute over title to goods with a damages claim in excess of £2 million, and a claim for commissions in excess of £1 million arising out of the selling of packaged financial products. Claire often acts for banks and well known finance providers in a wide range of disputes. She recently represented an international bank in a successful appeal against a decision concerning the recoverability of “claw back’ commissions. Claire’s practice includes a traditional Chancery element, and she regularly advises and acts in cases involving boundary disputes, easements, covenants, resulting and constructive trusts, landlord and tenant and contentious probate. Claire has appeared in the Ecclesiastical Court and the Lands Tribunal and she has been retained in high profile inquests. Claire has a particular interest in insolvency, and regularly appears in the High Court in relation to wide range of insolvency related matters. Having studied Conflict of Laws as part of her Bachelor of Civil Law degree, Claire has maintained her interest in Private International Law in practice, and frequently advises in cases that have a cross border element. Claire has significant experience in the regulatory field. She often represents a well-known regulatory body, and has advised and acted in relation to enforcement of industry regulations, both by the regulator and by consumers. She has also, in her capacity as Counsel for the regulator, had conduct of a number of judicial review matters and recently successfully appeared before the Head of the Commercial Court in a case involving the determination of whether or not the regulator owed a consumer a duty of care. Claire particularly enjoys conducting cases with a commercial fraud element, recent cases including a 7 day trial involving a complex insurance ring fraud and a matter involving a sophisticated cross border property investment scam. Claire has a rapidly developing practice in Sports Law. Recent cases include advising an international athlete in relation to her prospects of successfully appealing a doping ban, and advising a Premiership footballer as to the construction of an ‘exit clause’ in his contract with the club.

Bart is a member of the Civil Team and the Commercial and Chancery Group within chambers. His practice is predominantly business related, advising and appearing on behalf of businesses involved in commercial disputes, regulatory disputes and disputes with government agencies. Bart was previously a legal advisor in one of the largest commercial banks in ‘The City of London’ and has a good understanding of many complex banking products and financial transactions. Throughout his career at the Bar, Bart has regularly provided seminars to solicitors and other professionals on various aspects of the law, whether substantive or procedural. Earlier this year Bart provided a seminar on Internal Corporate Investigations and related legal issues to solicitors at Clyde & Co. and some of their international clients. He is presently engaged in a series of seminars with Brad Pomfret on directors’ duties, insolvency and asset tracing.

Carina Clare is instructed to defend and prosecute a broad variety of criminal offences, including murders, terrorism, rapes, drugs, firearms and financial crime. She has a busy and varied practice and is regularly instructed in the most complex and long-running trials. She has appeared in several murder trials at the Old Bailey and elsewhere. Carina has experience with EncroChat trials relating to serious organised drugs and firearms offences. She is currently instructed in matters ranging from bribery, rape and terrorism. Notably, Carina has considerable experience working off-shore in the Cayman Islands, where she worked as a defence attorney for three years. She is well versed in bribery and corruption matters. She was instructed to investigate alleged Government corruption in the Caribbean and represented the Money Laundering Reporting Officers of one of the largest multinational law firms in the Cayman Islands for alleged breaches of their obligations. She has worked on SFO investigations and provides advice to corporates on any issues relating to criminal litigation and compliance. Carina is also a Certified Fraud Examiner, accredited by the ACFE. She acts on behalf of local authorities in environmental, health and safety and trading standards. Before joining chambers, she was employed at several reputable criminal defence solicitors’ firms, where she was police station accredited. Notably, she assisted in the POCA proceedings following Britain’s largest mortgage fraud, and in the preparation of the successful defence in R v Jacobs (2014 trial for the 1985 murder).

Tim Clark KC is an experienced and highly sought-after criminal law specialist. As a KC, Tim is regularly instructed in multi-handed murder and serious fraud matters. He is regularly in demand for cases of complexity and weight, including MTIC and corporate fraud. He is also frequently instructed in a number of cases involving representing professionals charged with criminal offences, including solicitors and accountants. Tim secured acquittals of murder in six consecutive murder trials as King’s Counsel, all of which occurred in 2018-19. In 2020 Tim was briefed in several high profile multi-handed murders including R v Jamie Chandler, where he represented a 15-year-old accused of a double murder at a house party in Milton Keynes, he has also achieved an acquittal on all counts for a Romanian businessman in a two month multi-handed modern slavery trial. In 2021 Tim continued to be involved in high profile multi-handed murders and received instructions to defend one of ten defendants (a chartered accountant) in Operation Centrum, involving alleged excise duty and VAT fraud involving a loss to the Revenue of at least £20m. In 2022, Tim was instructed in two of the longest and most high profile multihanded murder trials that year. He continued to receive private instructions to defend both in the Court of Appeal and in a rape trial in North Wales. Prior to taking silk in 2017, Tim was instructed to prosecute Operations Kernow & Fustuscaro – complex multi-handed cash for crash matters. He was also instructed to represent a number of solicitors charged with conveyancing fraud – all of whom were acquitted. Prior to taking silk, Tim was instructed in over twenty murder trials as leading junior, junior or junior alone as well as in cases involving serious fraud and sexual offences.

Sam Clarke is a criminal and regulatory law barrister. Crime Sam acts for the prosecution and defence. He accepts instructions across the spectrum of criminal law and has acted as junior alone in cases including conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, a large conspiracy to commit robbery, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, and offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and the Data Protection Act 2018. Sam also has experience in protest cases, defending two people in trials for public nuisance that arose from the Insulate Britain protests at the port of Dover, and has defended a public figure for assaulting an emergency worker during a protest. Sam has acted as disclosure junior in murder and historic sexual offence prosecutions. Sam was recently seconded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Cayman Islands, where he prosecuted offences of serious violence, fraud, drugs and sexual offences. Before commencing pupillage at 23ES, Sam worked on financial crime cases at two elite law firms, including state-wide corruption allegations in the UAE and a cum-ex trading investigation. Environmental Law Sam has considerable experience defending and advising on prosecutions and investigations by the Environment Agency. He was junior counsel in the largest prosecution ever brought by the Environment Agency, acting for the “linchpin” of an operation involving the illegal depositing of massive quantities of waste at an unregulated site in the Lincolnshire countryside. Sam acted as standing counsel for a lithium-ion battery recycling company. He is comfortable giving frank and pragmatic advice to senior executives and board members and has a sound commercial awareness of the waste industry. He is deeply familiar with the End of Waste regime and has advised on all stages of End of Waste declaration, including self-declaration and preparing submissions to the definition of waste service. He has worked closely with environmental permitting and chemical experts and was heavily involved in the company successfully obtaining a bespoke environmental permit as the solely instructed lawyer. Sam has also advised on public law considerations on the international shipment of waste regime and appeared in legal challenges to enforcement action arising from the same. Regulatory and other proceedings Sam acted for a former senior civil servant in preparing a response to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments for allegations of acting in breach of a lobbying ban. Sam has also been seconded to act for the Solicitors Regulatory Authority, advising on investigations and drafting formal accusations to be lodged with the Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal. Before commencing pupillage, Sam spent three years working at the Infected Blood Inquiry, coordinating an investigation into one of the Inquiry’s key knowledge areas. Positions, awards and memberships Diplock Scholarship, Middle Temple Certificate of Honour, Middle Temple Advocacy Exhibitioner, BPP University Law School Sam is a Middle Temple advocacy trainer and is also Direct Access qualified. Publications Case note: Municipio De Mariana & Ors v BHP Group Plc & Anor [2021] EWCA Civ 1156; Journal of Civil Litigation and Practice, Vol 10 Pt1, October 2021 (Thomson Reuters)

Elizabeth Cobb has developed a reputation as an extremely talented jury advocate with exceptional judgement and client care. She is regularly instructed to prosecute and defend in serious criminal cases including violence, weapons, fraud, drug and sexual offences. Elizabeth has a particular interest in financial crime. She has represented defendants in lengthy, multi-handed fraud cases. She has previously worked in the investigative stages of a complex operation for HMRC and undertaken a secondment with the FCA. Professional Memberships CPS Advocacy Panel at Grade 3. CPS Fraud Panel Grade 2 Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Prosecution Panel - Grade 3 SFO Panel Counsel The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Criminal Bar Association.

Hamish Common practises in all areas of crime, tending towards more serious or organised crime. Hamish's scientific background means he is frequently instructed in cases concerning fraud, IT and with a numerical, technical or scientific element. He also undertakes regulatory and disciplinary proceedings. Hamish is a CPS level 3 advocate and is on the Unified List of specialist regulatory advocates for health and safety and environmental law, as well as on the CPS specialist RASSO panel and the Fraud panel at level 3. He is also instructed by several medical and financial professional regulators. As well as undertaking cases of murder, public disorder, drugs, sexual offences and other crime, Hamish has prosecuted insolvency and related offences on behalf of BIS, environmental offences on behalf of the Environment Agency, defended complex cash forfeiture applications, and has advised individuals and government departments (within and outside the UK) upon fraud, money laundering and IT related crime. Hamish was previously seconded to the SFO (specialising in restraint and confiscation), Office of Fair Trading, FCA and various departments of the CPS, including Homicide and RASSO. Hamish has degrees in computing and economics. At University and in pupillage, Hamish won several major advocacy and essay competitions.

Wayne Cranston-Morris

Wayne is experienced in all areas of criminal law, both for the prosecution and defence, including murder, rape, serious assaults, firearms offences, drugs and robberies. Wayne also has experience of police disciplinary proceedings. He also maintains a practice on the Midlands and Oxford Circuit, defending cases at Leicester, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Doncaster.

Tom Crowther KC

Tom Crowther KC has a unique perspective having been appointed a circuit judge in 2013, shortly after taking Silk, trying serious sexual offences and fraud cases until his return to the bar in 2018. From 2019 to 2022, in parallel with his criminal practice, he chaired the Independent Inquiry into Telford Child Sexual Exploitation. This experience means he has an unparalleled sense of what “works” with a jury in a criminal trial, and sensitivity to the needs of the client, and as such is well placed to guide clients through the trial process. He is regularly instructed on behalf of vulnerable clients including children and young people accused of gang related offences and those who have been victims of modern slavery. Tom ‘s detail focus shows not only in his instructions to chair a public Inquiry but also in his recent conduct of VHCC cases and other very long cases involving fraud and drugs offences. He has a forensic approach and has been noted to be particularly effective in his cross examination of scientific expert witnesses including pathologists. Tom has a busy private criminal practice which has seen him advise very large multinationals as well as nationally known sports figures, business people visiting the UK, and solicitors. He has successfully represented doctors and senior police officers in courts and tribunals. In his private work he has Tom has secured acquittals in cases where individuals have faced charges including attempted murder, wounding with intent, harassment and rape. Tom’s recent non-criminal work has included drafting guidance for the then National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team as to ways to ensure transparency of referral fees; acting in Directors’ Disqualification proceedings arising from an alleged multi-million pound VAT fraud; advising on judicial review in respect of HMRC and CPS investigations and of planning matters; advising on freezing orders in respect of multi million pound cash seizures relating to international currency transfers; successfully resisting (at very short notice) the issue of stop notices in respect of a large development. He has also advised local authorities on highly sensitive safeguarding disclosures in respect of nationally prominent figures. Tom has been a guest speaker and consultant in Kenya for international agencies including CIVIPOL and UNODC on topics including money laundering, human trafficking, and disclosure. Tom is a member of the CBA, and he has twice served terms as an elected member of the Bar Council. Tom is licensed for public access.

Stephanie Cummings

Stephanie Cummings enjoys a wide-ranging commercial, chancery and employment law practice. She is highly regarded by both her lay and professional clients for her approachable manner combined with her strong business acumen and thorough advice. Stephanie is an experienced and accomplished trial advocate, regularly appearing in trials over a number of days, in the County Court, High Court and in the Employment Tribunal. Stephanie also has recent appellate experience, appearing before the EAT in a matter concerning the interpretation of Regulation 4 of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 as well as being involved in an ongoing case where a litigant in person is appealing the decision of an Employment Judge to strike out his claim for disability discrimination. Stephanie welcomes instructions in more esoteric and obscure areas of law, although she has particular experience and expertise across the following areas: Commercial Litigation - Claims involving breach of contract, interpretation of contracts, construction, sale and supply of goods and services, debt recovery and company litigation. Particular experience of matters concerning recruitment and estate agency contracts. Trusts and Probate - Inheritance Act claims, contested probate, claims by and against executors, administrators and trustees. Real Property - Landlord and tenant (both residential and commercial), nuisance, boundary disputes, trusts of land. Insolvency - Both personal and corporate and including actions on behalf of trustees and creditors. Employment - Preliminary hearings, applications and final hearings on behalf of both Claimants and Respondents. Stephanie has particular experience with cases involving discrimination, unfair dismissal and breach of contract. Stephanie has a particular interest in Sports Law and was appointed to the Sports Resolution Pro Bono Panel in 2024. Stephanie offers representation for athletes in commercial contract, employment and discrimination matters. Stephanie is direct access qualified and accepts instructions in appropriate cases and on a direct access basis in all of her practice areas. Appointments Attorney General's Civil Panel, Regional Panel B Stephanie has been a regional member of the Attorney General’s Civil Panel since 2018. Stephanie was promoted to Regional Panel B in 2023. She advises and represents government departments and agencies in Commercial, Insolvency and Employment matters. Sports Resolution Pro Bono Panel Stephanie was appointed to the Sports Resolution Pro Bono Panel in 2024. Stephanie offers representation for athletes in commercial contract, employment and discrimination matters. Professional Memberships Employment Law Bar Association British Irish Commercial Bar Association Northern Business and Property Bar Association Northern Circuit Education BPP, London 2010 Bar Vocational Course – Very Competent The University of Oxford, Corpus Christi College 2009 BA Law (Jurisprudence) – 2:1 King George V College, Southport 2006 A – Levels Maricourt High School, Liverpool 2004

Eleanor Curzon joined Chambers in October 2024 following successful completion of her 12-month pupillage. Eleanor is instructed to defend and prosecute in a wide range of criminal matters in the Magistrates’, Youth and Crown Courts. This includes cases involving drug supply, money laundering, fraud, burglary and theft, weapons, violent offences, driving offences and public order offences. Eleanor is also developing a practice in regulatory and professional discipline work. Before pupillage, Eleanor worked as a Consultant at the Sentencing Academy, researching and writing articles on sentencing practices in England and Wales, Guernsey and the Commonwealth. Prior to this, Eleanor gained experience working at leading offshore law firm, Carey Olsen, in the Dispute Resolution and Litigation Team in Guernsey. Eleanor has also completed her Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Oxford Education Bar Vocational Studies, City of London University (Distinction) GDL, BPP University (Distinction) MSc Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Oxford BA History, University of Cambridge Awards Ann Goddard Scholarship, Gray’s Inn Lord Bingham of Cornhill Scholarship, Gray’s Inn Carey Olsen Scholarship Professional Memberships CPS Grade 1 Young Fraud Lawyers Association Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn

David prosecutes and defends in the Crown Court. He is regularly instructed in cases of the utmost gravity and seriousness, including murder, rape and sexual assault, serious violence and high-value fraud. Notable Cases: R v HD – Kingston Crown Court - Murder Led by Eloise Marshall KC, David successfully prosecuted a woman charged with the murder of her husband, who had been subjected to serious domestic abuse over many years. The case involved complex issues of causation, necessitating input from some of the country’s leading experts in the fields of neuropathology, toxicology and histopathology. R v KA – St Albans Crown Court – Attempted Murder Prosecuted a man suffering from paranoid schizophrenia who repeatedly stabbed his housemate during a psychotic episode. R v TFM – Oxford Crown Court – Human Trafficking Leading junior representing a man alleged to have trafficked three children, including a 12-year-old girl, across the country to deal Class A drugs. R v CB and ZD – Lewes Crown Court – Serious Violence Prosecuted the mother and father of a five-week-old baby who had been repeatedly shaken leaving her with life threatening injuries. Medical treatment for Baby E was significantly delayed as mother covered up the abuse from medical professionals and the wider family. R v RA & EO – Reading Crown Court – Serious Violence Prosecuted a father who inflicted serious injuries on his five-month-old baby by twisting his limbs and compressing the torso on multiple occasions. Mother, who was a practising nurse at the time, also prosecuted for neglect for failing to obtain timely medical treatment. R v PM – Harrow Crown Court – Sexual Offences Represented a man responsible for the rape and sexual abuse of his own children. All but one of the complainants had severe learning difficulties, their cognitive functioning being in the lowest 0.1% of the population.

Jennifer Devans-Tamakloe

nnifer Devans-Tamakloe is a criminal defence advocate instructed in cases involving allegations of homicide, firearms, drugs, financial crime, serious sexual offending including rape, and motoring including causing death by dangerous driving. Jennifer demonstrates sound judgment and fearless advocacy throughout the representation of her clients. NOTABLE CASES R v SO. (Stafford) October 2024 Defence – Riot R v TMK. (Nottingham) April 2024 Junior defence counsel – Firearms and drugs led by Lisa Wilding KC R v FC. (Liverpool) Junior defence counsel – Murder (youth) led by Tim Clark KC R v KG. (Chester) Defence - Rape R v LGS. (Wolverhampton) January 2024 Defence – Assault occasioning actual bodily harm R v DR. (Leicester) October 2023 Junior defence counsel – Murder (youth) led by Jo Sidhu KC R v SL. (Chester) September 2023 Defence – Rape R v KY. (Stoke-0n-Trent) March 2023 Defence – Causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving R v KH. (Bolton) Defence - Sexual assault of a child R v OC. (Manchester Crown Court Minshull) August 2023 Defence - Causing death by dangerous driving R v AE. (Manchester Crown Court Minshull) January 2023 Junior defence counsel - 29 Count indictment sexual offences led by Aisha Khan R v RC. (Manchester Crown Court Minshull) November 2022 Junior defence counsel - Murder led by Paul Ozin KC. City of Stoke-on-Trent Governance and Registration v KS (Stoke-on-Trent) February 2022 Defence - Fraud involving matters of Public Interest Immunity

Patrick is an experienced defence barrister, whose instructing solicitors know to be a hardworking and approachable advocate. He specialises in defending complex fraud and sexual offences. He is also a grade 3 Crown prosecutor and is instructed in the most serious, high-profile cases either on his own or being led by Queen’s Counsel. In addition, as part of his practice he advises Governments on important criminal justice issues. Patrick also has vast experience dealing with regulatory matters and has worked for both offshore regulators on sensitive cases and corporate investigations based in the UK. Patrick’s other interests include civil liberties and human rights law. Previously, he worked abroad at the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Holland, where he provided legal analysis on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. In addition, he has worked at the Independent Jamaican Centre for Human Rights where he advised on the appeals of those on death row.

Oliver Dunkin has been a member of chambers since Pupillage. A Grade 4 prosecutor with considerable experience of serious defence work, he specialises in both prosecution and defence of the highest levels of sexual offences and offences of violence. He is regularly instructed as both sole and leading counsel in offences ranging from multiple and multi-handed rape and sexual offences against children through to murder, attempted murder and manslaughter. He has particular experience in relation to “cold case” rape and associated offences and the use of enhanced DNA techniques, cases often dating back to the early 1980s as both prosecution and defence counsel. His down to earth and calm approach to handling young or emotionally disturbed witnesses and defendants leads to him receiving instructions in some of the most serious and sensitive of cases in his field.

Helena both prosecutes and defends in all criminal courts. She is experienced in handling cases across the spectrum of criminal offences, including serious violence, drugs, robbery and fraud. In addition to her criminal practice, Helena has considerable experience in financial regulation. She has been instructed on a continuing basis for 18 months by an offshore firm in a highly confidential financial services regulatory investigation. This involved a detailed understanding and application of the anti-money laundering and counter terrorist-financing regulatory framework. In September 2013, Helena spent a month working at a cabinet d’avocats specialising in criminal law in Paris as a recipient of a scholarship from the Pegasus Trust. Before coming to the Bar, Helena worked as a research assistant on the criminal law team at the Law Commission, assisting in the projects on the insanity defence and unfitness to plead.

John Dye is regularly instructed to defend across the calendar of criminal offences with particular experience in defending those charged with involvement in serious and organised crime. He has a growing reputation in defending those charged with the most serious sexual offences and a growing practice in commercial fraud and financial crime. John is also a specialist in road traffic law and is therefore in very high demand by specialist motoring solicitors. He regularly defends those charged with the most serious road traffic offences involving fatalities. He continues to represent high profile clients in all road traffic matters; these have included professional sportsman; doctors; members of the legal profession; high ranking police officers and Members of Parliament. John has also advised and conducted judicial review claims in the High Court in this area.

William Eaglestone

William Eaglestone is a criminal and regulatory lawyer, whose practice extends to health and safety, trading standards, police discipline and civil actions involving the police. A persuasive trial advocate with several years experience in criminal law before coming to the Bar, William is a CPS Grade 3 prosecutor and a member of the CPS Rape List. He has a particular interest in cases with vulnerable witnesses and defendants. He has recently been instructed in a number of sexual offence cases where both the complainants and defendants are young people and children. William defends before the Fitness to Practice Panel of the Nursing and Midwifery Council. He is a Middle Temple Advocacy trainer.

Olivia English joined Chambers in October 2023 following the completion of a 12-month pupillage. Olivia is instructed to defend and prosecute in the full range of criminal matters across the Magistrates’, Youth and Crown Courts. This includes cases involving drug supply, weapons and violent offences, Public Order Act offences and fraud. Olivia also accepts instructions in civil proceedings, such as Stalking Protection Orders, and Parole Board hearings. Before starting pupillage, Olivia worked as a Research Assistant at the Law Commission, predominantly working on Corporate Criminal Liability and Evidence in Sexual Offences. Olivia also worked as a paralegal at Bright Line Law, a barrister law firm specialising in financial crime. As a paralegal, she assisted with research and case preparation on money laundering and other financial crime matters. Olivia completed an LLM in Human Rights Law at Queen Mary, University of London. Olivia is a trustee of Leducate, a legal education charity.

David Farley defends and prosecutes in heavyweight criminal cases throughout the Northern Circuit and further afield. He offers high quality client care and his feedback is always excellent. David uses up to date information technology systems and is an exceptional communicator, be it updates on case matters or addressing judge and jury, though he is most at home before a jury. In addition to his busy practice David also teaches advanced advocacy at Manchester Metropolitan University BPTC.

Mark Fenhalls KC

Mark is ranked as a leader at the bar in both crime and fraud in the last five editions of Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500. He prosecutes and defends the most serious and complex criminal cases. In recent years he has been advising companies and individuals facing investigations of alleged regulatory and/or criminal misconduct relating to their business activities. Mark was Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association from September 2015 - September 2016.

Francis FitzGibbon KC

Francis FitzGibbon KC has a wide-ranging and diverse trial practice covering all types of serious crime, both defending and prosecuting. Shortlisted for Crime & Extradition Silk of the Year, 2025. Recent high-profile defence cases include R. v Constance Marten (alleged gross negligence manslaughter of a baby) and R v. Alemi (fraud by an unqualified person working as a consultant psychiatrist). Significant appellate work includes the Supreme Court case of Jogee which radically changed the law of joint enterprise), appeals by victims of human trafficking, and cases before the Criminal Cases Review Commission. He also accepts instructions in professional disciplinary matters, and advises professional clients in other jurisdictions. Francis was Chair of the Criminal Bar Association (2016-17) and is a Bencher of Middle Temple.

Hugh Forgan is a highly experienced criminal law barrister. He was called in 1989 and has developed a practice exclusively in criminal law. He regularly acts as a leading junior both for the defence and for the prosecution. He specialises in complex cases particularly in areas such as fraud and money laundering but also practices more generally and has been instructed to act in case covering all areas of criminal law including murder, rape and serious drug offences. Hugh has recent experience of cases covered by the VHCC scheme. He is a grade 4 prosecutor and is on the prosecution rape list.

Victoria Gainza

Victoria is a conscientious and skilled advocate, whose main areas of interest are fraud, financial crime and complex criminal litigation. She has quickly developed a practice beyond her call and is regularly led in cases of considerable gravity and complexity. She both prosecutes and defends in all areas of her practice and has been appointed as a Level 2 Prosecutor on the CPS General Advocate Panel List. Fraud and serious/complex crime Victoria is developing a specialist Fraud practice and is also particularly interested in the litigation of organised or multi-handed serious crime. Since May 2015, Victoria has been instructed by the Financial Conduct Authority as Disclosure Junior in a case involving the suspected operation of a number of successive boiler room companies by several individuals, which is currently at the pre-charge investigation stage. The library of electronic material already contains in excess of a million documents and Victoria’s involvement from an early stage has provided her with invaluable insight into the investigation of cases of this nature. In 2014, Victoria was instructed as junior counsel for the second defendant in a four-handed VHCC trial at Southwark Crown Court, which related to an alleged Ponzi scheme that resulted in cumulative losses of £23m to unsophisticated investors. Victoria demonstrated an ability to master complex financial evidence and personally conducted the cross-examination of the partner at Price Waterhouse Coopers who had acted as the company’s auditor during the indictment period. In 2013, she acted as junior counsel for the first defendant in a seven-handed case concerning conspiracies to cause explosions likely to endanger life. The case involved detailed telephonic and cell site evidence, as well as unusually complex legal argument regarding the admissibility of hearsay, bad character and incriminating conversations recorded during prison visits. Prior to pupillage, Victoria worked as a paralegal for a freelance solicitor with a heavyweight crime practice and was responsible for the preparation of the defence in serious cases, including the 20-handed Victoria Station murder and a 23-handed VHCC case involving an Organised Criminal Network and a UK-wide conspiracy to import, cultivate and distribute drugs on an industrial scale. During pupillage, Victoria had continuous exposure to complex Fraud cases, including a multi-handed conspiracy to defraud three high–street banks (resulting in losses of approximately £7.6 million) and an FCA prosecution for conspiracy to mislead markets by officials of a former FTSE 250 company. General Crime Victoria’s Crown Court practice encompasses the full range of criminal offences. She is also regularly instructed to deal with all manner of quasi-criminal matters, including confiscation proceedings. She has considerable experience in dealing with cases of serious violence; she has defended in a number of section 20 GBH trials and is currently instructed to prosecute a section 18 GBH trial involving the use of a Stanley knife as a weapon. Victoria has particular interest in cases involving young or vulnerable defendants and witnesses. Inquests and Public Inquiries Victoria has worked on high-profile public Inquests and Inquiries and is well-versed in the relevant procedural and evidential legal principles. In late 2013, Victoria completed a ten-week secondment at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP, the solicitors to the Hillsborough Inquests. She assisted with the review and disclosure of voluminous amounts of evidence, which often engaged complex legal issues. Victoria was also instructed in a ten-week secondment in late 2012 as assistant counsel to the Al-Sweady Inquiry, which concerned allegations of unlawful killing and mistreatment of Iraqi nationals detained by the British Army in 2004. Public/ Direct Access Victoria is authorised to accept instructions directly from members of the public in accordance with the Public/Direct Access scheme. She accepts instructions in all of her areas of practice and is experienced in representing professional clients or individuals of good character.

Alan Gardner KC

lan Gardner KC was appointed as King’s Counsel in March 2022. He has a long track record of appearing in complex, sensitive and high profile criminal cases. Alan has been ranked as a leading criminal practitioner in both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 for many years as a junior and now as a silk. He is listed as a leading silk in the current editions of both Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. In recent years editions of the legal directories have described him as “a class act”, “thoroughly prepared”, “tactically astute”, “very effective before a jury”, “a star”. Alan prosecutes and defends. Since taking silk his practice has focused on homicide cases at the Central Criminal Court and around the country. In silk he has also acted in cases involving allegations of sexual offending of the utmost gravity. He has broad experience prosecuting or defending in a wide range of criminal cases, encompassing high profile murder cases; serious sexual offences (whether recent or historic) including multi-complainant and Defendant cases and trials involving allegations of large scale child sexual exploitation; complex fraud; fatal road traffic cases and organized/gang related crime (including financial crime, firearms, kidnap and robbery). He has extensive experience in the Court of Appeal in both conviction and sentence appeals. Alan is known for his calm and considered approach, hard work, meticulous preparation, availability to discuss issues arising during the lifetime of a case and his sensitivity to the concerns and needs of clients and witnesses. Alan sits as a Recorder in the Crown Court (London and the South East). He is authorised to try cases involving allegations of sexual offending. What the Legal Directories say: “Alan’s presentation of cases is immaculate. He is cool and level headed at all times, scrupulously fair and consistently courteous.”- Legal 500 2024. “His advocacy is genuine and straightforward and effective and he has a gift for engaging a jury with his down to earth style. He thoroughly deserved to take silk this year”. – Legal 500 2023 – Crime (London) “Always calm under pressure, works extremely hard and is a lethal cross-examiner. He is always on top of the papers…He is a genuinely decent and caring man.”- Legal 500 2023 – Crime (SE) “Alan is a class act. He is thoroughly prepared, tactically astute, charming and very effective before a jury.” – Legal 500 2022 “Very calm under pressure” – Legal 500 2017

Lisa is a respected and highly effective jury advocate accepting instructions in the most serious criminal work either as leading junior, led junior or junior alone. She has vast experience in providing advice and assistance at every stage of a criminal prosecution from providing pre-charge advice and guidance in the most complex of cases right through to trial and appellant advocacy. Lisa is frequently instructed by both regional CPS areas and Complex Casework Units and The Homicide Unit to prosecute some of their most complex and serious cases. Recent instructions have included cases of murder, manslaughter, death in driving cases, large scale drugs conspiracies (including EncroChat cases and conspiracies involving Organised Crime Groups), multi handed cases involving serious violence as well as fraud cases. Lisa is highly experienced in dealing with vulnerable complainants and has a reputation for securing successful outcomes in difficult cases. Lisa regularly advises on and prosecutes a range of RASSO offences – both non recent and recent. She is experienced in cases involving young children and the use of special measures including pre-recorded cross-examination. Lisa spent a year as the Principal Legal Advisor to the Director of Service Prosecutions at the Service Prosecuting Authority. As a result, she dealt directly with their most serious work as well as undertaking Court Martial advocacy. In addition to her prosecution work, Lisa has been instructed for the defence both as sole counsel and led junior in a range of cases, including large scale drug dealing and RASSO cases.

Tom Godfrey has built up an impressive Crown Court practice and recent instructions include murder, attempted murder and conspiracies to defraud. His practice is wide-ranging and diverse with particular focus on fraud, homicide and serious organised crime. Tom defends mainly in London and the South East and is instructed by leading firms of solicitors. He has also been graded a level three prosecutor by the CPS and is on the Attorney General’s list of prosecution counsel. Tom meticulously prepares his cases and is renowned for his hard working and methodical approach. He has an enviable track record in front of juries and is personable and well liked by both lay and professional clients.

Jessica Goldring

Jessica Goldring accepts instructions across the spectrum of criminal matters. She has prosecuted and defended serious cases, including: armed robbery, GBH, fraud, sexual assault and drug supply. Jessica was previously Legal Assistant to a KC who specialised in criminal defence. She was the main point of contact for clients and took care to ensure they felt supported and heard throughout the process. She gained specific experience with young and vulnerable detainees while volunteering as an Appropriate Adult. Jessica has also worked as a Paralegal, assisting solicitors with complex financial crime investigations, disclosure reviews, inquests and public inquiries. Education and Scholarships: MA (Law), University of Cambridge LLM, University of Cambridge BPTC, University of Law Rosemary Murray Academic Scholarship, University of Cambridge Astbury Scholarship, Middle Temple Advocacy Scholarship, University of Law

"A great advocate, concise and thorough in all his work." Legal 500, 2020 Commercial, Banking, Insolvency and Chancery Law "Experienced in shareholder disputes." Legal 500, 2019 Commercial, Banking, Insolvency and Chancery Law Tom's practice encompasses all areas of commercial and chancery litigation before the Business and Property Courts of the High Court including; - Company litigation - Shareholder and partnership disputes - Commercial contract disputes - Banking and finance - Real property - Wills, Trust and Probate. He has an in-depth understanding and particular exoperience of shareholder disputes and unfair prejudice petitions under s.994 Companies Act 2006. Tom has a wealth of experience in advising and acting in contentious probate and trusts matters. This includes challenges to the validity of wills, Inheritance Act claims, the removal of trustees/personal representatives and asset recovery. He frequently acts in estates and trusts valued at £1m+ and has been instructed in high-value estate matters exceeding £5m. He has a particular interest in estates and trusts involving companies and partnerships. Tom is an expert in ratings law and practice. He is instructed exclusively on behalf of numerous billing authorities across England and Wales in respect of rating matters before the Magistrates Courts, High Court, First- tier Tribunal and VTE, including National Non-Domestic Rates, Council Tax, Local Government Finance and related property and insolvency matters. In addition, Tom has vast experience of employment law. He is regularly instructed to advise and represent parties before the Employment Tribunal and High Court, in respect of matters concerning contracts and pay, restrictive covenants, dismissal, redundancy, discrmination and TUPE.

Wesley Griffiths

Wesley Griffiths joined Chambers in October 2019, after successfully completing his pupillage with the Business and Property Team. He has since built a busy practice spanning the full range of Chambers’ business and property work. He has particular experience in the following areas: Property: Wesley frequently deals with property disputes, including co-ownership/ TOLATA claims, boundary disputes, and claims in relation to contracts of sale. He has wide experience in landlord and tenant matters, especially where a party is ultimately seeking to recover property: forfeiture claims; 1954 Act claims; residential possessions, and more. He is also at home dealing with dilapidations claims, service charge claims, and other related matters. Company: Wesley also has extensive experience in dealing with company disputes. These have included shareholder disputes, especially by way of unfair prejudice petitions, and claims in respect of alleged breaches of directors’ duties. Where fiduciary duties are alleged to have been breached, he has gained particular expertise in dealing with related claims against third parties, for example, in dishonest assistance and/or knowing receipt. Contract: Many of Wesley’s cases turn, one way or another, upon an alleged breach of contract. He frequently encounters cases relating to breaches of service contracts and sales contracts, with allegations of failed or defective performance being commonplace. By way of example, he has dealt with many claims, in both the business-to-business and the business-to-consumer context, relating to construction or renovation works, and car sales. Employment: Wesley also has extensive experience dealing with employment claims in the Employment Tribunal. These have included a large number of unfair dismissal claims, relating to misconduct, redundancy, and other matters, as well as claims in which various kinds of discrimination have been alleged. Wesley has also dealt with matters involving disputed TUPE transfers and disputed employment status. Wesley’s clients value his accessibility, attention to detail, and practical understanding of their position. He is strategically aware and always has an eye on his client’s ultimate objective. He advises his clients with pragmatism, but is known for his ability, where required, to deal with the other side robustly, in his pleadings, his cross-examination, and his advocacy. Wesley holds an MA in Law from Magdalene College, Cambridge, and an LLM in International Business Law from King’s College London. During his LLM, he represented King’s at the 22nd Annual Willem C. Vis International Arbitration Moot in Vienna (2015), where he received an Honourable Mention as Best Individual Oralist.

Christopher Hamlet

Chris specialises in professional disciplinary and regulatory work. For Regulators: Drawing upon a decade of experience in this field, Chris provides advice and representation to the major medical regulators, including the General Medical Council, General Dental Council, General Chiropractic Council and the Health and Care Professions Council. He has had extensive exposure to a variety of tribunals, from complex fitness to practise hearings to interim order hearings, investigation committees, registration appeals and restoration applications. He has considerable experience of calling and challenging experts in the field and dealing with vulnerable witnesses. For Registrants: Chris has a developing portfolio of defence work. He has successfully defended Solicitors, Nurses and Pharmacists before their respective disciplinary tribunals and has taken appeals of tribunal decisions to the Administrative Court. Courts Martial: Chris maintains a personal interest in the Forces having served for six years as an army officer. He now defends servicemen/women at courts martial. He is currently being led by John Price QC in the high profile defence of an RAF A330 pilot involved in a serious airborne incident. Other work: Chris is instructed to appear in the High Court for interim order extensions and in the Family Court for third party disclosure matters pursuant to regulatory investigations. He conducts training for investigators and in-house lawyers on effective investigation, evidence collection and preparation for trial. He has provided training to expert witnesses and performance assessors on preparation for hearings and cross examination. Chris sits as a legal assessor on the regulatory panel of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Michael Harrison

Michael prosecutes and defends in all areas of crime with an emphasis on serious sexual offences, drugs, and serious violence, including murder. He has defended a number of ‘Operation Trident’ shooting and drug related offences in London. Michael has a predominantly defence practice with substantial experience in serious crime, in particular: serious sexual offences; importation and supply of drugs and associated kidnapping and blackmail offences; attempted murder and s18 wounding.

Rina-Marie Hill

Rina is instructed in the most demanding, complex and high profile cases and is frequently asked to represent individuals charged with serious sexual offences. Since being called to the bar in 2002 she has established herself as a highly regarded criminal practitioner who conducts cases diligently and sensitively. Rina is recognised by lay and professional clients, her colleagues at the bar and the judiciary as a trusted and extremely hardworking advocate who can be relied upon to conduct cases expeditiously and passionately. She is a very busy practitioner on the South East and Western Circuits with a reputation for robust cross-examination and persuasive speeches. Although Rina predominantly defends, she has been instructed on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Probation Service, the Department for Trade and Industry, the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Customs and Excise.

Matthew Hodgetts

Matthew is instructed in all manner of criminal cases. He is a CPS grade 3 prosecutor and has been led in cases of the utmost seriousness including murder, child cruelty and fraud. In recent years, he has been developing a practice in appellate work, taking on difficult and novel points of law. Reported Cases R v Kwakye-Ampomah [2023] EWCA Crim 1638. On the use of anonymous hearsay evidence in criminal behaviour order applications. R v Hamer [2023] EWCA Crim 516. Whether convictions for breaching a knife crime prevention order and for having a bladed article for the same act was permissible. R v Desir [2022] EWCA Crim 1071. Correct formulation of the criminal standard of proof. R v Kandola [2022] EWCA Crim 846. Judge’s findings of fact on a Newton hearing quashed and sentence reduced. R v Parker [2020] EWCA Crim 184. Sentence for multiple burglaries reduced. R v Szewczyk [2019] EWCA Crim 1811. On the correct construction “having” a bladed article, per section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Education and Appointments BA Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology, University of Oxford MPhil Philosophy, University of Cambridge LLB, University of London Bar Professional Training Course, City Law School, Outstanding CPS Grade 3 CPS Specialist Panel Appointments: Grade 3 Serious Crime and Grade 2 Fraud and POCA

Ian is an experienced trial advocate (CPS Grade 4 and Rape Specialist). Since 2009 he has undertaken leading work, and prosecuted murder alone, and his practice is a healthy 50 / 50 mix of Defence and Prosecution work. His talents are in analysing complex issues, formulating those issues within the appropriate legal framework and oral advocacy, especially dealing with clients and witnesses, whichever end of the social spectrum they may come from. Ian has dealt with many sensitive cases, whether due to issues of vulnerability of defendants and / or witnesses, historical child sexual abuse or covert policing. He has Security Clearance and has dealt with cases involving foreign and ‘supergrass’ evidence (“Bloggs 67”).

Walton has both prosecuted and defended major crime for a number of years, often as a leading junior against Queen’s Counsel. He was called in 1980 and has a wide experience of jury trials, and of appellate advocacy. He has experience of all types of criminal cases including murder, major public order, sexual offences, fraud, confiscation, and organised crime (including firearms and drugs). For the last 10 years his practice has been focused in Sussex where he has been involved in many complex and high profile cases. Since joining 23 Essex Street his practice has become more diverse, concentrated now in London and the Home Counties.

Ahmed Hossain KC

A highly recommended trial advocate with a particular focus on complex conspiracy trials involving the most serious allegations. Ahmed is consistently instructed in high profile cases involving overlapping conspiracies often attracting publicity. Ahmed’s high level of competence in cross examination together with the presentation of expert evidence has frequently been the subject of professional acknowledgement. Ahmed has an established criminal defence practice increasingly incorporating financial crime and has a keen interest in criminal cases with multi-jurisdictional aspects.

Abigail Husbands

Abigail Husbands is a specialist Rape panel and Grade 3 CPS advocate. She is an established junior with extensive experience in all types of rape and serious sex case, child abuse, serious multi-handed violence and complex drugs conspiracies. She both prosecutes and defends. She routinely deals with vulnerable and young witnesses, expert evidence and complex legal arguments. Her experience includes R v K (prosecution): historical rape case involving a number of complainants spanning a 30 year period; R v E (defence): child cruelty case involving multiple injuries to a 9 month old; R v JC & BC (prosecution): gang rape of a young girl; R v SS (defence): 14 year old charged with serious sexual assault on a five year old; R v Hollick (prosecution): rape case dealing with automatism due to sexsomnia. Abigail has a particular specialism in Intellectual Property crime having prosecuted for the Federation Against Copyright Theft and has dealt with multi-handed conspiracies including a conspiracy to supply drugs to inmates of HMP Elmley. She has also been led on high profile cases such as the Hackney boys gang rape trial, the Tonbridge arsonist case and other drug smuggling and people-trafficking conspiracies. Abigail appeared in and helped put together a recent programme on BBC3 aired on 2ndNovember 2015 called ‘Is this Rape? – Sex on Trial’ in which 12 teenagers viewed a dramatisation of a rape scenario and were asked to decide whether the victim consented to what took place. This was a very thought provoking programme that attracted much interest in the media. Abigail was also interview by Radio 1. Please click on the following links to read more about the programme: The Mirror Online BBC

Laurence Imrie is instructed in the most serious and complex criminal cases. He has considerable experience defending and prosecuting a broad range of cases including murder, manslaughter, large-scale importation of drugs and firearms, fraud, fatal road traffic and serious sexual offences. He is regularly instructed in high profile matters and serious criminal conspiracies. Laurence defends mainly in London and the South East and receives instructions from leading firms of solicitors. Laurence trained at a busy criminal defence firm before becoming a partner. He has the inside track on comprehending and challenging the prosecution strategy in complex serious offences, having also been a Senior Crown Prosecutor and Senior Crown Advocate (Grade 4). His meticulous approach to preparation enables him to thoroughly assimilate vast amounts of material to present the evidence in a simplified and easily understandable form. He is regularly described as being user friendly. He undertakes advisory work and regularly advises the CPS on difficult charging decisions. Laurence is as adept at dealing with the technical evidence of experts as well as dealing with vulnerable witnesses and defendants. He is a trusted advocate and well respected. Laurence is frequently instructed in high-profile homicide cases. In R v Thorpe he represented a defendant charged with murder who had communication and learning difficulties. In R v Brown he prosecuted a defendant who was charged with murder in which loss of control was argued. In R v McKenzie he prosecuted a female who was convicted of the murder of her love rival; the case attracted substantial press interest and was the subject of a documentary. In R v Driver he prosecuted a defendant who was convicted of the manslaughter of a toddler. In recent years, Laurence has defended and prosecuted complex conspiracy cases concerning organised crime groups. He recently prosecuted a professional criminal gang who were involved in both high-value offences and cases concerning serious violence (R v Mackay and others). The sentences were increased after Laurence advised that the sentences should be appealed as unduly lenient. Laurence recently led in a multi-handed case involving a series of armed robberies with firearms which involved complex disclosure issues (R v Palmer and Bate). Laurence has vast experience in cases involving every type of serious sexual offending, both prosecuting and defending. He is experienced in drafting complex, multi-count indictments in historic and multi-complainant cases. He is regularly instructed in cases which concern high-net worth individuals and professionals.

Over the last year, Rhodri has acted in the following trials; attempted murder, advanced fee fraud, rape, a VAT fraud and GBH with intent. The client has been acquitted on each occasion. In the VAT fraud, heard at Woolwich Crown, after a trial lasting eight weeks, Rhodri’s client was unanimously acquitted. It was the first time that he had acted as leading junior. In a note written to Rhodri after the trial, the trial judge said the following: “In the best tradition of the Bar you put up a sterling flight for your client and deserved the result”. After the GBH with intent trial, heard at Snaresbrook Crown, following the client’s unanimous acquittal, his (experienced) solicitor, who had been present through much of the case, described the result as unbelievable and one of the best of his career. In an ensuing email to Rhodri, he added: “Thank you again for your work on this, it was an incredible result and it came from your advocacy” In the coming months, Rhodri will defend in two huge cases. A “copy-cat website” fraud in Teesside Crown and a conspiracy to rob at The Bailey.

Rebecca enjoys a diverse employment, commercial and chancery practice. She is highly regarded by both lay and professional clients alike for her down-to-earth approach and her commercially-focused advice. Rebecca is an impressive trial advocate and often appears in multi-day trials including against King's Counsel. She has experience in conducting appellate advocacy in the EAT and High Court and in drafting arguments/submissions for the EAT, High Court and Court of Appeal. Rebecca has particular experience in and expertise across the following areas (and relishes instructions on cases where there is a crossover): • Employment - acts for both claimants and respondents (often for clients in the transport sector). She has provided independent advice in relation to mass workplace disputes on behalf of workers at the request of several unions. She is frequently instructed in claims involving multiple claimants on claims for: unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, TUPE, breach of contract, unlawful deduction from wages claims and infringement of restrictive covenants (including allegations of inducement). She has also been involved in discrimination claims arising out of a non-employment relationship, including claims of discrimination by housing providers and educational institutions. • Commercial - acts in claims involving breach of contract, interpretation of contracts, construction, sale and supply of goods and services, debt recovery, professional negligence, personal guarantees and company litigation. She has acted in claims valued in excess of 6 figures and recently acted in a claim for over £3,000,000. • Trusts and Probate - advises and appears in cases concerning claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, disputed wills and probate matters including claims of proprietary estoppel, claims by and against executors, administrators and trustees. • Property - landlord and tenant matters (both residential and commercial). A recent case of interest where Rebecca acted at first instance and also on an appeal point: Tameside Caravans and Storage Ltd v Viavecto Ltd [2024] EWHC 95 (KB). • Insolvency - personal and corporate acting for trustees and creditors on applications to restrain advertisement, contested winding-up petitions, bankruptcy petitions, public examinations and ancillary applications (including successfully obtaining a warrant for the arrest of a bankrupt, pursuant to 366(3) of the Insolvency Act 1986). Rebecca was Junior of the Northern Circuit in 2016/2017. She currently holds various committee positions, including on the Manchester Business & Property Court Forum and Northern Business & Property Bar Association. She is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion, organising work placements on behalf of the Forum for students from nontraditional backgrounds. This includes students from the Sutton Trust Pathways to Law Programme (of which she is an alumni). Away from the Bar, Rebecca enjoys weight-training, walking, and running. Professional Memberships Northern Business & Property Bar Association Employment Lawyers Association Northern Circuit Scholarships & Achievements Junior of the Northern Circuit 2016-2017 The Middle Temple Helena Normanton QC Price 2013 The University of Liverpool Edwards Abrams Doherty Prize for Best Examination Performance in Employment Law 2012 The University of Liverpool WP Sinclair Scholarship 2011 Education Manchester Metropolitan University 2012-2013 - Bar Professional Training Course - Very Competent University of Liverpool - 2009-2012 - LLB Law - First Class

A criminal defence specialist, Aisha Khan is instructed in a broad range of offences including murder, sexual offences, violent offences and fraud. She has a particular interest in representing vulnerable defendants including young persons and those suffering from mental illness. Aisha is consistently instructed due to her vast experience and her firm yet personable approach with defendants. She is particularly adept at dealing with difficult clients and is known for her willingness to fight a case, regardless of how difficult it may appear at first blush. The way in which Aisha deals with cases is often the subject of praise by judges and prosecutors alike, she takes a no nonsense, direct approach with cross examination and her submissions are persuasive whether directed at the judge or the jury.

asver joined Chambers following the successful completion of his pupillage in October 2024. He has a broad Commercial and Chancery practice across all of the Business and Property Team’s core practice areas. His interests include commercial disputes, company law, consumer law, insolvency matters, real estate litigation, and trusts. Qasver has a busy court practice, regularly appearing in trials, interlocutory hearings, and applications. He has appeared in the Court of Appeal (led) and regularly appears in the Business and Property Courts of the High Court. He acts, inter alia, on behalf of banks, financial institutions, landlords of both residential and commercial property, local authorities, and insolvency practitioners. Alongside his court practice, Qasver is frequently instructed to draft statements of case and provide advice, both in writing and in conference. He has experience doing appeal work. Before coming to the Bar, Qasver read philosophy at King’s College London, achieving a First Class Honours. He was awarded a Distinction on the Graduate Diploma in Law. He studied at Hertford College, Oxford for the Master’s in Law and Finance, earning a Distinction grade. Following this, he undertook the BVS (formerly BPTC) at City, University of London; he was called to the Bar of England and Wales by The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in October 2022. In the interim between accepting and beginning his pupillage, Qasver obtained a Master’s in Ancient Philosophy from Kellogg College, Oxford. Qasver is happy to deliver seminars and training to instructing solicitors. Since joining Chambers, he has delivered seminars on share purchase agreements, motor finance commission, the recovery of costs in small and fast-track matters, administration extensions, and undue influence in tripartite lending arrangements. Qasver is regularly involved with Advocate’s “Manchester Chancery Litigant In Person Support Scheme” (M-CLIPS). Whilst now based in Manchester, Qasver welcomes instructions to appear in and around London – where his family home is. Away from work, he maintains an avid interest in philosophy. He has a passion for cars, unwaveringly supports his favourite football team, Manchester United, and – where work allows – enjoys staying on top of his health in the gym. EDUCATION King’s College London (2016 – 2019), BA Philosophy, First Class Honours. City, University of London (2019 – 2020), PgDip Law, Distinction. Hertford College, University of Oxford (2020 – 2021), MSc Law and Finance, Distinction. City, University of London (2021 – 2022), PgDip Bar Vocational Studies, Very Competent. Kellogg College, University of Oxford (2022 – 2023), MSt Ancient Philosophy, Merit. Professional Memberships The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn. The Northern Circuit. AWARDS Lord Denning Scholarship - The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn Hertford College Prize for Exceptional Performance on the MSc Law and Finance

Jennifer Knight KC

Jennifer Knight KC, Ranked in The Legal 500 as a Leading Silk and described as ‘a very talented and erudite Silk’ (Legal 500 2022), Jennifer has a strong prosecution and defence practice in serious and complex crime. She is instructed in substantial high-profile trials including murder, manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of a child, child sexual exploitation, gang rape and misconduct in public office. Described by instructing solicitors as possessing ‘first class advocacy skills’, Jennifer’s ‘calm yet firm demeanour instils confidence in clients from the outset of a case’ (Legal 500 2022). She has been praised for her ‘skill and tenacity’ and is said to bring ‘an intelligent and incisive approach’ to her work whilst maintaining a ‘completely calm composure’. An expert in cases involving non-accidental injuries to babies and complex cases in which a child has died, Jennifer has great experience in the prosecution of cases where a child has been murdered and where charges of causing or allowing the death of a child are brought. She has a formidable ability to assimilate and present highly complex medical evidence. Jennifer also specialises in the prosecution of serious sexual offences and her practice has an emphasis on historic, multi-complainant sexual offences. Jennifer has developed expertise in enabling complainants with profound communication difficulties to give evidence. Jennifer frequently works with intermediaries and was invited to contribute to the writing of the Advocate’s Gateway Toolkits.

Daniel has experience in all areas of criminal law. He is a fearless advocate, who tirelessly prepares and applies sound judgment. He has acted in cases involving murder, rape, organised crime, serious violence, armed robbery, and serious fraud. Daniel is regularly led in complex matters and has gained experience in managing paper heavy cases. He is confident with sensitive and challenging issues. Daniel has been instructed by the Financial Conduct Authority and has gained experience in financial regulation. He has also completed a secondment with the office of fair trading gaining experience in competition law and consumer regulation. Daniel gained experience in regulatory compliance while instructed in a Jersey Financial Services Commission investigation involving anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.

Kate Lumsdon KC

Kate Lumsdon KC defends and prosecutes a broad range of criminal and regulatory cases, from murder, rape and child abuse to corporate fraud. Recent cases include a series of murders, fraud, drug conspiracy, child abuse and people trafficking. As a Grade 4 prosecutor she prosecuted many multi-handed cases of murder, rape, systematic child abuse, armed robbery and drug importation and distribution. She is a vulnerable witness advocacy trainer on behalf of the Criminal Bar Association. Kate undertakes advisory work. She has recently advised a Government Department as to the viability of proposed criminal offences and potential alternative solutions. She has been asked to advise the CPS in respect of difficult charging decisions. .

Charles Machin has over 40 years’ experience in the fields of Chancery and Commercial litigation, advisory and drafting work as a meticulous and skilful all-round advocate in those fields. He has practised since 1974 from Manchester chambers in Chancery & Commercial law and litigation. He is noted for his perceptive and robust cross-examination and persuasive advocacy, and has appeared in several important, leading and reported cases.

Eloise Marshall KC

Eloise Marshall KC stands out for her exceptional trial experience. She has been ranked in the Legal 500 since 2010 and Chambers and Partners since 2017. She is regularly instructed to prosecute and defend in serious, high profile criminal trials in both the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal. Cases in which she has particular skill include murder, grave violence, sexual offences against children and adults (both recent and historic) and fraud. She has experience of working in long term fraud trials, child trafficking cases and other cases involving complex digital and forensic material. Eloise is often asked to provide charging advice to the CPS in serious and complex cases. Eloise also advises defence clients facing serious sexual allegations both pre and post charge. Professional and Panel appointments: Until her recent appointment as Queen’s Counsel she was an appointed advocate on the CPS list: Level 4 and she continues to prosecute cases for the CPS as a KC An appointed CPS advocate, authorised to prosecute serious sexual offence cases. Additional Information: She has recently become the main contributor to the disclosure chapter in Rook and Ward: Sexual Offences Law and Practice. She is authorised to give vulnerable witness training to other practitioners

Isobel McCarroll

Isobel McCarroll’s practice focuses on defending serious, complex and high profile general crime and fraud cases, inquests and mediations. Isobel is regularly instructed in some of the most complex criminal defence cases across London and the South Eastern Circuit including murder, firearms, kidnap, gang on gang stabbings and the full spectrum of serious sexual offences. She is particularly experienced in cases involving multi-handed conspiracies and shootings, gang-related violence and other organised crime cases, including large scale drug supply and importation cases. She is an experienced fraud and financial crime practitioner. Her work in this area encompasses high value data theft, money laundering, mortgage fraud and banking identity fraud. She offers particular experience in the representation of vulnerable defendants and cases involving vulnerable witnesses and sensitive issues such as mental ill-health, autism, learning difficulties and ADHD. Isobel regularly provides training courses for Gray’s Inn in advocacy involving vulnerable witnesses, ethics for both new and established practitioners, and equality, diversity and inclusion. Isobel accepts instructions on both a private and legally aided basis and in limited cases will consider direct access and pro bono cases from members of the public. Academic Background: University of Ulster. BA Hons Politics and Philosophy (1992) College of Law, London. Common Professional Exam (1999) Inns of Court School of Law (2000) Bar Vocational Course CEDR Accredited Mediator (2018)

James McCrindell

James McCrindell has been in practice exclusively as a criminal barrister since being called to the bar in 1993. He has extensive experience of defending individuals accused of the whole range of criminal offences including homicide and serious violence, sexual offences, robbery and firearms, serious fraud and organised crime, drugs, public order and driving offences. He has been led by Queen’s Counsel in the most grave and complex cases including murder cases at the Old Bailey and has been instructed as a leading junior. As a junior alone he has defended in cases alleging offences of attempted murder. He has considerable experience in the Court of Appeal. He was counsel for the Appellant in Hamer reported at [2010] WLR (D) 235 and Archbold Review 4 November 2010 which held that a fixed penalty notice issued pursuant to s.2 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2010 could not be regarded as evidence which impugned the character of the defendant or admitted as such. He was also counsel for the Applicant in Duggan reported at [2006] 1 Cr. App. R. 3, a case involving a number of joined appeals which concerned a variety of issues relating to the use of bad character evidence in criminal trials and which gives guidance on how juries should be directed in respect of bad character evidence. He is also instructed to appear at Inquests and Parole Board hearings and can always be approached by solicitors at any stage of a case for advice.

Francis McGrath KC

Francis McGrath KC has conducted a range of cases across the entire spectrum of criminal offences. Recent cases have involved allegations of homicide, serious sexual offences (both "historic" and "contemporary"), revenue fraud, unlawful possession of firearms or controlled drugs, kidnapping and false imprisonment. Francis has undertaken a number of cases with significant degrees of factual or legal complexity including cases involving public interest immunity, disclosure and bad character evidence. He has experience of presenting or testing a variety of expert or specialist evidence including: Blood Pattern Analysis; DNA, Fingerprints and other forms of contact or trace evidence; Computer and Communication Data Evidence (including encrypted communication); Road Traffic Collision Investigation; "Forensic" Accounting; Medical Evidence, including evidence of causation of injury. Francis also has considerable experience representing young defendants and vulnerable adults charged with the most serious offences and testing the evidence of vulnerable witnesses in crown court proceedings.

Sarah-Kate McIntyre

Sarah-Kate Prosecutes and Defends daily in the Crown Court in all areas of crime. She has an expanding Regulatory and Prison Law practice and has also practiced in Family Law, which enables her to fully advise those who face dual criminal and family legal proceedings. Prior to coming to the Bar, Sarah-Kate trained and worked as an actress in New York City, USA. She was inspired whilst marshalling a judge in the Supreme Court there. On her return to London, Sarah-Kate worked for a large commercial investment bank and at criminal defence firms as a paralegal before fully qualifying as a barrister. Sarah-Kate has recently gained particular expertise in relation to the variation and discharge of Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (now Sexual Harm Prevention Orders). Sarah-Kate accepts instruction on a Public Access basis in all of her practice areas.

Hugh McKee is a senior criminal practitioner with a heavyweight caseload. For many years he has been instructed in all areas of crime, including; sexual offences, violence, serious fraud/confiscation, drugs, road traffic, health and safety, trading standards and police discipline. Hugh has defended in a number of high-profile cases involving allegations of violence and in recent years has been involved in a number of lengthy and complex fraud trials with the Legal 500 noting him as having ‘wide fraud experience’. Hugh has also prosecuted and defended in a number of health and safety related cases primarily where a death has occurred. Regulatory work has included environmental cases, food-hygiene and acting as a legal assessor for the GMC. Hugh has accumulated a wealth of experience in all aspects of criminal law. He appears alone, leads and is led both for the prosecution and defence.

Alex has appeared in the youth, crown and magistrates’ court. He has prosecuted and defended summary trials covering a range of offences from dishonesty, violence and sexual assaults to fly-tipping, social security and road traffic matters. He has experience of contested POCA hearings in the crown court, and cash seizure proceedings in the magistrates’ court. Regulatory/civil: Alex has experience as a led junior for the defendant in judicial review proceedings concerning the issuing and execution of search warrants, relating to a money laundering investigation. Alex appears in accountants’ disciplinary proceedings, representing the regulator. The allegations frequently involve dishonesty and misconduct in a business context, and can be complex and paper heavy. In 2014 he spent several months assisting the solicitors to a government department in relation to the disclosure and document review aspects of a substantial commercial court damages claim. Further, whilst in pupillage Alex spent several weeks working at a solicitor’s firm, assisting with civil litigation. He has been instructed to assist with disclosure in both criminal and civil proceedings.

Richard’s methodical but creative intellect, ensures him a steady flow of significant cases involving money laundering and banking, tax, VAT and NHS frauds. He is regularly instructed by the major prosecuting bodies, but also undertakes a significant amount of defence work. He has particular expertise in the fields of restraint and confiscation proceedings. Previous experience includes a two year secondment to the Financial Services Authority, where he prepared and presented cases on their behalf. He is also on the panel of the serious fraud office’s approved list of counsel. Richard has extensive experience of both prosecuting and defending in all areas of serious crime. He also has extensive experience of defending in Courts-Martial. He appears regularly for both the Crown and the defence in the Court of Appeal, and for the Crown in the Courts-Martial Appeal Court. Richard has an extensive practice involving regulatory and disciplinary proceedings. He appears regularly in police misconduct proceedings, appearing on behalf of the director of professional standards for both the Metropolitan Police Service and the Thames Valley Police, and also for the Independent Police Complaints Commission at such hearings. He has also lectured to and assisted in the training of the defending police federation representatives for Sussex Police. Richard was seconded full-time in 1998 for two years to the solicitors department of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), preparing and presenting cases on their behalf in disciplinary tribunals and appeal tribunals. Since his secondment he has appeared in a number of FSA disciplinary tribunals. An established practitioner, Richard is regularly instructed in cases which are of high value and complex in nature. Known for his meticulous attention to detail he undertakes advisory and advocatory roles across the breadth of the fraud practice area. R v Da Silva 2 Cr App R 35, is a leading case in which he was involved, concerning the meaning of suspicion in money laundering offences. Richard is regularly instructed by the General Medical Council to present disciplinary cases on their behalf.

Charles Miskin KC

Charles Miskin KC, formerly Head of Chambers, is a very well-recognised silk who provides advocacy and advisory services across the whole spectrum of criminal law. He was shortlisted by the Legal 500 for Silk of the Year 2019 where he is ranked in Tier 1 – Fraud: Crime. He is also ranked in Chambers and Partners. Those leading directories say and have said of Charles Miskin KC that he is: “A silk with charm and panache”; “A man of long experience who is charming and utterly engaging”; “not afraid to argue forcefully with the Court in the finest traditions of the Bar”; “he is extremely bright and has impeccable judgement”, “tough and formidable”; “One day after picking up the case, he knows all the details. “When in court he has great presence”; “a persuasive advocate”; “meticulous and always gives sound advice in the client’s best interest”; “a good man to use if your back is against the wall”; “a fantastic intellect”; and that he can “take a case that is utterly hopeless and turn it around”; “very thorough and masters complex issues quickly” and “extremely bright with impeccable judgment”. His core practice consists of cases of complex fraud, corruption and money-laundering together with all forms of POCA actions: confiscation, international restraint and other forms of mutual legal assistance, warrants, civil recovery; and asset and account forfeiture. He has considerable expertise in tax crime, originally obtained during his time spent as Standing Counsel to the Inland Revenue. At the same time, Charles Miskin KC has always maintained a national and international practice in really serious general crime, both defending and prosecuting. He also has a strong track record in public law, human rights, appellate, regulatory and tribunal work. Charles Miskin KC is hard working, innovative and imaginative and always keeps his sense of humour. He gets on with people and works well with a team. He inspires confidence in his clients whose interests he fearlessly promotes. Appointments: Assistant Recorder of the Crown Court 1991-1998; Standing Counsel to the Inland Revenue 1993-1998; Recorder of the Crown Court 1998; Queen’s Counsel 1998; Bencher Gray’s Inn 2004; Called to the Bar of the Cayman Islands for specific cases since 1989; Appointed to the SFO List of Silks 2010 and re-appointed 2017

Rashad Mohammed

Rashad has a national criminal and fraud practice appearing in major cases throughout the country. He is regularly instructed to represent clients charged with a variety of serious offences, including serious violence, firearms and sexual offences. He is regularly instructed to represent clients charged with offences of drug trafficking and all aspects of financial crime. Rashad was appointed to the AG’s Unified List of Criminal Counsel and has now been successfully appointed to the list of specialist regulatory advocates in Health and Safety and Environmental Law.

Andrew is an experienced and well-rounded counsel, whose practice in more recent times has been focussing on his experience as a specialised Counsel in the fields of regulatory and professional disciplinary work. Andrew regularly appears before the MPTS and HCPC in cases involving allegations of serious misconduct by medical professionals. This includes Andrew presenting for both the regulator and professionals across a spectrum of healthcare and public bodies misconduct. Recent highlights of noteworthy cases include Andrew assisting on: On a case relating to a doctor accused of racially insensitive conduct towards a patient. A doctor accused of fraudulently obtaining prescription medication for personal use. Doctor accused of racially inappropriate behaviour towards a colleague. Using Andrew's past experience in the military and on heavyweight fact-based criminal trials he is able to bring a consistent approach, knowledge and key focus to matters which are often filled with complex points. Andrew accepts instructions in cases involving complaints against Police Officers and other Regulatory bodies such as the GMC/GDC.

Richard is a litigator whose practice encompasses both traditional Chancery matters, as well as more general commercial disputes. His Chancery practice covers disputes about rights of way and other easements, boundary disputes, and restrictive covenants. He also deals with professional negligence claims arising out of conveyancing. He also frequently advises and appears on claims under the Inheritance (Provisions for Family and Dependants) Act 1925 in addition to probate claims, and claims to remove executors. The field of landlord and tenant, both commercial and residential, is of particular interest to him. He regularly advises commercial clients in the field of dilapidations claims. His commercial practice includes disputes arising from the sale of goods and out of construction contracts. He often appears in the Technology and Construction Court. He regularly appears in the High Court as well as County Courts throughout the NorthWest.

Sarah Morris has been practising full-time at the independent Criminal Bar since 1996. Sarah began her career as a defence advocate then later developed a mixed practice. Most recently, Sarah has a more prosecution-based practice. She has dealt with all levels of case: murder, fraud, importation and supply of drugs, firearms offences, arson with intent, and serious physical and sexual violence. Sarah is a grade 4 CPS prosecutor and has been on the specialist rape list for very many years. For the past few years Sarah has been almost exclusively instructed in cases involving the gravest sexual abuse and almost all of her current workload is based in the RASSO sphere, both prosecuting and defending. Her eye for detail and the level of her case preparation is well known. She is a fair-minded prosecutor and is unafraid of making unpopular decisions. She is adept at dealing with young people and vulnerable witnesses and does so both sensitively and effectively. She defends fearlessly and has a good solicitor following. Sarah is a well-regarded practitioner by both Bar and Bench alike.

Emilie Morrison

Emilie Morrison is ranked in the 2021 and 2022 editions of Chambers and Partners, Emilie is a committed and able advocate who is frequently commended for her sound judgement and effective cross-examination. She has extensive experience both prosecuting and defending in cases involving serious violence, class A drugs, complex fraud, and sexual offences, both alone and as a led junior. Emilie is a grade 4 CPS prosecutor, and has prosecuted a number of multi-handed trials. Emilie is a skilled witness handler who examines and cross-examines vulnerable witnesses and defendants to excellent effect. Emilie has particular expertise in legal professional privilege and disclosure exercises, and frequently acts in an advisory capacity on such matters for various bodies including HMRC, Trading Standards, and the CPS. She was recently instructed as disclosure junior in a historic sexual abuse trial involving multiple complainants in which the disclosure exercise was commended to the Attorney General as a model of its kind. Emilie has an established practice in regulatory law and frequently represents clients at the full range of fitness-to-practice and disciplinary proceedings obtaining consistently good results. Emilie is qualified to accept instructions directly from members of the public through the Direct Access scheme.

James Mulholland KC

James Mulholland KC is a highly rated trial advocate who has been involved in numerous trials of the utmost gravity, nationwide, throughout the last decade. He has vast experience in all areas of serious and complex crime, particularly, murder, manslaughter, international drugs operations and large-scale fraud. He has also acted in numerous professional disciplinary matters with lay clients ranging from pharmacists to football clubs. He has been described as tactically very astute and compelling in front of jury or tribunal and rarely fails to secure a favourable result for those he represents. He is a former Chair of the Criminal Bar Association. During his tenure, he was closely involved in the court recovery after the pandemic and also led negotiations on behalf of the criminal bar to the Bellamy Review which eventually resulted in a 15% increase in defence legal aid rates. He has fought for improvements within the criminal justice system for many years. James is ranked as a leading silk in The Legal 500.

Micheál is qualified to practise in England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. His practice encompasses a broad range of commercial matters with a particular emphasis on commercial litigation, insolvency and property law. Micheál has appeared in a range of courts and tribunals throughout the UK and Ireland up to and including the Court of Appeal, where he has appeared unled. Micheál is comfortable appearing in cases as sole counsel and has extensive experience being led by King’s Counsel as part of a team of juniors. Before coming to the Bar, Micheál was a university lecturer and has tutored and lectured law at both undergraduate and post-graduate level at Trinity College, Dublin; The National University of Ireland, Maynooth; Griffith College, Dublin; and The China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing. Prior to this, he worked in the Banking and Financial services department of a ‘top 5’ Irish law firm in Dublin. In March 2021, after a competitive recruitment competition, Micheál was appointed to the Attorney General’s Regional C-Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown. Micheál was promoted to the B-Panel in March 2025. Since his appointment, Micheál has enjoyed a steady stream of instructions from the Government Legal Department and has acted for a range of Government Departments and agencies including HMRC, the Department for Transport, the Department for Business and Trade and the Insolvency Service and the Cabinet Office. In 2024, Micheál appeared for the successful Respondent in Re a Company [2024] EWCA Civ 1436, a case which clarified the date of presentation of a Winding-Up Petition in an era of electronic working. Micheál is a committee member of the British and Irish Commercial Bar Association (BICBA) and a founding committee member of the Northern Fraud Lawyers Association. Areas of expertise: Commercial Litigation Personal and Corporate Insolvency Commercial and Residential Property Public Law and Human Rights Professional Memberships The Bar of Ireland Gray’s Inn, London The King's Inns, Dublin

Cairns Nelson KC

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.

Matthew Ness prosecutes and defends in a wide array of criminal cases including large-scale drug trafficking, robbery, fraud, and serious violent and sexual offences. He specialises in general crime, drawing on his extensive experience in criminal litigation to instil confidence in clients and solicitors alike. Instructing solicitors have said: "The results he has obtained evidence that he is listened to by the Courts." Client Testimonials "He’s always fully prepared with a clear grasp of important issues." Client Testimonials "Matthew takes a clearly focussed approach to cases. He works collaboratively and is always on hand to discuss matters in advance of hearings." Client Testimonials "Very capable, hardworking and reliable." Client Testimonial Matthew has a busy practice in the Crown, Magistrates’, and Youth Courts and has represented clients in the Court of Appeal. He has experience over a wide range of cases including robbery, theft and fraud, drugs, road traffic, violent and sexual offences. Additional Information Prior to commencing pupillage, Matthew worked as a senior paralegal for Hennessy and Hammudi Solicitors, where he gained considerable experience as a litigator in all manner of criminal cases from road traffic to serious violence, organised crime, fraud and sex offences. He was a key member of the defence team in several high-profile cases including the alleged murder of PC Andrew Harper, 13-year-old Ollie Stephens (termed the “social media murder” by BBC’s Panorama), and the Reading Forbury Gardens terrorist attack in 2020. Matthew also litigated several reported judicial review cases in the High Court. Matthew has represented clients pro bono before the Parole Board and on behalf of the Free Representation Unit. In addition, he previously volunteered with the Citizens Advice Bureau and mentored prisoners and young offenders in debating for the Gray’s Inn Vocalise program. Education and Awards The University of Brighton: BA Humanities: First Class. University of Law: Graduate Diploma in Law: Distinction. BPP Law School: BPTC: Outstanding. Scholarships Birkenhead Scholarship: Gray’s Inn. Award for Academic Excellence: The University of Brighton.

Ged O’Connor’s practice covers all areas of the criminal law, and he regularly appears in all courts up to and including the Court of Criminal Appeal. His Crown Court experience includes murder, manslaughter, multiple rape, kidnap, GBH with intent, armed robbery, threats to kill, indecent assault, child abduction, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, drugs and arson with intent to endanger life. Ged has been a Leading Junior as well as being led by Queen’s Counsel on some of the most serious cases. As a leading junior, he secured the acquittal of one of the two persons found not guilty in the £53 million securitas robbery trial at the Old Bailey. In addition, he has a particular expertise in civil actions against the police, proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, together with regulatory and disciplinary work. Ged also has experience representing the families of deceased in Coroners Inquests both with juries and without and in particular has represented such families in Inquests involving questions and issues surrounding the actions of serving police officers.

Mark O'Connor joined Chambers in 2024 following the completion of his 12-month pupillage. Mark is instructed to defend and prosecute in a full range of criminal matters across the Magistrates' Court, Youth Court, and Crown Court. This includes cases of drug supply, weapons, violence, public order act offences, and dishonesty offences. Mark also accepts instructions in quasi-criminal civil preventative orders, such as Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and Stalking Protection Orders. Before coming to the Bar, Mark worked within a London-based law firm, where he assisted the litigation team with both case preparation and court advocacy. During this period, he was awarded the Gray’s Inn Lee Essay Prize for his essay on sentencing provisions for youths convicted of murder, and represented the Inn at the Monroe E. Price Moot Court Competition. Mark has a background in Music, with First Class Honours from King's College London and a Master’s in Music from St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. He has also performed professionally as a jazz pianist.

Daniel O'Donoghue

Daniel joined 23 Essex Street in October 2015 after successful completion of his pupillage. He is fast developing a practice across the entire spectrum of chambers’ work. Daniel prosecutes and defends in the Crown Court. He is regularly instructed across a broad range of matters including sexual offences, drugs, offences against the person, financial crime, and motoring offences. In addition to general crime, Daniel has acted in a range of other work including applications for civil orders on behalf of the Metropolitan Police; local authority prosecutions and internal investigations. After graduating from the University of Cambridge with a BA in Law, Daniel worked as a paralegal in a leading City Law Firm assisting in a multi-million pound partnership dispute in the Chancery Division of the High Court. He also worked as a writer and researcher at Chambers and Partners.

Paul Ozin KC has particular expertise in financial, business and regulatory crime cases (including company, business, revenue, market-related, advance fee, healthcare and pharmaceutical, factoring, bribery and corruption, money laundering, confiscation and asset recovery cases). He is well placed to deal with the whole landscape of such cases, with complementary expertise in regulatory and disciplinary proceedings, and related civil and public law challenges, including international work. Until taking Silk, he was Standing Counsel to the Department of Business. He is instructed in cases prosecuted by the other principal prosecutors of financial, business and regulatory crime cases: the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Conduct Authority and the CPS Fraud Divisions. He has a sector-wide practice in regulatory and disciplinary cases, (including financial, accountancy, legal services, police, forensic pathology and healthcare regulatory cases) including Appellate public law challenges and statutory appeals. He appears for both regulators and regulated persons. He advises regulators on overarching issues and the drafting of regulations and guidance. He is the former Chair of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers. He leads, inclusively with colleagues, the 23ES Chambers Regulatory and Disciplinary Team.

Flora Page KC has a diverse practice. On the one hand she is a highly experienced criminal advocate, a true all-rounder, who prosecutes and defends in equal amounts. Her particular expertise is in corporate and financial crime, but she has also been instructed in the most serious conspiracies and crimes involving murder, protest, drugs supply and sexual offending. She is on the Serious Fraud Office’s panel list of King’s Counsel, and the Government Legal Department’s list of King’s Counsel. On the other hand, she is a Board Member and a critical friend to the corporate world, able to take on varied work investigating, reporting and advising when concerns are raised by whistleblowers, non-executives, advisors or others. Her unique work on the Post Office appeals and the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry has given her a reputation for incisive clarity, and she is now regularly sought out by whistleblowers and those who want to respond to them in the right way. Her work for the Financial Conduct Authority, together with her experience in financial crime, provides her with a particularly sound knowledge base for investigating and advising in the financial arena. Flora’s advocacy at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry is available to view on the Inquiry’s official channel. A 5 minute, powerful cross-examination can be viewed here. Her one-hour cross-examination of the most significant technical witness starts at 50 seconds here, and highlights were put into a 2 minute segment on the BBC News that evening, which can be provided on request. Flora has spoken at many conferences on diverse subjects, and was asked to deliver the prestigious Heilbron Lecture in November 2024, which can be viewed here. She is currently a part-time PhD Candidate at UCL, researching a new approach to corporate integrity. She is a Board Member of the Legal Services Board, which is the oversight regulator for legal services, giving her practical experience of corporate governance and regulating in the public interest. She was seconded to the Financial Conduct Authority to assist with bringing together an investigation which led to HSBC paying a fine of £64 million (see the BBC report here). Flora trained at City law firm Clifford Chance; moved to criminal practice in 1999, and had a period at the Law Commission, during which her team produced the Fraud Report (Law Com No. 276) and the appended Fraud Bill, which later became the Fraud Act 2006. She also taught part-time for some years at the University of Law. What the Legal Directories say: “What the profession should be about: skilful advocacy and good judgement, running cases honestly and with integrity.” – Legal 500 – Fraud “A brilliantly intelligent lawyer who is always one step ahead of the other side.” – Legal 500 – Crime

Brad Pomfret KC

Brad Pomfret KC has a broad-ranging commercial litigation and arbitration practice, covering diverse areas including property, trusts, contract, insolvency, banking and finance, company and partnership, sale of goods, insurance, professional negligence and privacy. He also accepts instructions in public law matters, including judicial review and procurement challenges. Brad is one of the leading practitioner experts on unjust enrichment, having appeared as lead counsel for the Respondent in the Supreme Court in Barton v Morris (2023) AC 684 and in the Court of Appeal below in [2020] 2 All ER (Comm) 652. His review of the case was published by the Journal of International Banking and Financial Law B.J.I.B. & F.L. 2023, 38(7), 463-466. The majority of Brad’s work is in the Business & Property Courts of the High Court. He is particularly well-known for banking and finance work, usually acting for banks and other lenders. Recent work in 2025 includes obtaining freezing injunctions in respect of a complex bond investment scheme and, separately, over cryptocurrencies and their proceeds. Brad also has a strong reputation for property litigation, and is recommended in this area by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. He has spoken recently on property law topics for the Property Bar Association and the Manchester Business & Property Court Forum. Brad has an excellent track-record in the Court of Appeal, where he has succeeded in 8 of his 9 visits, most recently in Manolete v White [2024] EWCA Civ 1418 and Kumar v LSC Finance [2024] EWCA Civ 254. Previous appearances include Gahan v Emirates [2018] 1 WLR 2287, where he was successful for the passengers in an important and far-reaching test case on the interpretation of the ‘Flight Delay’ EU Regulation 261/2004, the Montreal Convention and questions of extraterritoriality in international law. He also drafted the submissions to the Supreme Court in response to Emirates’ unsuccessful application for permission to appeal. Particularly reputed as a trial advocate, Brad’s recent successes include a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation in Partakis Stevens v Sihan [2022] EWHC 3249 and defending a claim to set aside loan agreements worth several million pounds for a bridging lender in Kumar v LSC Finance Ltd [2023] EWHC 1439. Brad is an accredited advocacy trainer for Lincoln’s Inn. Brad also has a busy arbitration practice. He sits as an arbitrator as well as appearing as advocate to tribunals. Recent arbitrations have included banking, trade association and international property matters. He is currently acting in an international arbitration concerning the rights to energy technology, involving parties based in the United States and New Zealand. Qualified and registered as a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland, Brad accepts instructions there. Brad has an LLM in International Corporate and Commercial Law from King’s College London, where he also obtained his LLB. He has a continuing interest in the academic side of the law, and he can frequently be found giving seminars for instructing solicitors and external providers. Recent topics include unjust enrichment, share purchase agreement claims and contractual duties of good faith. Recommended by Chambers & Partners for Banking and Finance, Brad acts for lenders ranging from high street banks and building societies to bridging and peer-to-peer finance providers. The current editions of Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 both rank him for commercial litigation on the Northern Circuit. He is also recommended for Property & Construction in the Legal 500. Brad has been consistently recommended by these directories for the last 15 years. In the current edition of the Legal 500, Brad is rated for Property and Construction and Commercial Litigation, where the testimonials include: “Brad is a robust advocate who exudes confidence in court. He has gone from strength to strength during his career. He is certainly one of the barristers at the top of my list when instructing Counsel. He gives straightforward, user friendly, commercial advice. He offers astute tactical advice which demonstrates his in-depth grasp of the law and significant experience in the Court.”

‘Extremely capable and a very skilled cross-examiner.’ Legal 500, 2015 : Crime John Price QC both defends and prosecutes in all manner of serious criminal cases in courts throughout the country. He has acquired over the years particular experience in the conduct of criminal cases in the field of civil aviation, often involving corporate defendants, including major airlines, charged with regulatory offences, relating, for example to the carriage by air of dangerous goods. Since taking silk, he has appeared in a number of co-called cold-cases, including a case of murder from 1966 [R v David Burgess] and a retrial following the quashing of an acquittal by the Court of Appeal [R v Mark Weston]. John is regularly briefed on high profile historic sexual abuse cases involving public figures and public schools. He is also counsel of choice for cases involving offences of Corporate Manslaughter and Gross Negligence Manslaughter [R v Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Azeez & Cornish and R v Thomas and Rudling]. He appears regularly before special courts in the Court of Appeal, concerning appeals on cases of recognised public importance, for example: CPS v F [Abuse of process arising from delay] and R v H [sentencing in historic cases of sexual abuse].

Sasha Queffurus

Sasha regularly appears in Magistrates’ Courts, Youth Courts and Crown Court. She has experience of handling vulnerable witnesses and has acted for defendants charged with a range offences including fraud, witness intimidation and arson with intent to endanger life. Before joining 23 Essex Street, Sasha worked at Kingsley Napley as part of the teams which successfully defended Rebekah Brooks and her husband in the ‘Phone Hacking’ trial. Whilst studying at BPP Law School, Sasha was the Student Director of StreetLaw Prisons project.

Tomas Quinn has a busy practice defending individuals facing serious criminal allegations. Prior to qualifying as a barrister, Tomas worked as a paralegal for a leading firm of Criminal Defence solicitors in London, where he qualified as a Police Station Accredited Representative and gained a broad experience of Criminal Proceedings, from arrest and interview, right through to trial. He has been on his feet as a barrister since 2007. Recent cases as a junior alone have included serious violence, rape and sexual assaults, ‘county lines’ drugs conspiracies, gang stabbings, and the possession of firearms with intent to endanger life. As led junior counsel, he has assisted King’s Counsel defending allegations of murder, and as junior counsel alone he has represented individuals charged with terrorism related offences, robbery, and violent disorder before the Central Criminal Court. He has a particular interest in the area of Firearms Law. Appellate Work Tomas regularly advises on appeal against conviction and sentence. He has had success in having permission granted by the Full Court in cases where the Single Judge initially refused permission to appeal. Court Martial Work Tomas has defended cases in Germany, Portsmouth and the Catterick Garrison and, having served for ten years in a Cavalry unit in the Reserve Defence Forces in Ireland, he has a particular interest in Services related work. Prior to qualifying as a barrister, he worked as a paralegal assisting in the first war crimes trial held in the United Kingdom at the Salisbury Court Martial Centre. Road Traffic Offences Tomas regularly defends road traffic offences such as: Failing to respond to Section 172 Notices of intended Prosecution. Failing to name other drivers in the event of Prosecution. ‘Totting’ offences, where defendants fall to be disqualified by virtue of accruing points on their licence. ‘In Charge’ and ‘Driving whilst Unfit’ offences. Failing to provide evidential samples. Driving whilst Disqualified, Driving without Due Care, and Dangerous Driving. He is particularly experienced in arguing ‘special reasons’ and ‘exceptional hardship’ to prevent the disqualification of drivers, or to minimise the length of time that drivers are disqualified for. In the event of disqualification or any adverse finding by the Court he is happy to provide clear and frank advice on the merit or grounds of any appeal. Education University of Wales, Aberystwyth - Bsc Econ, International Politics and Strategic Studies (2001) University of Wales, Aberystwyth - LLB (2003) Cardiff University - Bar Vocational Course (2005)

Nathan Rasiah KC

Nathan has experience in all areas of criminal law. He is a hard-working and effective trial advocate and has been instructed in cases involving organised crime, grave violent and sexual offences, and serious fraud. He combines thorough preparation with sound judgment, and is comfortable dealing with complex and sensitive cases. He is an incisive appellate lawyer who is available to provide specialist advice on criminal appeals, including to the Court of Appeal, the European Court of Human Rights and the Criminal Cases Review Commission. He has experience of judicial review and appeals in the High Court relating to insolvency and extradition. In addition to his domestic practice, Nathan has particular expertise in international human rights law and international criminal litigation. He has worked on a number of high profile cases involving military and political leaders charged before international criminal tribunals, and is available to advise on all areas of international criminal and humanitarian law.

John Riley has experience in all areas of criminal law, both prosecuting and defending including Murder, firearms offences and drugs cases. He is an acknowledged expert specialising in serious sexual offending involving children as defendants and witnesses and adult witnesses with significant vulnerabilities using special measures. For nearly ten years John was the Criminal Bar Association lead on vulnerable and child witnesses sitting on senior multi agency working groups and committees, responding to Government consultations and requests for assistance with relevant new legislation. John has contributed to publications and books on topics related to his specialisation. John is a grade 4 CPS prosecutor regularly acting as Leading Junior in complex and high profile cases, often appearing against Queens Counsel.

Jeremy Rosenberg

eremy has a deep understanding of all types of financial crime. Jeremy has worked on some of the largest fraud cases in the UK including Asil Nadir and the Tchenguiz brothers. He has also participated in the largest money laundering case that the NCA (then SOCA) had prosecuted in the UK at the time. Jeremy is well versed in asset forfeiture, POCA and prosecutions by the FCA and SFO. Given the experience Jeremy has an excellent appreciation of strategic considerations, media sensitivity, the importance of proactive case management and careful considered legal argument. Jeremy is instructed and advises regularly for ELS solicitors regarding private prosecutions. This is an interesting and growing area of criminal law. Having worked with one of the largest private prosecutions, Jeremy has gained a detailed understanding of the law and tactical considerations regarding private prosecutions. This also involves an appreciation of how criminal law dovetails with civil law and the various avenues available to an individual/company to pursue wrongdoing in the criminal and civil jurisdictions. Jeremy has developed a strong criminal practice acting at all levels of the justice system. Jeremy has recently been instructed in cases of serious violent crime including armed robbery, aggravated burglary and GBH. Jeremy has also acted as a junior in one of the largest conspiracies to import drugs into the UK in 2015. Jeremy regularly represents defendants and prosecutes in serious Crown Court matters and has developed a reputation for detailed preparation, thoughtful representation and persuasive argument to judge and jury alike. Jeremy was recently commended by a Crown Court judge in an armed robbery trial as being impressive beyond his call, persuasive both in law and to the jury and finding a way to connect to the jury which was both involving and sensitive. Jeremy is knowledgeable in regulatory matters and driving offences at all levels of seriousness. Jeremy is also an accredited level 2 Crown Court prosecutor.

Charles has an established practice in complex and serious cases. He primarily defends, though does prosecute. He is competent and calm, fearless and persuasive. He is always meticulously prepared and maintains a tactical overview. He has acted alone in cases from murder to multi-million pound frauds to historic sexual allegations. His practice is in financial crime, general crime and professional and regulatory law. He is used to dealing with vulnerable and young witnesses. He has specialist knowledge in drug and pharmaceutical matters, having qualified and practiced as a pharmacist. He has extensive experience of healthcare practice and hearings before the professional fitness to practice tribunals. He is experienced in personal injury and health and safety law and he understands technical evidence. Charles is often instructed as he is able to bring a fresh and novel approach to a case, is dogged, and has the will to win.

Bob Sastry is a very experienced practitioner who was called to the bar in 1996. He specialises in heavyweight Crime and Professional Discipline proceedings. His criminal practice involves all aspects of serious violence, drugs and firearms offences, sexual offences and fraud and other dishonesty offences. He has defended in serious drugs conspiracies including two recent matters involving encrypted telephones. Bob is renowned for his meticulous preparation and calm persona. In 2018, he was involved in the longest ever criminal trial at Liverpool Crown Court, defending as junior counsel in a multi-million pound fraud trial. In 2020 this became the leading criminal case relating to the test for dishonesty (Regina v Barton and others [2020] EWCA Crim 575). His Professional Discipline and Regulatory practice involves frequent appearances at the MPTS acting on behalf of the General Medical Council and also defending in regulatory matters in the Crown Court. A number of his cases have attracted national media coverage. Bob also provides advice in relation to other regulators such as the SRA and IPReg, and has also appeared on behalf of the GOC and the GDC. Bob is a member of the 23 ES Inquests and Inquiries team.

Sonya Saul is a junior of 12 years call, who prosecutes and defends in a wide range of criminal cases, including multi-handed violence, arson, robbery, rape and serious sexual offences. She has significant experience of dealing with vulnerable witnesses and defendants. Sonya is a Grade 3 Prosecutor for CPS London and South-East, prosecuting serious general crime. Sonya is a member of the Specialist Rape List and is regularly instructed by the RASSO Unit. Sonya regularly prosecutes multi-handed cases as sole counsel, and has prosecuted silks instructed by the defence. She has prosecuted Special Casework trials and represented the crown in the Appeal Court and the Administrative Court, dealing with Judicial Reviews. She has prosecuted cases involving undercover operations and PII applications. Sonya’s defence practice includes firearms, rape, Affray, Violent Disorder (as leading counsel), and historical sexual abuse.

Kevin Saunders is a Barrister specialising in Criminal and Regulatory law. He is a well-regarded advocate with a good manner in court. Mr Saunders has an extensive criminal defence practice that includes high-profile cases of homicide, lengthy and complex fraud matters and serious sexual offences. Mr Saunders also has considerable experience of representing individuals, companies, local authorities and government agencies in matters of a regulatory nature. Mr Saunders advises with confidence at all stages of proceedings. Kevin is ranked in Legal 500 as a leading junior. What the Legal Directories say: “Kevin is a fearless advocate. He is charming and persuasive and performs well with very different tribunals. He can produce ingenious legal arguments and is able to reveal that even the most apparently watertight case against him could sink at any time. He has a mastery of diplomacy and how to interact in defence of a case.” – Legal 500 2023 – Business and Regulatory Crime “Kevin is the consummate jury advocate. He has a close eye for detail while at the same time keeping perspective as to what actually needs to be achieved in a case. His cross-examination can be both sensitive and cutting” – Legal 500 2022 – Crime “He is very impressive and inspires confidence in his clients.” – Chambers and Partners 2022 Kevin is a charming advocate, I have lost count of the instances of cases won by his fearless advocacy and legal argument. – Legal 500 2022 – Business and Regulatory Crime Kevin is hugely enthusiastic and he wants to get stuck into the cases he’s in. He’s always searching for new and different points to take.” “He is very bright, creative and has an excellent manner with clients. He has a real knack for breaking down complicated financial and regulatory cases. As an advocate he is very tenacious. – Chambers and Partners 2021 His tremendous legal knowledge, guile, and technical ability allow him to find holes in even the strongest prosecution case. Has an amazing ability to find a weakness in even the most straightforward prosecution case. – Legal 500 2021 Professional Memberships AG List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates at List A.

Nick Saunders is an experienced advocate who prosecutes and defends in all areas of crime. Nick has particular expertise in drugs conspiracies, serious violence, and cases involving weapons and firearms. Nick is a Grade 4 General Crime, Grade 3 Serious Crime prosecutor and Grade 3 Fraud Panel and is regularly instructed as a led junior or junior alone in multi-handed conspiracies to supply drugs. In 2019 Nick worked in the British Virgin Islands prosecuting for the Director of Public Prosecutions in cases including multi-handed drug importations, and serious violence involving the use of firearms. In 2020 he returned to the BVI and defended in cases including child sex offences, and murder. Nick accepts instructions on a direct access basis. Education and Prizes LLB (2:1), Durham University BPTC, Very Competent, Kaplan Law School Jardine Studentship, Inner Temple Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Scholarship, Inner Temple Exhibition Award, Inner Temple Called to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court 2019

Richard is a highly regarded and sought after practitioner with a busy advisory and court practice. He practises in both criminal and civil law with an emphasis on asset forfeiture and recovery. Richard is a compelling and persuasive advocate, combining an astute tactical analysis with clear, succinct submissions. He is known for his calm manner and practical approach, which wins the trust and confidence of all parties concerned. He both prosecutes and defends, and regularly accepts instructions on behalf of companies, individuals, and Government departments. He is also direct access qualified and can received instructions direct from members of the public. Much of Richard’s work involves an international element, and he routinely acts for those who operate and / or live in foreign jurisdictions. Richard was responsible for obtaining the UK’s first European Supervision Order, allowing an EU national to be bailed back to their member state pending trial, subject to conditions monitored by the local police force, rather than remain in custody. He continues to specialise in obtaining such orders on a private basis. Expertise: Restraint, Asset Forfeiture and Confiscation Richard has considerable experience of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and asset forfeiture. He has provided advice and represented parties in criminal confiscation cases under part 2 of the Act, High Court civil recovery under part 5 of the Act, and tax tribunals under part 5 of the Act. Also, Richard is currently instructed by the National Crime Agency as the junior advocate in the civil Court of Appeal case, which concerns the nature of Suspicious Activity Reports under Part 7 of the Act. Richard has benefited considerably from being a consultant barrister at the National Crime Agency’s Civil Recovery and Tax Department, where he is currently the lead lawyer on all of their high profile criminal confiscation cases, as well as conducting and being exposed to many of their high-value civil recovery and tax tribunal claims. He regularly lectures on this topic, and has provided training to the CPS, National Crime Agency, and also internationally, including to lawyers in foreign jurisdictions. Richard is happy to act in restraint, criminal confiscation, civil recovery, enforcement, tax and cash forfeiture proceedings. Criminal Litigation Richard, who prosecutes and defends in the Crown Court, has considerable experience of acting in a wide range of serious matters. Richard works tirelessly for his clients, and in 2015 obtained the EU’s first European Supervision Order in Criminal proceedings, which allowed his Spanish client to be bailed back to Spain pending trial, with the Spanish authorities agreeing to monitor his English bail conditions. He has defended those charged with a wide range of offences, including conspiracy, armed robbery, serious violence, the production and supply of drugs, sexual offences, and fraud. He is also regularly instructed to defend clients in cases brought by the RSPCA, the Department of Work and Pensions, and HMRC. Richard advises clients before any charges are brought, to consider whether and how prosecution can be avoided, and whether there are alternative disposals that may be appropriate. He has also helped to advise corporations on their criminal liability. Concerning prosecution, Richard is a Grade 2 CPS advocate and is routinely instructed to prosecute matters in the London and Thames Valley areas. His experience includes prosecuting serious matters for the CPS Serious Organised Crime Unit such as human trafficking and drugs cases that formed part of Operation Trident. Further, he has acted as prosecution junior in two murder trials. Richard also has considerable experience acting on behalf of private prosecutors, such as the Department of Business Innovation and Skills, HMRC, and the Health and Safety Executive. Further, Richard has advised the Government of Kazakhstan on the initiation of private prosecutions for a series of offences within England and Wales. Regulatory and Disciplinary Proceedings Richard advises clients within the financial services industry, including on criminal and civil liability. His approach to this type of advisory work recognises the importance of considering the commercial and practical implications for his clients.

Rossano Scamardella KC

With a reputation for sound judgment, thorough preparation and fearless advocacy, Rossano is instructed to defend and prosecute in the most serious criminal cases. Whether it be as a leading junior, led junior or junior alone, Rossano has built a reputation for handling difficult cases particularly those involving serious violence, sexual offences and offences of drug importation, production and supply. Rossano has a reputation for outstanding trial strategy and tactics and his handling of difficult, vulnerable and hostile witnesses has led to instructions in complex and high-profile cases. A solid, dependable performer across the entire spectrum of criminal cases, whose incisive cross-examination and powerful closing speeches make Rossano a very popular choice for defence solicitors and prosecuting agencies. In addition to the emphasis on general crime, Rossano has recently been instructed to advise on trading standards and health and safety prosecutions.

Kartikeya Sharma

Kartikeya Sharma has a specialist insolvency and commercial disputes practice along with international arbitration, banking and financial litigation, company law/restructuring, and offshore litigation. Given his broad international disputes experience at various US, UK, and offshore law firms, Kartik is frequently instructed as a junior in international arbitrations and cross-border litigation matters. For a detailed insight into Kartik's international and offshore experience, please follow the links above. Kartik’s practice covers corporate insolvency, company law & restructuring, banking and financial disputes, general commercial litigation, civil fraud, enforcement of awards/judgments, and jurisdictional disputes. Kartik is able to represent parties in interlocutory application hearings as well as full trials. Kartik previously taught Company Law at the University of Cambridge and worked at the International Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, the International Court of Justice at The Hague, and the United Nations. Kartik was called to the BVI in 2021 and has held a practising certificate since. Kartik is registered as a Part II practitioner in the DIFC Courts. Some recent examples of his work L & S Accounting Firm Umbrella Ltd v Oronsaye & Ors [2024] EWHC 1919 (Ch) (26 July 2024): Appeared in the Chancery Division (led by Richard Clayton KC) in a summary judgment application concerning a £8.3mn alleged labour supply and VAT fraud with elements of breach of director’s duty and Knowing receipt. Epic Capital v Secretary of State for Planning [2024] EWHC 17 January 2024 (unreported): Appeared, as sole counsel, for the appellant to obtain an extension for filing of an appeal notice in the High Court. Re: Various Companies: Kartik frequently appears for companies as well as IPs in the Insolvency & Companies Court (ICC) for validation orders and other relief. In the Estate of XYZ, February 2024: Appeared, as sole counsel, in the High Court before HHJ Sir Jonathan Cohen; successfully obtained interim relief. Re: A multimillion commercial litigation (2023): Advised clients on the merits of challenging a S.236 Insolvency Act 1986 application launched by opposing solicitors of a Jersey company seeking further information from London-based directors. Re: An Edtech company (2024): As sole counsel, appeared for two shareholders of a company in an application hearing in English courts in a minority shareholder dispute. Successfully obtained interim relief orders. Re Ablyazov/Bank of Kazakhstan NO. BVIHCM2021/0171: Assisted, as a part of a team, in a £6bn blue-chip banking fraud spanning multiple jurisdictions. Re: A DIAC crude oil arbitration 2023: Advised on the merits of a potential DIAC arbitration; enforcement was a key issue as the Respondents’ assets were in India and the UAE. Advised on Indian law aspects as well and advised on mechanism to enforce Dubai based DIAC arbitral award in India and England. Re: An LCIA oil arbitration 2023: Prepared an advisory opinion on interpretation of various incoterms to determine issues of liability in a £5mn unjust enrichment claim: Zambian Law, London, LCIA arbitration. Re: One of UK’s largest banks (2023): Assisted, as a part of a team, in the appointment of joint liquidators in a cross-border insolvency in the BVI. Kartik has a Master of Law from the University of Cambridge where he focussed on Commercial Law.

Stephen Shay is a senior junior called in 1984, who is regularly instructed both for the prosecution and defence in serious cases. Stephen is experienced in all areas of serious, organised, complex and sensitive crime, such as homicide (including non-accidental head injury), causing death by dangerous driving, organised crime, rape and other serious sexual offences, domestic extremism, complex fraud and large-scale drugs offences. He is also experienced in crime-related judicial review and appellate work, and civil pleadings (having had a mixed practice some years ago). Stephen is a Grade 4 CPS prosecutor in London and the South East, who has also been appointed to the CPS Headquarters Serious Crime Group Specialist Panel and to the Specialist Rape Panel. His recent cases include the prosecution of a drug importation conspiracy involving £2m worth of cocaine, the prosecution of a Latvian defendant charged with allegations of marital rape and threats to kill, and the prosecution of an optician accused of systematically defrauding the NHS. His recent defence work includes defending an Afghan refugee on allegation of anal rape, defending a Lithuanian national on a charge of murder, and defending an alleged armed robber.

Gurdit Singh joins Chambers following the successful completion of his pupillage with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). During his time at the CPS, Gurdit gained experience prosecuting a varied mix of Crown Court and Magistrates’ Court work. He regularly prosecuted trial lists at the Magistrates Court’ and had exposure to cases concerning weapons, drugs, domestic abuse, motoring offences and violence. Gurdit was also seconded to the Attorney General’s Office where he drafted advisory briefs to the Law Officers regarding cases that had been referred as being unduly lenient. Gurdit is now looking to develop a mixed practice, and welcomes instructions to act on behalf of both the prosecution and defence. Away from work, Gurdit is a keen Manchester United fan often attending games as a season ticketholder. He also enjoys boxing training having competed when he was younger. Notable cases: R v Hannan [2023] EWCA Crim 941 - Advised the Solicitor General that the sentence imposed in a case of manslaughter was unduly lenient. Case was then considered at the Court of Appeal, with the initial sentence being quashed and a new extended sentence imposed.

John Small was called in 2002, and his specialisms are in commercial and employment law and the crossover of the two. Particularly, John specialises in company disputes, shareholder disputes, directors’ duties, unfair prejudice petitions, partnership disputes and post-termination/business protection work including trade secrets, confidential information and passing off. John is authorised to conduct litigation and accepts direct access instructions. John’s clients include SMEs, partnerships and solicitors and he prides himself on providing specific, to the point and quick advice to those who instruct him. John has a formidable reputation as an accomplished trial advocate, and he has built up a significant High Court practice. Recent cases include: Instructed by a shareholder to bring an unfair prejudice petition, breach of contract and various torts. Claim involves multiple defendants and involves complex issues of fiduciary duties, conspiracy claims and the Partnership Act 1890. Instructed by a joint shareholder and director to defend a complex breach of fiduciary claim. Claim involves multiple allegations and disputes in several different jurisdictions. Instructed by a joint shareholder and director to defend a derivative action and breach of fiduciary claim. Instructed by the directors of a struck off company to defend them against a liquidator’s claim for wrongful trading. Instructed by a CEO of a very-well known trading house in relation to his wrongful dismissal claim and breach of a shareholder’s agreement, in excess of £2m. Instructed by a CEO in respect of bonus and share options claims, challenging the applicability of the written terms and dealing with such issues an entire agreement clauses and estoppel. Instructed by a CEO to pursue claims in the High Court for breach of contract and wrongful dismissal. Claim worth in excess of £1m. Claim also includes a number of jurisdictional disputes covering a number of companies in several different jurisdictions. Instructed by two shareholders in large-scale damages claim for breach of a sales purchase and shareholder agreement. Instructed by two senior employees over in defending a freezing injunction and a damages claim for fraud. In addition to the above John also deals with the full gambit of commercial disputes, property disputes and insolvency matters. John is a member of COMBAR and the Employment Lawyers Association, and holds a LLM in Commercial Law, where as part of it he studied Private International Law. John has considerable experience is multi-jurisdictional claims and looks forward to continuing with this area of work.

Oliver Small completed pupillage at 23ES in October 2021. He was supervised by Daniel Fugallo, Tom Godfrey and James Bloomer. Oliver is instructed for both the prosecution and defence in cases at the Youth Court, Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court involving allegations of violent and sexual offences, weapons, drugs supply, Public Order Act offences, fraud and confiscation. He also has experience of successfully resisting civil applications brought by the Police. Before coming to the Bar, Oliver was a paralegal at the innovative not-for-profit law firm Commons, where he developed particular skills in representing young and vulnerable clients

Graham defends and prosecutes in all areas of serious and organised crime, including murder, large scale drug offences (importation and supply), people trafficking for sexual exploitation, firearms related crime, and offences related to the making, possessing and distribution of indecent images of children.

Jonathan has a wide and varied chancery and commercial practice split evenly between contentious and advisory/drafting work. Following a traditional chancery pupillage he has acquired a reputation for dealing with significant matters relating to wills and trusts, probate and estate administration, court of protection and family provision, and regularly gives seminars on connected topics. He practises extensively in all aspects of property law, from matters as diverse as commercial landlord and tenant, neighbour disputes, claims for legal and beneficial interests, to agricultural partnerships, building disputes and statutory compensation. Jonathan has undertaken a significant number of claims against solicitors for professional negligence in connection with conveyancing transactions, the conduct of litigation and will preparation/execution.

Heather Stangoe

Heather Stangoe has a busy and successful practice in the prosecution and defence of serious crime. She is a consummate criminal advocate. Heather has extensive experience in sensitive, emotive, high profile cases involving vulnerable witnesses and defendants. Her specialisms include serious sexual offences, human trafficking, offences against children and grave violence. Heather has a reputation for sound judgement, thorough preparation and fearless advocacy. Her talents include outstanding trial strategy, the handling of difficult, vulnerable and hostile witnesses, and powerful cross examination. Heather appears regularly alongside Silks and is a very popular choice. Heather is a Grade 4 Prosecutor and is a trained facilitator for advocacy and the vulnerable. Whilst Heather has both prosecuted and defended in the most serious criminal cases she will act for any client who values skilled advocacy.

Caroline Stewart

Caroline commenced 3rd six pupillage in October 2018 before being taken on as a full tenant on the 9th May 2019. Before coming to the Bar Caroline worked as legal assistant to Queen’s Counsel specialising in criminal defence. She assisted in a range of serious criminal cases in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal, including terrorism, murder, attempted murder, non-recent child sexual offences, money-laundering and confiscation. Caroline undertakes a range of criminal work in the Magistrates’, Youth and Crown Courts. She has experience prosecuting and defending in cases of assault, sexual offences, burglary and theft offences, criminal damage, driving offences, and public order offences. Caroline has represented the Metropolitan Police Service in cash forfeiture and closure hearings and acted for the prosecution and defence in confiscation and enforcement proceedings, notably as led junior instructed by the Serious Fraud Office in a multi-handed, £14 million confiscation.

Joseph Templeton

Joseph has appeared in the Crown Court, the High Court and the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. He has provided written advice in criminal matters to defendants, the Crown and others. Additionally, he has been seconded to the tax division of the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (as was), to Stephen Platt & Associates, an offshore partnership that advises on financial regulation, and, in 2013-14, to Kingsley Napley LLP. The subjects of this work have ranged from small ‘evasion of duty’ cases to well-known investment companies and banks.

Asa is a specialist chancery/commercial practitioner and one of the founder members of 23ES Commercial, joining from St James’s Chambers in July 2015. He undertakes work in all aspects of those fields, but with particular specialism in the areas of banking, company, defamation, insolvency, landlord and tenant, probate, professional negligence, real property, trusts and general commercial litigation.

Sam prosecutes and defends in all areas of criminal law, including sexual offences, offences of violence and dishonesty, and drug offences. He has successfully represented clients in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). He is particularly adept at dealing with clients who are suffering from mental health problems and is praised for his strong communication skills when dealing with people of all backgrounds. Sam is on the CPS advocate panel at Grade 2, but has been instructed by other prosecuting authorities, such as HM Revenue & Customs, the police and the Financial Conduct Authority to act in an advisory capacity. He is also experienced at dealing with ancillary orders, such as Proceeds Of Crime Act matters and Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (formerly Sexual Offences Prevention Orders). He is regularly privately instructed to defend in road traffic cases. Before joining 23 Essex Street Sam worked for a well-known North London solicitors’ firm. Whilst there he assisted in the representation of a man accused of Britain’s largest mortgage fraud. He also represented suspects at the police station for a range of criminal offences including robbery, perjury and grievous bodily harm. He is therefore alive to the needs of solicitors and understands their relationship with the lay client.

Alexander Upton

Alex has established an excellent reputation as a confident and persuasive trial advocate. Whether acting as led junior counsel or sole counsel alone, his meticulous preparation of cases combined with sensitive client/witness care and robust advocacy means he is a barrister who is very much in demand. Alex’s expertise covers the full range of criminal offences, both private and publicly funded, including large scale fraud, violence, drugs, organised crime and sexual offences. In addition to defending, Alex is also a Grade 3 CPS prosecutor.

Rebecca Vanstone

Rebecca Vanstone is recognised in both The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading Junior in the field of professional disciplinary and regulatory law, where she is described as ‘an outstanding counsel’. Shortlisted for Professional Disciplinary Junior of the Year by The Legal 500 – 2024 Rebecca is an experienced and accomplished advocate who specialises in a wide range of regulatory and professional disciplinary work for professions including healthcare, accountancy and law. She has significant experience of conducting factually complex, technical and paper-heavy substantive hearings as well as appearing at the interim order and substantive order review stages of proceedings. Rebecca appears before Tribunals of the GMC (MPTS), GDC, GOC, NMC, HCPC (HCPTS), GPHC, SRA (SDT), ARB, ACCA, ICAEW and CIPFA. She also appears before the First Tier and Upper Tier Tribunals for the NHSE in performers list proceedings for GP, pharmaceutical, ophthalmic and dental performers. Rebecca sits as a legal assessor for RICS and for CICAIR. Rebecca is on List ‘A’ of the Specialist Regulatory Advocates list which governs matters brought by the Environment Agency, Health & Safety Executive, the Office of Rail and Road and the Care Quality Commission. She is highly experienced in these matters and is instructed to prosecute some of the largest cases brought by the EA. She provides pre-charge advice and representation for a range of waste and water offences, as well as for associated confiscation proceedings. Rebecca is also experienced in defending matters brought by the Health and Safety Executive and by local authorities who prosecute under the same legislation. Rebecca has experience in the field of financial regulation and has worked on a number of corporate investigations involving issues of corporate governance, risk management and AML procedures, including the requirements of KYC/B and EDD. Additional information Rebecca was seconded to the Environment Agency (six months in 2011) and the General Medical Council (six months in 2015), and also spent 18 months within the Professional Regulatory Team at Blake Morgan LLP (2016-2017). She is therefore familiar with the internal policies and issues faced by regulators when bringing proceedings. Rebecca is authorised by the Bar Council to accept instructions under Direct Access in all areas of her practice. Rebecca is deputy head of the regulatory team within chambers and edits the chambers’ professional regulatory quarterly bulletin. Professional Memberships Approved counsel for the General Dental Council (GDC). Approved counsel for the General Medical Council (GMC). Appointed advocate to the List of Specialist Regulatory Counsel (for EA, HSE, ORR, CQC) (List A) Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL) United Kingdom Environmental Lawyers Association (UKELA) Criminal Bar Association The Inner Temple

Adam Watkins is an experienced specialist criminal advocate with a heavyweight caseload. His practice is split evenly between prosecution and defence work. Adam is a Grade 3 prosecutor frequently instructed by the Manchester Complex Case Unit and the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit. Recent instructions for the defence include murder (both led and alone), large-scale drug importations, firearms offences, rape and child-grooming cases, and multi-defendant fraud. Adam qualified as a solicitor in 1994 and spent ten years practising exclusively in criminal law. In 2004 he transferred to the Bar, completing pupillage at Peel Court. Adam’s experience as a solicitor gave him a thorough grounding in the practical problems faced by solicitors and legal representatives at all stages of case preparation. Adam is qualified to accept instructions from clients on a direct access basis.

Carl Wheeler is an experienced criminal barrister. He is regularly instructed to both defend and prosecute in a wide range of cases including large-scale drug trafficking, serious violence, firearm offences, and fraud. Carl is a Grade 3 prosecutor on the CPS General Crime Panel. Carl is also experienced in sports law. He has acted on behalf of the Football Association in hearings before the FA Disciplinary Commission. Professional Memberships CPS Panel Advocate Grade 3 Criminal Bar Association Inner Temple

Rupert is a criminal barrister with substantial expertise in related public law and human rights matters. He is a tenacious and committed advocate with particular skill in identifying and employing subtle points of law in order to succeed in his client’s case. As well as being an accomplished trial advocate, he has been instructed in numerous cases before the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) and the High Court (Queen’s Bench Division). Rupert has represented clients charged with the whole range of serious criminal offences. His recent trials include armed robbery, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and aggravated arson. Rupert also has significant experience in financial crime cases and the related confiscation, forfeiture and asset recovery proceedings. In addition to traditional criminal law, Rupert regularly advises on and litigates judicial review and civil claims arising from criminal litigation. His dedication and eye for detail have led to recent successful claims against the Ministry of Justice, the police and the lower courts. Rupert has a strong interest in international criminal law. He recently assisted a defence team at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague. He has a wide knowledge of international human rights issues and is a member of the Executive of the Bar Human Rights Committee. Outside of daily practice, Rupert regularly contributes to legal journals and publications. He is the co-editor of “Confiscation” for Butterworths’ Money Laundering Law.

Barry has a vast 23 years experience of Criminal Law, procedure and advocacy. Prior to Joining 23 Essex Street, he was employed as in-house Counsel for a leading national firm attending courts around the Country on a daily basis. Before qualifying he practised as a Senior Crown Court Caseworker and Head of Crown Court and Police Station departments for Solicitors firms and to this day remains an Accredited Police Station Advisor occasionally representing suspects. His practise has been built up on his ability to communicate with clients from all walks of life, a skill he has learnt from hours in police stations and having his own clients to work with and to build a report with. He has an ability to juggle numerous issues and cases and can rapidly decipher that which is relevant. Barry is an all- round advocate with impressive skills that are widely demonstrated to his lay clients. His meticulous preparation, enthusiasm and fiery stubbornness in the interests of his client are highly regarded. He is well known and respected throughout the profession and has built up a vast network of contacts over the years from experts to other legal professionals. Defending at the highest level of practice he has represented clients across the entire range of criminal cases . Barry differs from many in that he has dedicated his life to the legal profession, having represented his first murder suspect when he was 17 years old. HIs professional empathy and patience in handling clients with diverse vulnerabilities is well known. As a good, solid all-rounder he has been instructed on a wide range of criminal, regulatory and other tribunal based litigation over the years. Barry also holds a personal interest in International Criminal Law and will be developing this practise area.

Lisa Wilding KC

Lisa Wilding KC is ranked in the Legal directories as a Leading Silk in Crime and described as an “impressive” silk who “ naturally and quickly establishes herself as a reassuring voice of authority and intellect in a courtroom”. The Legal 500 says ‘She genuinely stops at nothing to ensure that she has every detail nailed down and knows the case inside-out and back-to-front. She is unusually generous with her time for and patience with defendants, and her obvious hard work is recognised and rewarded with their absolute confidence in her.’ Chambers and Partners describes her as ‘an impressive silk specialising in the prosecution and defence of murder and serious sexual offences, among other cases”. Lisa Wilding is particularly noted for her handling of complex evidence and the sensitive way in which she deals with vulnerable witnesses and defendants’. She is noted to be ‘An excellent choice for large, document-heavy cases and an engaging advocate whom juries warm to’ and as someone who ‘ works tirelessly for her clients and offers first-rate representation.’ Lisa’s reputation derives from her many years of experience dealing with the most complex and sensitive cases. She is regularly instructed in very serious sexual cases and those involving young or vulnerable witnesses and defendants. She represents high profile clients including those from the medical and other professions charged with sexual offences when her calm manner, tactical decision-making and thorough preparation distinguish her amongst her peers. Lisa’s recognised skills in dealing with large, document-heavy cases arise from her involvement in very lengthy and substantial cases involving allegations of fraud, human trafficking, sexual grooming rings and widescale sexual abuse. Lisa also has over 16 years experience prosecuting and defending homicide trials. She regularly appears in cases where psychiatric issues arise and has very considerable experience of dealing with complex and expert medical, psychiatric and scientific evidence. She regularly conducts extensive cross-examination of medical professionals, technical expert witnesses and other scientific evidence in a manner that makes it accessible and engaging for the jury. Recent instructions in murder trials include a killing by a female upon her partner involving the defences of loss of control and diminished responsibility in the wider context of coercive control and a killing by a mentally disordered male with learning and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her wider experience includes many gang-related killings involving the most complex cell-site evidence, anonymous witnesses and covert investigations. Lisa’s is also instructed to advise upon regulatory issues and to assist organisations and charities who internally investigate alleged misconduct. Recent instructions include an Advice to the United Nations World Food Programme where she investigated and advised upon allegation of historic rape by a WFP employee upon a refugee in camp. She also accepts instructions in appellate and advisory work, including post-conviction appeals when not instructed at trial, where her in skill in dealing with complex evidence and thorough forensic approach are recognised. What the Legal Directories say: “Lisa is a star performer. She is genuinely a class act. She fights her way through bloody cut-throats; her cross-examination on evidence such as phone schedules is a thing of beauty. Her judgement is impeccable, and she commands courtrooms.” – Legal 500 2023 – Crime “Empathetic yet firm with clients and a team player who leads in taking difficult decisions when required. She is a powerful voice in court and can annihilate witnesses in cross-examination.” – Chambers and Partners 2022 – Crime “Lisa is a star performer. She is genuinely a class act. She fights her way through bloody cut-throats; her cross-examination on evidence such as phone schedules is a thing of beauty. Her judgement is impeccable, and she commands courtrooms.” – Legal 500 2022 – Crime

Prior to being called to the Bar, Brian Williams worked in the commercial and financial sector including two years with a large firm of commercial solicitors dealing with insolvency and commercial disputes. After starting at the Bar with a mixed practice, he soon gravitated towards criminal work and for the last 25 years his main practice has been in criminal advocacy. He has extensive experience in dealing with criminal cases of every type for both defence and prosecution. He has been instructed in many cases involving historic sexual abuse, large scale drugs conspiracies and homicide. Recent examples of his work include prosecuting a solicitor for fraud, prosecuting a pharmacy dispenser for supplying drugs which contributed to a young boy’s death, defending in an historic sexual abuse cases in which two brothers abused their younger step sister over a number of years defending in a multi handed gangland firearms conspiracy and defending in a multi handed people trafficking conspiracy. Although regularly instructed in the most serious cases he maintains the ethos that no matter what the circumstances are, every case is important to his client and is deserving of the best representation He has been described as a thorough and persuasive jury advocate with a good manner with clients of all types. Outside work his time is taken up by his family and his interests in music and outdoor activities.

Katie Williams regularly defends in the Crown Court, in a wide range of matters. She also frequently represents the Appropriate Authority in Police Misconduct allegations and defends Police Officers, both in the Criminal Courts and in Misconduct proceedings. Katie specialises in defending clients with learning differences or mental health issues with whom she is quickly able to build a strong rapport. Together with her background in intelligence (enabling her to analyse and challenge, for example, cell site and surveillance), she consistently secures instructions in cases that would ordinarily be considered above her call, in recognition of her particular combination of skills. She has recently defended the most vulnerable accused of ‘county lines’, commercial robbery and armed domestic robbery, section 18 GBH, aggravated burglary, kidnap and firearms offences, for instance. Although Katie predominantly defends, she is also approved to prosecute at Grade 2. Awards: FCA At Our Best Award (2018); Inner Temple Lawson Moot Finalist (2017); Inner Temple Major Scholarship (2016); Inner Temple Duke of Edinburgh Award (2016); The Provost’s Award for Excellence, University of Law (2016); and Recent Graduate of the Year Award, University of Nottingham (2016)

Emily Woodside is a barrister in 23ES’ Crime team. Emily is instructed for both the prosecution and defence in cases at the Crown Court, in a wide range of matters including drugs supply, violent and sexual offences, Public Order Act offences, and confiscation proceedings. Before joining Chambers Emily interned for the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in the Hauge. Whilst there she was involved in the prosecution of the former President of Kosovo, and other senior government officials, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Emily has also worked as a legal researcher for a safeguarding company. Professional Memberships The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn Criminal Bar Association The Northern Circuit CPS General Crime Panel Advocate - Grade 2