23 Essex Street > Manchester, England > Set Profile
23 Essex Street Offices

23 Essex Street
CENTURY BUILDINGS, 14 ST MARY'S PARSONAGE
MANCHESTER
M3 2DF
England
23 Essex Street > The Legal 500 Rankings
London Bar > Fraud: crime Tier 2
23 Essex Street 'has an extremely good reputation in the field of fraud', and is consequently known for 'skilled and diligent' representation of clients in major fraud cases, ranging from Ponzi schemes to boiler room fraud, money laundering, and tax and election fraud, both prosecuting and defending. Recent matters include James McCrindell, who defended in an election fraud case involving obtaining signatures by claiming to represent other parties; the matter was one of the first cases heard in a Nightingale Court. Mark Fenhalls QC prosecuted the operator of a foreign exchange Ponzi scheme. Cairns Nelson QC, who is representing a former football executive accused of alleged theft of money from CONCACAF, the North American and Central American football governing body, is one of several members with connections in the Cayman Islands.
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘23 Essex Street have remarkable talent from junior to senior counsel.’
‘23 Essex Street has an extremely good reputation in the field of fraud and asset forfeiture; one that is richly deserved. Counsel are, without exception, skilled and diligent.’
‘23 Essex Street is a great set of Chambers with some very fine counsel there, silks and juniors, prosecutors and defenders.’
‘23 Essex Street is a chambers which sets the bar for criminal defence. It has been my chambers of choice for 20 years and I don’t see that changing. In terms of prosecution, its members do so with the same level of commitment as if defending, but always with fairness.‘
Clerking
‘Even queries of the utmost urgency are dealt with efficiently by Wayne King and the clerking team – they know how to get the right person for the job.’
‘The clerks will go out of their way to assist. Wayne King and Adam Chapman are my points of contact generally. I find their communication is exemplary and the service they provide is always of a very high quality.’
South Eastern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud) Tier 2
At 23ES, recent case highlights include Kate Lumsdon QC prosecuting Daniel Styles who was convicted of the murder of a vulnerable alcoholic who he had allowed to stay at his home during lockdown. Eloise Marshall QC is instructed in high-profile cases of murder, people trafficking and serious sexual offences; James Bloomer is sought after for his expertise in representing vulnerable defendants charged with serious offences; and Alan Gardner QC prosecutes and defends in cases involving complex fraud, organised crime, murder and serious sexual offences, including large-scale child sexual abuse cases.
Leading Silks
2022 Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘An extremely professional and resourceful set of chambers‘.
Clerking
‘Chambers director Wayne King runs a tight ship‘.
‘Adam Chapman is a diligent and highly skilled clerk – always a pleasure to deal with‘.
‘Adam Chapman always goes above and beyond to try and help‘.
London Bar > Crime Tier 3
At 23ES, the team has a solid track record in prosecuting and defending across the full spectrum of criminal matters, including murder, terrorism, and sexual offences. In a recent highlight for the set, Paul Bogan QC successfully represented a 21-year-old autistic man, who had been charged with multiple offences under the Explosive Substances Act and the Terrorism Act, in R v Copeland before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reversed an initial decision made by the Court of Appeal, on the grounds that personal experimentation with such substances – without an ulterior, unlawful purpose – can be a lawful object. In April 2022 Madeleine Wolfe moved to 2 Hare Court.Leading Silks
2020 Silks
2022 Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘The set has never provided me with anything less than exceptional service.’
‘The set offers an outstanding service.’
‘23 Essex Street excels in the quality of QCs and juniors specialising in crime.’
Clerking
‘Clerks at this firm work quickly and are always on the ball. They are always contactable and are first to let you know of late listings before the court even call or email.’
‘The set has a conscientious, approachable, and highly professional clerking team who go the extra mile to assist solicitors.’
‘Adam Chapman is an excellent clerk as he just makes the solicitor’s job that much easier. He is able to match suitable counsel to a case and keeps in constant contact.’
London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law Tier 3
23ES has an 'established presence in professional discipline'. Paul Ozin QC, who is Chair of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers, successfully represented a client in judicial review, R (Awodola) v ACCA, concerning a claim that a rule book change in the course of an appeal process, held to apply to clients' case was unfair and breached natural justice. Tim Grey 'is without a doubt elite counsel in regulatory proceedings'; he represented the GMC in the case of a doctor who had murdered his mother following a long and abusive upbringing and relationship, and was later found to be impaired and erased from the medical register.Testimonials
Set
‘A good set in terms of regulatory/disciplinary work.’
‘Counsel availability is always excellent. They have a breadth of experience and always have someone able to take on any case. I have been impressed with their diversity.’
Clerking
‘The set is clerked very well, by a well-organised team run by the excellent Wayne King.’
‘Dan Randall is simply excellent and leads the clerking team in this sector. He is extremely knowledgeable about both the sector and about finding the right fit for the right case. Wayne King as chambers director is also extremely well informed across the piece.’
Northern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud) Tier 3
23 Essex Street has an ‘excellent team‘ with ‘strength in depth‘. The set is home to Bob Sastry, who has extensive experience handling cases involving large-scale conspiracies, fraud matters, money laundering, grave allegations of violence and serious cases of a sexual nature. Barry White is another standout practitioner and is ‘relentless‘ in pursuing the best outcome for his clients. The ‘very professional‘ Daniel Lister and Hugh McKee are also noted. McKee frequently prosecute and defend in cases involving serious sexual allegations, violence, murder, conspiracies to rob and to supply drugs.Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Our serious & general crime team are fans of 23 Essex Street. The set is known for its consistency and quality, particularly for serious crime. ‘
‘The best criminal set in the North West. Fantastic clerks. Strong group of capable down to earth counsel. Would highly recommend.’
‘This Chambers offers excellent service. Team of experienced counsel, all of whom provide a polished and professional approach.’
‘Very good chambers. Always able to assist at short notice. They can never do enough for you. ‘
‘The chambers have an excellent team and have never been disappointed with choice of Counsel.’
‘The chambers has a wide and diverse array of options in respect of criminal counsel. Senior clerk Sean Hulston always goes above and beyond to ensure the preferred choice of counsel is available.’
’23ES are a good set of chambers with several high quality advocates. ‘
Northern Circuit > Chancery, probate, and tax
Leading Juniors
Northern Circuit > Commercial litigation
Leading Juniors
Northern Circuit > Company and insolvency
Leading Juniors
Northern Circuit > Property and construction
Leading Juniors
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud) Tier 3
23 Essex Street has an ‘excellent team‘ with ‘strength in depth‘. The set is home to Bob Sastry, who has extensive experience handling cases involving large-scale conspiracies, fraud matters, money laundering, grave allegations of violence and serious cases of a sexual nature. Barry White is another standout practitioner and is ‘relentless‘ in pursuing the best outcome for his clients. The ‘very professional‘ Daniel Lister and Hugh McKee are also noted. McKee frequently prosecute and defend in cases involving serious sexual allegations, violence, murder, conspiracies to rob and to supply drugs.Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Our serious & general crime team are fans of 23 Essex Street. The set is known for its consistency and quality, particularly for serious crime. ‘
‘The best criminal set in the North West. Fantastic clerks. Strong group of capable down to earth counsel. Would highly recommend.’
‘This Chambers offers excellent service. Team of experienced counsel, all of whom provide a polished and professional approach.’
‘Very good chambers. Always able to assist at short notice. They can never do enough for you. ‘
‘The chambers have an excellent team and have never been disappointed with choice of Counsel.’
‘The chambers has a wide and diverse array of options in respect of criminal counsel. Senior clerk Sean Hulston always goes above and beyond to ensure the preferred choice of counsel is available.’
’23ES are a good set of chambers with several high quality advocates. ‘
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Chancery, probate, and tax
Leading Juniors
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Commercial litigation
Leading Juniors
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Company and insolvency
Leading Juniors
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Property and construction
Leading Juniors
23 Essex Street > Set Profile
23ES
23ES is a modern, innovative, approachable set of barristers, with a leading reputation in crime, fraud, a range of regulatory and disciplinary matters and more recently commercial law. John Price QC and Cairns Nelson QC were elected as joint head of chambers in November 2015. Under their collective stewardship chambers has continued to grow and is a national criminal set in London and Manchester.
The set: Chambers has a genuine commitment to teamwork, supported by both its formal training programme and its inherent culture, which ensures important recent experience is shared across chambers. This experience is broad, with members of chambers undertaking the entire range of mainstream criminal law, as well as associated regulatory and civil work. Within this, chambers has set up a number of specialist teams, offering a strong portfolio of barristers who are effective at all levels, to harness and develop expertise in certain niche practice areas.
Members regularly appear in high-profile cases in all levels of court in England and Wales as well as other jurisdictions, including the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights.
Chambers is supported by a motivated clerking team that are committed to delivering a first-class service to clients and members alike.
Types of work undertaken: Chambers deals with Crime, Financial and Corporate Crime, Regulatory and Professional Discipline work , Inquests and Inquiries, Civil and Commercial work. Specialist areas include corporate and financial regulatory, healthcare discipline, police discipline, environmental crime, IP crime and trading standards. Chambers also undertakes Court Martial, Prison Law, Property Law, Sports Law and direct access work. Chambers also has a strong track record in international work with members appearing in human rights cases involving genocide, war crimes, and international terrorism.
Crime: 23ES is one of the largest and strongest sets of criminal barristers in England and Wales. Chambers currently has over 100 barristers. The size and national presence of chambers enables it to offer a genuine depth and expertise across the full spectrum of criminal law. Chambers not only defends at the highest level, but is also instructed by all of the major prosecuting agencies including the Serious Fraud Office, Organised Crime Division, the Complex Casework Units and BEIS, on a national level. The general crime team also have a particular expertise in sexual offences involving vulnerable witnesses, and county-lines drug offences.
Financial and Corporate Crime: 23ES continues to enjoy a superb reputation in this field, with talented and sought after Members prosecuting and defending in many serious and notable fraud cases both in the UK and other common law jurisdictions. Chambers has significant and growing experience in advisory and investigation work in fraud related HMRC tribunal work. Alongside the financial crime practice, runs the civil fraud team comprising commercial law specialists with expertise in civil consequences of fraud such as insolvency. Many of the juniors undertake secondments at the key financial regulators, including the FCA, HMRC and SFO, enhancing chambers knowledge and experience.
Professional regulatory and discipline: Chambers continues to present the most serious of cases on behalf of various regulators, including appellate and public law work. These include healthcare regulators (GMC, GDC, GCC, GOC, NMC, RCN, SRA, HCPC), financial regulators (notably ACCA and CIPFA), police work and niche work regulators, including the British Psychoanalytical Council and the Forensic Science Regulator.
Chambers services cross-over criminal/regulatory work from BEIS, FCA, Environmental,Trading Standards and CMA. There is strength across call bands, including the junior members of chambers have a depth of experience beyond their call built on secondment posts with the regulators.
Commercial: The team offers barristers of differing seniorities and styles, with specialisms ranging from traditional chancery areas such as trusts, wills, probate and real property, company law, partnership, Inheritance Act claims, charities and taxation to general commercial litigation, sale of goods and professional negligence. It also has considerable expertise in corporate and personal insolvency.
Additionally, a number of members of the team have significant experience in banking and finance matters, acting for a number of large lenders as well as borrowers on areas ranging from securities to the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Education and training: Members of chambers are involved in all stages of education and training at the Bar. Chambers is proud to have provided several chairmen of the Criminal Bar Association as well as a leader of the South Eastern Circuit and many members of the committees of these and other organisations; thereby contributing to the sustainability and growth of the bar. Paul Ozin QC co-authors a leading practitioners text on the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and was co-ordinating editor of 23 Essex Streets Financial Crime Update in Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law. The general editor of Archbold and Criminal Law Week, James Richardson QC, remains a door tenant having practised from chambers and members regularly contribute to a range of legal periodicals. 23 Essex Street is a recognised leader in the field of legal training, running its own continuing education seminars and a well renowned pupillage training programme. Chambers commitment to education and training is ongoing.
Tenancy: Applications should be addressed to the director of tenancy, Rossano Scamardella QC. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. Please see the website for further details.
Pupillage: Applications are advertised on the website – www.23es.com
Mini-pupillage: A limited number are available.
Correspondence regarding mini-pupillages should be made via the email address minipupillage@23es.com.
London: 1 Grays Inn Square, London, WC1R 5AA
Manchester: Waterhouse, 2nd Floor, 41 Spring Gardens, Manchester M2 2BG Tel: 0161 870 9969 DX: 303434 Manchester
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Joint Head of Chambers | PRICE QC, John (1982) | ||
Joint Head of Chambers | NELSON QC, Cairns (1987) | ||
MISKIN QC, Charles (1975) | |||
Enoch QC Dafydd (1985) | |||
FitzGibbon QC Francis (1986) | |||
BOGAN QC, Paul (1983) | |||
MULHOLLAND QC, James (1986) | |||
ALI QC, Zafar (1994) | |||
FENHALLS QC, Mark (1992) | |||
OZIN QC, Paul (1987) | |||
HUNTER QC, Allison (1986) | |||
CLARK QC, Tim (1993) | |||
LUMSDON QC, Kate (2018) | |||
MARSHALL QC, Eloise (2018) | |||
SCAMARDELLA QC, Rossano (2018) | |||
MACHIN, Charles (1973) | |||
MULHOLLAND, Michael (1976) | |||
HARRISON, Michael (1979) | |||
HORNSBY, Walton (1980) | |||
MCKEE, Hugh (1983) | |||
RILEY, John (1983) | |||
BROWN, Roy (1983) | |||
SHAY, Stephen (1984) | |||
WILLIAMS, Brian (1986) | |||
CRANSTON-MORRIS, Wayne (1986) | |||
PRITCHETT, Stephen (1989) | |||
FORGAN, Hugh (1989) | |||
SMITH, Jonathan (1991) | |||
AMIS, Christopher (1991) | |||
MOORE, Richard (1992) | |||
MILNE, Richard (1992) | |||
O'CONNOR, Ged (1993) | |||
MCCRINDELL, James (1993) | |||
BENTWOOD, Richard (1994) | |||
WATKINS, Adam (1994) | |||
CASELLA, Bart (1995) | |||
HARGAN, Carl (1995) | |||
MCGRATH, Francis (1995) | |||
HOSSAIN, Ahmed (1996) | |||
MORRIS, Sarah (1996) | |||
SASTRY, Bob (1996) | |||
BRODY, Saul (1996) | |||
HOPE, Ian (1996) | |||
GARDNER, Alan (1997) | |||
ROYLE, Charles (1997) | |||
SANDYS, Neil (1998) | |||
WOLFE, Madeleine (1998) | |||
FUGALLO, Daniel (1999) | |||
SMITH, Graham (1999) | |||
BATES, Leslie (1999) | |||
DUNKIN, Oliver (1999) | |||
GREY,Tim (1999) | |||
HUSBANDS, Abigail (2000) | |||
HAMLET, Christopher (2000) | |||
BLOOMER, James (2000) | |||
POVALL, David (2000) | |||
HARRIS, Adrian (2001) | |||
FARLEY, David (2001) | |||
EAGLESTONE, William (2001) | |||
KHAN, Aisha (2002) | |||
DYE, John (2002) | |||
JAMES, Rhodri (2002) | |||
HILL, Rina-Marie (2002) | |||
SAUL, Sonya (2002) | |||
BANKS, Nathan (2003) | |||
COMMON, Hamish (2003) | |||
GODFREY, Tom (2003) | |||
POMFRET, Brad (2004) | |||
GOSLING, Tom (2004) | |||
UPTON, Alexander (2004) | |||
MOHAMMED, Rashad (2004) | |||
BUNBURY, Claire (2006) | |||
TEMPLETON, Joseph (2006) | |||
VANSTONE, Rebecca (2006) | |||
MORGAN, Iestyn (2006) | |||
BARRACLOUGH, Lee (2006) | |||
RASIAH, Nathan (2007) | |||
DUFFY, Patrick (2007) | |||
WHITE, Barry (2007) | |||
ROSENBERG, Jeremy (2009) | |||
SAYNOR, Richard (2009) | |||
CABRAL, Carolina (2009) | |||
LISTER, Daniel (2009) | |||
WHEELER, Rupert (2010) | |||
ACKER, Elizabeth (2010) | |||
DUONG, Helena (2010) | |||
GAINZA, Victoria (2010) | |||
MCINTYRE, Sarah-Kate (2011) | |||
SMITH, Robert (2011) | |||
TOLSON, Asa (2012) | |||
MILLS, Alex (2012) | |||
TREFGARNE, Sam (2012) | |||
MURPHY, Micheal (2013) | |||
DAINTY, David (2013) | |||
O'DONOGHUE, Daniel (2013) | |||
QUEFFURUS, Sasha (2014) | |||
WHITE, Tom (2015) | |||
CYPLES, Kelly (2016) | |||
TEALE, Josephine (2016) | |||
CLEGG, Amelia (2017) | |||
STEWART, Caroline (2017) | |||
HODGETTS, Matthew (2017) |
Barrister Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Nathan Banks | Nathan practises in all aspects of chancery and commercial law with specific… | View Profile |
![]() | Lee Barraclough | View Profile | |
![]() | Saul Brody | Highly regarded, experienced, meticulous and incisive, he is instructed on behalf of… | View Profile |
![]() | Claire Bunbury | ‘She has a cost-effective and commercial approach’. Legal 500, 2015 : Commercial,… | View Profile |
![]() | Kelly Cyples | Crime Kelly has specialised in criminal law since 2007, predominantly defending in… | View Profile |
![]() | Tom Gosling | “A great advocate, concise and thorough in all his work.”Legal 500, 2020 Commercial,… | View Profile |
![]() | Wesley Griffiths | View Profile | |
![]() | Carl Hargan | Carl Hargan, a senior junior of 19 years call, is regularly instructed… | View Profile |
![]() | Charles Machin | Charles Machin has over 40 years’ experience in the fields of Chancery… | View Profile |
![]() | Hugh McKee | Hugh McKee is a senior criminal practitioner with a heavyweight caseload. For… | View Profile |
![]() | Richard Moore | Richard is a litigator whose practice encompasses both traditional Chancery matters, as… | View Profile |
![]() | Micheal Murphy | View Profile | |
![]() | Brad Pomfret | Brad has a broad-ranging commercial litigation and arbitration practice, covering diverse areas… | View Profile |
![]() | Stephen Pritchett | View Profile | |
![]() | Bob Sastry | General Crime Bob Sastry regularly prosecutes and defends in high-level criminal cases.… | View Profile |
![]() | Jonathan Smith | Jonathan has a wide and varied chancery and commercial practice split evenly… | View Profile |
![]() | Asa Tolson | Asa is a specialist chancery/commercial practitioner and one of the founder members… | View Profile |
![]() | Adam Watkins | View Profile | |
![]() | Brian Williams | View Profile |