25 Bedford Row > London, England > Set Profile

Chambers of P Mendelle QC, G Carter-Stephenson QC & J Dein QC
25 Bedford Row
LONDON
WC1R 4HD
England

Email firm Visit website 020 7067 1500 020 7067 1507

London Bar > Crime Tier 1

25 Bedford Row stands out as a ‘first-class criminal defence-orientated set‘. Members’ workloads include complex cases of serious sexual offences, murder, serious violence and drugs conspiracies. George Carter-Stephenson QC and Michael Neofytou appeared in the high-profile case of R v Raymond Hoadley, where the defendant was convicted of the murder of his estranged wife, a disability rights campaigner. In another matter, Diana Ellis QC and Laurie-Anne Power QC defended a man, who was charged (alongside his cousin) with the murder of a man who the cousins thought was responsible for the theft of the cousin's bicycle.

Leading Silks

Paul Mendelle QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Paul is one of the most distinguished practitioners at the Criminal Bar. He is honest, forensically thorough and supremely articulate — no client could hope or find better. Amongst his many strengths and qualities are his highly accomplished advocacy, the extremely high standard of his written submissions and his expert legal knowledge. He is a powerful presence in court and brings great authority to bear with real courtesy and charm. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

George Carter-Stephenson QC –25 Bedford Row ‘His mastery of detail is phenomenal. He brings decades’ worth of experience in defending the most serious allegations in the criminal calendar — he has seen pretty much everything there is to see, and yet retains a natural enthusiasm for his cases that makes him a formidable operator in court.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Jeremy Dein QC –25 Bedford Row ‘Jeremy has the ability to thrive under pressure and will always be prepared no matter what the task is at hand. An outstanding defence advocate who will always provide a first-class service to his clients. As a case unfolds sometimes the law becomes more complex, this is where he will leave others behind. Jeremy is also one of the finest appellant advocates at the criminal Bar. His written submissions are fantastic and his advocacy is tenacious.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Courtenay Griffiths QC –25 Bedford Row ‘As a criminal defence advocate Courtenay is fearless - if there are ten silks in a case, he will shine as the star. The Legal 500 gave Courtenay a lifetime achievement award last year, it was richly deserved and his professional career continues to flourish, he is by no means finished yet. Courtenay gives closing speeches that are exceptional, when he speaks he is in total command of the room. Courtenay is and continues to be much admired and respected, he is simply put, a legend of the criminal Bar.’

Ranked: Tier 1

John Cooper QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ He is ferocious in court. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Peter Doyle QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Peter is an extremely clever and persuasive jury advocate of the highest calibre. He is a charming and highly effective jury advocate who advances his client's case rigorously and with the utmost skill. He is very well respected and liked by everyone who works with him. A genuine leader in his field. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Diana Ellis QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Diana has incredible presence and poise in court. Judges, juries and witnesses all warm to her. This is an enormous asset to those she represents ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Paul Hynes QC –25 Bedford Row ‘Paul is almost frighteningly clever, but his major strength is that he is able to prevent that from becoming intimidating to juries, who love him. His ability to move seamlessly between high level legal submissions to senior judges, gaining the confidence of vulnerable defendants, and making accessible and compelling submissions to a jury, is incredibly impressive. There’s nothing he can’t do.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Paul Keleher QC –25 Bedford Row ‘Paul is a silk operating at the very top of his game. He stands heads above all other silks the courtroom in terms of his encyclopaedic knowledge and understanding of the law. He is highly intelligent, not afraid to make complex legal arguments and always knows every inch of his brief. Paul also has an excellent command of technology and deploys it for the advantage of the jury. He has the ability to make the jury swiftly understand complex topics, as a result, juries trust him.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Simon Pentol QC –25 Bedford Row ‘Simon is committed. He is a straightforward opponent who argued and fought hard for his client. He delivered a powerful speech bringing together the weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Tyrone Smith QC –25 Bedford Row ‘Tyrone has a measured and determined approach and is extremely good with young and vulnerable defendants facing murder. He is a new breed of silk with a good thirst for PR and client management, both professional and lay. He is well-liked by his contemporaries and the judges and he is affable, warm and engaging in all that he does. He takes great interest in his juniors and whilst running an extremely busy and successful practice he maintains a hands-on approach to his cases.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Rudi Fortson QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Rudi is unparalleled so far as technical points of law are concerned. His skills of statutory construction and interpretation are exceptional for a criminal barrister. For this reason, he is often the choice of a defendant who wants to explore a difficult test case. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Jo Sidhu QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Jo prepares his case very diligently and his advocacy is seamless and eloquent. He is very thorough with his preparation and is exceptionally good at strategising on behalf of his client's best interests. He is very charming with juries, judges and opponents alike. He is adept at honing in on the issues that juries are concerned with and shaping his defence to hone in on the jury concern ’

Ranked: Tier 3

2020 Silks

Melanie Simpson QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Melanie is an exceptional barrister. She had a heavyweight practise prior to taking Silk and has continued with that practise in Silk. She has no weaknesses. Her core strengths are: brilliant on the law, incisive in terms of her examination of witnesses, she makes the complex look simple, clients and juries love her resulting in her achieving acquittals for clients who count themselves lucky she was their barrister. ’

2022 Silks

Laurie-Anne Power QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Laurie-Anne is a hardworking, committed advocate with a fantastic acquittal rate. She is an outstanding advocate. She is balanced and down to earth in her approach. She is able to show empathy with defendants and their families which is a key skill in my view. She is able to quickly gain the trust of clients and this assists when obtaining detailed instructions from difficult / vulnerable clients in complex or serious cases. ’

Leading Juniors

Aisling Byrnes –25 Bedford Row ‘Aisling’s star quality was obvious from the start. She is very clever, an excellent lawyer, a commanding cross examiner and a powerful and persuasive advocate. Her success as an advocate is not just because of her natural brilliance or her legal learning, but because she works extraordinarily hard on her cases and takes no prisoners when dealing with opponents and judges. She is not just exceptionally good with difficult cases and clients, she is exceptionally good at every aspect of the job.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Michael Neofytou –25 Bedford Row ‘Michael has a very good manner with clients and always is very well prepared. He is able to work well under pressure and is very efficient and is contactable when an issue arises on a case. He is not fazed by anything that arises at the last minute.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Arlette Piercy –25 Bedford Row ‘Arlette is an excellent counsel who takes every possible legal argument, puts clients at ease and goes way beyond what is expected of counsel. She is an excellent speech maker and cross examiner. She would always be my first choice of counsel clients are always impressed by her.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Emma Akuwudike - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Emma is an extremely able lawyer. She is very bright, hard-working, focussed and has an impressive ability to master large and complicated case papers efficiently and effectively. She is also very supportive and a team player. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Carolina Guiloff –25 Bedford Row ‘Carolina is hard-working and an excellent advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Ben Smitten –25 Bedford Row ‘Ben is a perfectionist and his work is a reflection of this. His case preparation is beyond thorough and nothing is too much trouble when there is work to be done. He has a good rapport with clients and is able to break things down in a way that makes them feel at ease. He is extremely efficient and always ensures that deadlines are met and that what should be done, has been.’

Ranked: Tier 2

David Wood –25 Bedford Row ‘David is an extremely hard-working and conscientious advocate. His attention to detail is excellent. He has a tactical approach and he is able to consider and appreciate the wider issues of a case.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Alex Di Francesco - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Alex is a gifted advocate. He is fearless and his cross-examination can be devastating. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Sebastian Gardiner –25 Bedford Row ‘Sebastian is an excellent lawyer. He has a very good analytical mind and often identifies more obscure points of law. He is rigorous in his preparation of cases and his advocacy is of a very high standard. He has developed extensive knowledge in a number of areas of criminal law and regularly acts for defendants facing very grave charges.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Alex Jamieson –25 Bedford Row ‘Alex brings an incredible calmness to case preparation and court advocacy. He seems able to slow time and centres on the key issues in cases, filtering out the noise. His calmness and targeted communication allows him to engage with lay clients at ease, building respect and confidence with them. It also allows him to command the attention and respect of judges and tribunals alike.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Sheryl Nwosu –25 Bedford Row ‘As an advocate Sheryl’s submissions and legal arguments are always artfully drafted and delivered. Judges are persuaded to her legal submissions even if they have been initially been against her. Not just the persuasiveness of her oral advocacy but also her manner of delivery are impressive — detailed, but broken down and carefully analysed against the law and fact so that no points are left unanswered.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Beth O’Reilly –25 Bedford Row ‘Beth is a talented and engaging advocate. She speaks with a knowledge and authority that rightly inspires confidence from clients, judges and juries. It confidence is well placed. She is wholly committed to her cases. As a result her preparation is detailed and methodical and it is put to devastating effect. Whether in cross-examination or making submissions to a judge she is always commanding and persuasive.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Osman Osman - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Osman is thorough and tenacious. He seeks to resolve issues amicably, he never takes a bad point. He is very good at settling and dealing with even the most difficult client. He is charming and courteous, everything you could want really. I am surprised he has not taken silk. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Matthew Radstone –25 Bedford Row ‘Matthew is a barrister of the highest competence which has already seen him instructed as a leading counsel. His dedication to meticulous preparation is second to none. He is a fearless advocate before judge and jury and enshrines the best of the profession in his approach to his conduct in court and in conference with his clients.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Rebecca Randall - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Rebecca is a fearless and tenacious defence advocate. She has a fine eye for the detail in a case and a surgical approach to cross-examination. She is extremely jury friendly and quickly builds up a rapport with colleagues and judiciary. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Monica Stevenson - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Monica is an exceptional barrister. Her attention to detail is excellent. She is an extremely able advocate. She is a committed, hard working member of the bar who manages to bring integrity and humour to her chosen profession. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Helen Valley –25 Bedford Row ‘Helen is a hugely experienced leading junior who is highly regarded and sought after. She is an expert in matters involving serious and complex crime. Tactically astute, she is always one step ahead of the rest. Her approach to cases is always measured. She has a calming influence upon others even in the most stressful of situations.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Lisa Wilson - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Forever effervescent, able and prodigiously hard-working, Lisa is a hugely capable lawyer, persuasive advocate and masters all aspects of complex cases in an organised and timely fashion. She is a pleasure to lead and a delight to be in a case with. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Warwick Aleeson - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Warwick is extremely hard working and able leading junior. Traditional and hugely effective approach and highly respected in court. He is a solicitor's favourite. ’

Ranked: Tier 4

Dominic Thomas –25 Bedford Row ‘A formidable intellect, an excellent lawyer, an original and persuasive advocate, as eloquent on paper as he is on his feet, Dominic couples all these stellar qualities with superb judgment based on a proper appreciation of the forensic fundamentals of a case. Dominic is completely focused on deploying all their considerable talents to get the right result for his client. Dominic is an outstanding barrister in every respect, a silk in all but name.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

Set

‘25 Bedford Row is an outstanding set with breathtaking talent.’

‘25 Bedford Row is a top notch criminal set with a breadth of experience and a number of big hitters.’

‘The set is a high-quality stable for defence advocates.’

‘25 Bedford Row is an exclusively criminal defence set. The set has an excellent reputation and is committed to their client base.‘

‘25 Bedford Row are an excellent criminal set with a wide range of sought-after counsel.‘

Clerking

‘The clerking team at 25 Bedford Row is well balanced. They are always available and keen to help with listing problems and allocation of cases. The are keyed in to the London legal scene with excellent contacts with solicitors and other sets of chambers at every level.‘

London Bar > Fraud: crime Tier 1

25 Bedford Row has a 'varied skill set' providing a 'diversity of available counsel' for all defence matters involving complex financial crime, including allegations of fraud, such as Ponzi schemes, pension and election frauds, and stock market scams. George Carter-Stephenson QC is instructed to represent a defendant in an upcoming case concerning the Axion Legal Financing Fund, while Nigel Sangster QC is instructed to defend in a case involving alleged £17m VAT fraud involving precious metals. The 'highly effective' Nathaniel Rudolf QC, whose fraud practices crosses over with a heavy practice on the technical points of criminal finances law, was made silk in March 2021.

Leading Silks

George Carter-Stephenson QC –25 Bedford Row ‘George is an absolute giant in fraud work, with a devastatingly effective talent for cross-examination and for standing up to judges where necessary. He works prodigiously hard and can spot details that others miss. A class act.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Nicola Howard QC –25 Bedford Row ‘Nicola is a technically brilliant, hard working advocate. She is a great tactician in court, and is great at putting clients at ease.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Simon Pentol QC –25 Bedford Row ‘A silk who can win a jury over in even the most cut and dried case.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Tom Price QC –25 Bedford Row ‘Tom is a brilliant advocate with a calming court presence - nothing fazes him. He commands the attention of the jury quite exquisitely.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Nigel Sangster QC –25 Bedford Row ‘Nigel has a thorough grasp of the facts and issues in a case, and his preparation is excellent. His down-to-earth manner helps him build good jury rapport.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Peter Doyle QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Peter commands respect and attention in the court room. He is thorough in his preparation and clients warm to him. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

2021 Silks

Nathaniel Rudolf QC –25 Bedford Row ‘A silk with impressive attention to the details, who can build a highly effective rapport with the jury.'

Leading Juniors

Geoffrey Payne –25 Bedford Row ‘A junior who has an exceptional eye for detail and is extremely diligent.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Samantha Riggs –25 Bedford Row ‘She prepares every case in enormous detail and has extensive knowledge of case law in this area.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Osman Osman –25 Bedford Row ‘Osman is a prodigious worker, a knowledgeable lawyer, and a highly effective advocate with a unique style.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Colin Wells –25 Bedford Row ‘Colin is hardworking and thorough in his preparation, and conveys complex issues to clients in an easily understandable way. He is very approachable and has a great client manner.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Sonal Dashani - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Sonal is a polished and composed advocate who is loved by judges and juries. ’

Ranked: Tier 4

Alex Jamieson –25 Bedford Row ‘A great advocate who is down to earth, knowledgeable, and remains serene under pressure.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Dermot Keating –25 Bedford Row ‘Dermot is an extremely calm lawyer with a natural confidence in court. He is hard-working and is able to distill the core facts of a case with ease. He is clearly meticulous in his preparation and is able to identify pitfalls before they occur.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Robert Shaw –25 Bedford Row ‘Robert is a very able junior. He gets on top of the facts and is very good with clients.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

Set

‘25 Bedford Row are my go-to chambers in London. Their Barristers have a varying skill set which means I am able to instruct them on any type of case. I am yet to meet a barrister from 25 Bedford Row whom I or my client doesn’t like.’

‘25 Bedford Row are perceived as one of the top three criminal chambers. The difficulty often found in securing certain counsel, is a testimony to their popularity and the level of work that they conducted. However 25 Bedford Row are the go to chambers because of the choice and diversity of available counsel.’

‘25 Bedford Row is an outstanding set. The breadth of talent is excellent and continues to excel.‘

‘25 Bedford Row are a brilliant criminal defence set. Their members offer a great wealth of experience and expertise.’

‘25 Bedford Row is one of the best criminal and fraud sets that there is around. The set is strong in all areas of crime and if someone is not available the alternative options are equally good.’

Clerking

‘25 Bedford Row has an excellent clerking team. The service they provide is second to none. They really go out of their way to help the solicitors who instruct them. Alfie Lee, in particular, is incredibly helpful and commercially astute. He is the best young clerk at the criminal bar.‘

London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) Tier 3

25 Bedford Row acts for both individual and corporate clients in investigations and prosecutions brought by a variety of UK authorities, including the SFO, the FCA and the Environment Agency. Bribery and corruption, fraud and money laundering all form areas of focus for the set. Recent highlights include Duncan Jones acting as junior counsel for the company's former Iraq country manager in the Unaoil case, concerning company's alleged payment of bribes to secure high-value contracts in Iraq.

Leading Silks

George Carter-Stephenson QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ George has a wide knowledge of all regulatory issues to which he applies his outstanding tactical awareness. He provides solutions, not problems. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Nicola Howard QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Nicola has always been a confident and fearless advocate who is able to build excellent relationships with clients in what are often stressful and difficult cases where the stakes could not be higher. Clients form a trusting bond with Nicola and which is backed up by excellent representation both in and out of court. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

2021 Silks

Nathaniel Rudolf QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Nathaniel’s knowledge of relevant law and procedural rules is second to none. An exceptional advocate who is clearly well respected by judges, both in and out of the court arena. ’

Leading Juniors

Duncan Jones - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Duncan is incredibly diligent and hardworking and this ensures he has a thorough knowledge of the case papers; really gets into the detail of a case. Duncan's drafting is fantastic, and so is his calm and measured approach. Trusted and well-liked by clients. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

‘The set provided a very strong team of counsel. They have proved easy to work with and adaptable during the current pandemic.’

‘Chambers have a great offering and, despite their size, are able to offer a dynamic and personal service.’

‘All members of Chambers whom I have had contact with have been happy to assist for the general benefit of the set. 25 Bedford Row is now a large set. In my experience, they always have someone available who is capable of dealing with the largest case and indeed the smallest.’

‘Very good, straightforward to deal with, accommodating and dynamic.’

Clerking

‘Chambers’ administration is superb with a particularly friendly clerks’ room. From the senior clerk, Guy Williams, down to the most junior member of the clerks’ room, I have found all to be polite, helpful and attentive.’

‘Alfie Lee is an excellent clerk, always approachable and willing to assist.’

London Bar > International crime and extradition Tier 3

25 Bedford Row's members are active in international criminal law matters in the Hague as well as before ad-hoc institutions. David Hooper QC‘s ‘sheer extent of experiences relating to international humanitarian law places him within a small cadre of practitioners who really know their stuff at this level‘. He is currently representing Hashim Thaçi, the former Prime Minister and President of Kosovo, who is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, a specialist Kosovar court with foreign judges sitting in the Hague to hear cases regarding the end of the Kosovo war in the late 1990s. Diana Ellis QC is highly sought after on cases in the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

Leading Silks

Diana Ellis QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ She is an excellent advocate and brilliant lawyer. She is master of all the material in the cases in which she is instructed. Her knowledge of practice and procedure in international tribunals is second to none. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Courtenay Griffiths QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ His persuasiveness emanates around the whole courtroom. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

David Hooper QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ David has had very extensive experience in the fields of both international criminal law and extradition. The international work allows the advocate to undertake investigative work in order to prepare the defence. He is exceptionally good at discovering evidence and gaining the assistance of locals for this purpose. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Sam Blom-Cooper - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Sam is an outstanding lawyer who excels both at legal argument and witness handling. He is also an excellent strategic thinker and a superb advocate. I would recommend him particularly for complex and sensitive international cases. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

‘The set as a whole is recognised as one, if not the, leading defence set in the UK. Those within the set working in the field of international criminal law and human rights law are recognised as the some of the leaders in their fields.’

Clerking

‘Good administrative support is essential and 25 Bedford Row has it in plenty.’

‘The clerks’ room is efficient and offers an excellent service to the barristers within chambers and to the clients from outside. The team as a whole is strong and the ethos of hard work and efficiency is exemplified by the Senior Clerk, Guy Williams.’

‘There is an extremely competent team of clerks from senior to the more junior level. There is an awareness of the importance of efficiency, diligence and courtesy.’

London Bar > Inquests and inquiries

Leading Silks

John Cooper QC - 25 Bedford Row 'John has the ability to rapidly absorb a huge volume of material, distil it to the salient details and focus directly on the crucial legal and procedural issues. It is refreshing to work with someone who is at the top of his profession who maintains such levels of professional consideration and courtesy with both instructing solicitors and their ultimate clients, even on the most distressing and delicate matters.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Alex Jamieson - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Very thorough and detail focused - a supremely confident performer and impressive advocate. ’

Ranked: Tier 4

London Bar > Civil liberties and human rights (including actions against the police)

Leading Silks

John Cooper QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ A skilled advocate. ’

Ranked: Tier 4

Diana Ellis QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Tenacious and has vast knowledge on international criminal law. ’

Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Joanna Evans - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Joanna is the mastermind when it comes to scrutinizing and dissecting evidence. She is also brilliant in putting the most challenging human rights arguments into a form that is pleasant to read and easy to digest. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Proceeds of crime (POCA) and asset forfeiture

2021 Silks

Nathaniel Rudolf QC - 25 Bedford Row ‘ A superb advocate who will spend hours grafting on cases, which will be evident from the results. Clients in this sector know his strengths and want him on their team. ’

Leading Juniors

Geoffrey Payne - 25 Bedford Row ‘ He is an expert lawyer. He has a complete grasp of the not necessarily straightforward aspects of the POCA legislation and case law. He is a brilliant but measured barrister. He is kind and modest and is loved by everyone who works with him. He is a total star. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Environment

Leading Juniors

Samantha Riggs - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Her knowledge in this area is second to none and she is a courageous advocate who will go the extra mile to argue the client's case. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law

Leading Juniors

Alex Jamieson - 25 Bedford Row ‘ Excellent with clients and very user-friendly - definitely a team player. His advocacy skills are top class. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

David Wood –25 Bedford Row ‘A very polished and precise advocate. He’s not just a safe pair of hands, he has laser focus and gets brilliant results.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Previously awarded Client Services Set of the Year by Chambers UK, 25 Bedford Row is an innovative set which specialises in every aspect of modern defence advocacy, acting in the very highest profile cases. Chambers is consistently assessed as a centre of excellence.

The Set: 25 Bedford Row is widely recognised as the leading defence chambers in its core practice areas, due to its client-focused, high-quality service. Its reputation for excellence is best demonstrated by its involvement in almost every recent major criminal trial, whether in fraud, organised crime or murder. Chambers are renowned heavy-weight defenders in all aspects of financial and white-collar crime. Members frequently defend large-scale prosecutions brought by the FCA, SFO and NCA. Advice is provided at every stage including pre-charge, post-charge and investigation. Chambers’ criminal expertise includes quasi civil-crime such as POCA proceedings, high-value restraint proceedings, data protection law, the legality of search warrants, costs law, civil actions and civil liberties (including actions against the police) and all aspects of regulatory law (including professional disciplinary and environmental law). The excellence extends to the high quality of its Clerks’ room and staff team who have a justified reputation for their knowledge, efficiency and integrity.

Areas of Expertise:

Criminal: Experts in defending serious crime, including homicide, organised crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, terrorism and extreme sexual violence. Several Members of Chambers act for UK nationals facing criminal prosecutions in other jurisdictions. Chambers’ private client specialists are renowned for their success in ‘reputational management’ and their ability to mitigate the impact of criminal charges on clients’ careers and personal lives.

Fraud and Financial Litigation: Specialists in defending individuals and corporations against allegations of business crime and fraud, including cross-jurisdictional proceedings. Representation is provided at every stage in both the criminal and civil aspects of this discipline from the preliminary stages, including restraint, right through to appeal, confiscation and civil recovery/injunction. Chambers offers specific advice on regulatory compliance, risk management and corporate governance/training.

Professional Disciplinary and Regulatory: Members regularly defend individuals appearing before professional bodies, disciplinary tribunals and regulatory authorities. Our clients include healthcare professionals, solicitors, police officers, accountants, sports players and sports organisations. Chambers practice in all aspects of contentious regulatory work acting for employees, directors and companies.

Environmental Law and Health & Safety: Experienced in health and safety investigations and prosecutions, acting in respect of allegations of corporate manslaughter and other prosecutions where serious injury has been caused. Experts advise and appear in relation to the full spectrum of environmental law, including waste management offences.

Inquests & Public Inquiries: Members of our team cover all aspects of coronial law with members advising and representing bereaved families, individuals, statutory bodies and corporate entities in cases covering a vast range of complex legal and factual issues. Our barristers have represented interested persons in lengthy and high-profile inquests attracting intense media scrutiny. Expertise in challenging the decision of the Coroner in the High Court and via judicial review proceedings arising from inquests in the Administrative Court. Involved in significant public inquiries, including those involving alleged failings by both corporate and statutory bodies.

Civil Liberties and Human Rights: As a ‘defence only’ set, protecting civil liberties is a fundamental cornerstone of Chambers’ ethos. Members have extensive experience acting for persons facing human rights infringements including actions against the police and public authorities, extradition law, international law, mental health, prisoners’ rights, inquests, public inquiries and public and administrative law. Chambers is routinely instructed in significant public inquiries, judicial review and appellate cases and challenges to public body decisions.

International Work: Chambers works at the forefront of international criminal law. Members act and advise in all aspects of international criminal law (including human rights breaches), and regularly act for individuals, governmental organisations and NGOs in a wide range of jurisdictions. Its work includes defending war crimes (often in international war tribunals) and other human rights abuses, defending the extradition of high-profile individuals, defending offences against states, including espionage and terrorism, and defending overseas freezing and forfeiture orders.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Director of Clerking	Guy Williams
Deputy Director of Clerking	Emma Makepeace
Senior Practice Clerk	Alfie Lee
Practice Clerk	Charlie Gardner
Junior Practice Clerk	Gemma McGee
Fees Clerk	David Kirton
Administration Manager	Varuna Askoolum
Member of Chambers	CARTER-STEPHENSON QC, George (1975) (QC 1998)
Member of Chambers	DEIN QC, Jeremy (1982) (QC 2003)
Member of Chambers	MENDELLE QC, Paul (1981) (QC 2006)
Member of Chambers	SANGSTER QC, Nigel (1976) (QC 1998)
Member of Chambers	GRIFFITHS QC, Courtenay (1980) (QC 1998)
Member of Chambers	ELLIS QC, Diana (1978) (QC 2001)
Member of Chambers	DOYLE QC, Peter (1975) (QC 2002)
Member of Chambers	KELEHER QC, Paul (1980) (QC 2009)
Member of Chambers	HOOPER QC, David (1971) (QC 2010)
Member of Chambers	FORTSON QC, Rudi (1976) (QC 2010)
Member of Chambers	COOPER QC, John (1983) (QC 2010)
Member of Chambers	PRICE QC, Tom (1985) (QC 2010)
Member of Chambers	HYNES QC, Paul (1987) (QC 2010)
Member of Chambers	SIDHU QC, Jo (1993) (QC 2012)
Member of Chambers	SMITH QC, Tyrone (1994) (QC 2014)
Member of Chambers	EISSA QC, Adrian (1988) (QC 2018)
Member of Chambers	PENTOL QC, Simon (1982) (QC 2019)
Member of Chambers	HOWARD QC, Nicola (1995) (QC 2019)
Member of Chambers	SIMPSON QC, Melanie (1998) (QC 2020)
Member of Chambers	RUDOLF, Nathaniel (1996) (QC 2021)
Member of Chambers	MITCHELL, Jonathan (1974)
Member of Chambers	BEYTS, Chester (1978)
Member of Chambers	WELLS, Colin (1987)
Member of Chambers	VALLEY, Helen (1990)
Member of Chambers	PIERCY, Arlette (1990)
Member of Chambers	AKUWUDIKE, Emma (1992)
Member of Chambers	POTTER, Harry (1993)
Member of Chambers	ALEESON, Warwick (1994)
Member of Chambers	BYRNES, Aisling (1994)
Member of Chambers	OSMAN, Osman (1995)
Member of Chambers	GUILOFF, Carolina (1996)
Member of Chambers	RIGGS, Samantha (1996)
Member of Chambers	MURRAY, Daniel (1996)
Member of Chambers	GARDINER, Sebastian (1997)
Member of Chambers	KEATING, Dermot (1997)
Member of Chambers	STEVENS, Mark (1998)
Member of Chambers	GRAINGER, Alistair (1998)
Member of Chambers	THOMAS, Dominic (1998)
Member of Chambers	O'REILLY, Beth (1999)
Member of Chambers	NEOFYTOU, Michael (1999)
Member of Chambers	SMITTEN, Ben (1999)
Member of Chambers	POWER, Laurie-Anne (2000)
Member of Chambers	NWOSU, Sheryl (2000)
Member of Chambers	GOMULKA, Michael (2002)
Member of Chambers	DASHANI, Sonal (2002)
Member of Chambers	STEVENSON, Monica (2004)
Member of Chambers	LAZARUS, Paul (2017) Higher Rights (2005)
Member of Chambers	RADSTONE, Matthew (2005)
Member of Chambers	GRAY, James (2005)
Member of Chambers	RANDALL, Rebecca (2005)
Member of Chambers	BLOM-COOPER, Sam (2006)
Member of Chambers	WILSON, Lisa (2006)
Member of Chambers	JAMIESON, Alex (2007)
Member of Chambers	MALHOTRA, Priya (2007)
Member of Chambers	WOOD, David (2007)
Member of Chambers	SHAW, Robert (2008)
Member of Chambers	DI FRANCESCO, Alex (2008)
Member of Chambers	STUART-SMITH, Emma (2009)
Member of Chambers	KUMAR, Sushil (2009)
Member of Chambers	JOHNSON, Abimbola (2011)
Member of Chambers	JONES, Duncan (2012)
Member of Chambers	LYNCH, Leon (2012)
Member of Chambers	DICKSON, Henry (2012)
Member of Chambers	COLLIER, Laura (2013)
Member of Chambers	FLAVIN, Tom (2013)
Member of Chambers	LLOYD-OWEN, Natasha (2013)
Member of Chambers	ROWAN, Kerrie-Ann (2015), New York Bar (2013)
Member of Chambers	LEWIS, Joy (2014)
Member of Chambers	MURPHY, Nick (2015)
Member of Chambers	SMITH, Tobias (2016)
Member of Chambers	DURRANDS, William (2016)
Member of Chambers	GABER, Chantel (2017)
Member of Chambers	WASZKEWITZ, Lady-Gene (2018)
Member of Chambers	MEZOUGHI, Leila-Zoe (2019)
Fixed Term Tenant	RIVETT, Justin (1988)
Fixed Term Tenant	WILLS, George (2013)
Fixed Term Tenant	SHARMA, Vaneeta (2016)
Fixed Term Tenant	EDWARDS, Hannah (2016)

Name	Position	Profile
Emma Akuwudike	She has earned an excellent reputation amongst her professional and lay clients,…	View Profile
Warwick Aleeson	Warwick Aleeson is a highly experienced trial advocate with over 25 years’…	View Profile
Chester Beyts	Chester Beyts is widely experienced in all aspects of criminal defence, including…	View Profile
Sam Blom-Cooper	Sam is experienced in all areas of criminal defence including serious violence,…	View Profile
Aisling Byrnes	Aisling Byrnes has 25 years’ experience of defending in criminal cases of…	View Profile
George Carter-Stephenson	George is a highly sought after specialist defence Silk with a varied and…	View Profile
Laura Collier	Laura is a mature, professional and forceful advocate, experienced far beyond her…	View Profile
John Cooper	John Cooper QC is a specialist in serious criminal law, fraud and…	View Profile
Sonal Dashani	Sonal is regularly instructed in a wide range of criminal defence work.…	View Profile
Jeremy Dein	Jeremy Dein QC is one of the most experienced and highly regarded…	View Profile
Alex Di Francesco	Alex is a leading criminal junior who has defended those accused of…	View Profile
Henry Dickson	Henry practises in all areas of criminal defence and has extensive advocacy…	View Profile
Peter Doyle	An immensely experienced criminal defence practitioner instructed across a range of offences…	View Profile
Will Durrands	Will is experienced in all areas of criminal law, extradition, regulatory (particularly…	View Profile
Hannah Edwards	Hannah has been praised for her thorough preparation, attention to detail and…	View Profile
Diana Ellis	Diana Ellis QC is a hugely experienced and committed criminal defence barrister…	View Profile
Tom Flavin	Tom’s practice involves work across all areas of criminal defence, in particular…	View Profile
Rudi Fortson	Rudi Fortson QC is noted for his work in relation to serious…	View Profile
Chantel Gaber	Chantel is a criminal defence specialist and a passionate, committed advocate, with…	View Profile
Sebastian Gardiner	Sebastian practises as both leading junior and junior counsel in all aspects…	View Profile
Lady Gene-Waszkewitz	In April 2021, Lady-Gené became a Member of Chambers following the successful…	View Profile
Michael Gomulka	Michael is a specialist advocate in fraud, financial crime and regulatory law. …	View Profile
Alistair Granger	Alistair defends at the highest levels to include murder, attempted murder, manslaughter,…	View Profile
James Gray	James Gray is a dedicated criminal advocate known for his commitment to…	View Profile
Courtenay Griffiths	Courtenay Griffiths QC has been involved in some of the most high-profile…	View Profile
Carolina Guiloff	Carolina is a criminal defence specialist, instructed both alone and as junior…	View Profile
David Hooper	David Hooper QC’s domestic practice has largely concerned serious criminal matters and extradition…	View Profile
Nicola Howard	Nicky is often instructed on behalf of corporates and individuals to provide specialist…	View Profile
Paul Hynes	Criminal, financial and regulatory defence and advice. Has a broad practice often…	View Profile
Alex Jamieson	Recognised as a leading junior Barrister in three separate areas of specialism:…	View Profile
Abimbola Johnson	Winner of the 2018 Diversity Legal Awards Rising Star (Chambers) category and…	View Profile
Duncan Jones	Duncan Jones specialises in criminal and white-collar defence advice, advocacy and investigations.…	View Profile
Dermot Keating	Dermot is instructed as leading or junior counsel specialising in serious, complex…	View Profile
Paul Keleher	Paul Keleher QC is regularly instructed in cases of murder and is…	View Profile
Sushil Kumar	Sushil is instructed in serious and complex cases. He specialises in fraud,…	View Profile
Paul Lazarus	Paul is a well known and experienced jury trial advocate who practices…	View Profile
Joy Lewis	Joy practices in all areas of criminal defence, with an emphasis on…	View Profile
Natasha Lloyd-Owen	Natasha practices in all areas of criminal defence and associated areas of…	View Profile
Leon Lynch	Leon is a versatile and a dedicated criminal defence advocate whose client…	View Profile
Priya Malhotra	Priya is an exceptional advocate best known for her attention to detail,…	View Profile
Paul Mendelle	Called to Bar after successful career in the City, Paul Mendelle QC has…	View Profile
Leila-Zoe Mezoughi	Leila’s practice involves work across all areas of criminal defence. She has…	View Profile
Jonathan Mitchell	Jonathan is a leading Junior in heavy criminal defence trials. He also advises…	View Profile
Nick Murphy	Nick is a highly-regarded junior practising in all areas of criminal defence. He…	View Profile
Daniel Murray	Daniel practises in all areas of fraud and serious crime. He has…	View Profile
Michael Neofytou	Michael is a leading specialist criminal defence advocate and adviser with over…	View Profile
Sheryl Nwosu	Sheryl is routinely instructed in a broad spectrum of complex and serious…	View Profile
Beth O'Reilly	Beth is an established advocate with over 20 years’ experience of defending…	View Profile
Osman Osman	Osman is a highly sought after leading junior. He has developed an…	View Profile
Simon Pentol	Simon Pentol QC has been continually instructed as a leader for the…	View Profile
Arlette Piercy	Arlette’s practice consists of criminal defence work, trial and appellate, with particular…	View Profile
Harry Potter	Leading Junior and junior for the defence in all areas of crime,…	View Profile
Laurie-Anne Power QC	Laurie-Anne is an experienced leading junior and junior. She has acted on…	View Profile
Tom Price	Tom Price QC defends in all areas of serious crime. He has…	View Profile
Matthew Radstone	Matthew specialises in the areas of serious crime, complex fraud and regulatory…	View Profile
Rebecca Randall	Rebecca has vast expertise in all areas of criminal defence including murder,…	View Profile
Samantha Riggs	Sam is an established leading junior advising and defending corporate and individual…	View Profile
Justin Rivett	Justin has specialised in criminal defence for over 25 years. He has…	View Profile
Kerrie Ann Rowan	Kerrie practises in all areas of criminal defence including murder, violence, robbery,…	View Profile
Nathaniel Rudolf	Nathaniel is renowned for his expertise in defending serious fraud and high…	View Profile
Nigel Sangster	One of the most senior Silks at the Criminal Bar, Nigel Sangster QC…	View Profile
Vaneeta Sharma	Vaneeta has built a strong criminal practice and regularly appears in Crown,…	View Profile
Robert Shaw	Robert is a specialist criminal and regulatory barrister with extensive advocacy experience.…	View Profile
Jo Sidhu	Jo Sidhu QC is widely regarded as a ‘superlative’ leading Counsel in…	View Profile
Melanie Simpson	Melanie Simpson QC is a highly regarded criminal defence barrister who is…	View Profile
Tyrone Smith	Tyrone is a highly sought-after specialist defence Silk who consistently defends in…	View Profile
Tobias Smith	Tobias is a defence specialist covering all aspects of criminal law in…	View Profile
Ben Smitten	Ben has 20 years’ experience at the highest level of criminal proceedings…	View Profile
Mark Stevens	Mark is a highly regarded criminal defence specialist. Mark is approachable, dependable…	View Profile
Monica Stevenson	Monica is an experienced barrister instructed in a wide range of serious…	View Profile
Emma Stuart Smith	Emma’s practice encompasses all areas of criminal defence work, focusing particularly upon…	View Profile
Dominic Thomas	Dominic is a specialist in criminal defence, including fraud and regulatory work.…	View Profile
Helen Valley	Helen has over 25 years’ experience defending serious and complex crime matters,…	View Profile
Colin Wells	Colin is a renowned speicialist in abuse of process matters and costs…	View Profile
George Wills	George’s practice focuses on criminal defence and defending regulatory prosecutions. In respect…	View Profile
Lisa Wilson	Lisa is a specialist defence practitioner, instructed in cases covering all aspects…	View Profile
David Wood	David specialises in criminal and regulatory law and is recognised as a…	View Profile

Clerks : 8
Administration : 2

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25 Bedford Row is committed to respecting and understanding the cultural needs of its diverse client base, and is committed to achieving and promoting equality and diversity in the provision of services, recruitment and access to the Bar in general. Chambers provides its services for the general community and not for any discrete client group which might be interpreted as discriminatory.

Within Chambers, we have established an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The aim of this Committee is to promote equality and diversity within Chambers and reduce discrimination and unconscious bias. Over the past year, the Committee has overhauled all equality, diversity and inclusion policies to help ensure the achievement of this aim.

25 Bedford Row was shortlisted as an Outstanding Set for Diversity and Inclusion at the UK Bar Awards 2020. Several of our Barristers mentor young people who aspire to have a career at the Bar, and have been individually recognised for their contribution to equality, diversity and inclusion at the Bar.

Jo Sidhu QC was highly commended for his outstanding contribution to diversity and inclusion at the UK Bar Awards 2020.

Laurie-Anne Power has been the Chair of Women in Criminal Law’s Race Equality Committee since its formation in 2020. The aim of this sub-Committee is to unite women of colour, of all backgrounds and races working within criminal law in order to work together in dismantling clear and obvious structural racism and bias which has held women back from progressing. Laurie-Anne was awarded BSN Lawyer of the Year (Chambers) at the UK Diversity Legal Awards 2019.

Abimbola Johnson, shortlisted as a Future Leader: Diversity & Inclusion at the UK Bar Awards 2020, has recently been appointed the Chair of the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board of the police’s race strategy developed by Chief Constables in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have been unable to host as many mini-pupillages as we would normally. As an alternative, we have held Insight Days which provide an opportunity for those aspiring to become a Barrister to listen to several of our Members (of various years of call) speak about life at the Criminal Bar, what a typical day is like and tips on the pupillage application process. Participants were able to ask our Members questions about these topics. The feedback for our Insight Days has been positive, e.g. “I particularly enjoyed hearing from those who had begun pupillage recently and were able to offer genuine advice around applications and the persistence, which is so important at the beginning of a legal career.”

25 Bedford Row are a proud member of the Pegasus Access and Support Scheme (PASS) as established by the Inner Temple. We were a participant in this year’s Bar Placement Scheme. Both schemes are designed to improve access to the Bar profession for students from under-represented backgrounds.

We are Disability Confident Committed and an accredited London Living Wage employer.

CLIENT: David Bloom
COMPANY/FIRM: Sonn Macmillian Walker
TESTIMONIAL: A top-tier criminal defence set, made up of ferociously sharp QCs, accomplished juniors, and reliable friendly clerks. The strength and depth of the team specialising in white collar, POCA and asset recovery work means high quality representation is consistently provided. A set that it is a pleasure to work with.

CLIENT: Stephanie Roe
COMPANY/FIRM: Roe Lawyers
TESTIMONIAL: 25 Bedford Row is the “go to” London chambers for defence work, as a relatively large set made up of excellent barristers at the top of the profession they have a wealth and depth of experience in financial crime.

CLIENT: John Carson
COMPANY/FIRM: Carson Kaye Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: Unrivalled criminal defence set of chambers, the highest standards throughout including the clerking services. The set comprises of counsel with vast talent who give there all to every case.

CLIENT: Collette Kelly
COMPANY/FIRM: INCE
TESTIMONIAL: 25 Bedford Row is an outstanding set with an absolutely stellar cast of barristers dealing with all aspects of complex financial crime and POCA work.

CLIENT: Sahar Handford
COMPANY/FIRM: JMW Solicitors LLP
TESTIMONIAL: 25 Bedford Row Chambers are an exceptional set. From top to bottom their service and quality is unmatched and the Clerks are second to none. Counsel excel in all areas of crime and regulatory. They have a particular understanding of the needs of professional institutions and individuals. Counsel are commercially astute, committed and attentive, having regard to the dual regulatory and criminal aspects of cases brought against professional defendants.