Jonathan Laidlaw KC > Chambers of Jonathan Laidlaw KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
2 Hare Court Offices
2 Hare Court
TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 7BH
England
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Jonathan Laidlaw KC
Position
Jonathan Laidlaw KC’s practice is predominantly in business and financial crime and in defending directors and companies. Much of his work, both for individuals and corporates here and abroad, is pre-charge and advisory in nature. He also appears in regulatory proceedings, public inquiries, major inquests, sporting tribunals and is asked to produce reports in silk-led inquiries and to provide advice to litigants in commercial litigation considering launching private prosecutions.
Career
Called 1982; Inner Temple; South Eastern Circuit; 1995-2000 Junior Treasury Counsel; 1998 recorder; 2000-10 Senior Treasury Counsel; 2008 KC; 2008-10 First Senior Treasury Counsel.
Memberships
- 2013: Head of Chambers
- 2008-2010: First Senior Treasury Counsel
- 2008: King’s Counsel
- 2000-2008: Senior Treasury Counsel
- 1995-2000: Junior Treasury Counsel
- 1995: Recorder
- Criminal Bar Association
- Private Prosecution Association
- Fraud Lawyers Association
- Health & Safety Lawyers Association
- South Eastern Circuit
- ARDL
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Health and safety
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Jonathan Laidlaw KC –2 Hare Court ‘Jonathan is a master of advocacy. He is a force to be reckoned with and leads the way in this field.’
London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Jonathan Laidlaw KC –2 Hare Court ‘Gets straight to the heart of the issue with a minimum of fuss. A super advocate.’
2 Hare Court acts for both businesses and individuals on all kinds of criminal and regulatory issues, such as criminal cartel offences, fraud, financial crime, sanctions, confiscations, asset seizures, private prosecutions and internal investigations. Regarding the latter, Jonathan Laidlaw KC acted for the Bank of England in an investigation into a former Barclays CEO Jes Staley’s alleged misrepresentation of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the now-deceased financier, convicted sex offender and associate of Prince Andrew. Corruption specialist Jonathan Kinnear KC successfully acted for the SFO in its case against Glencore, which ultimately pleaded guilty to paying millions in bribes to gain preferential access to oil in Africa and was subsequently subject to fines and confiscations amounting to £281m. In R v Coleman & Fisher, the first contentious prosecution of its kind for market manipulation offences under FSMA 2000, Merry van Woodenberg successfully acted as junior prosecution counsel for the Financial Conduct Authority, resulting in the former CFO of a listed company being found to have made misleading statements to auditors and the market.
London Bar > Inquests and inquiries
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Jonathan Laidlaw KC – 2 Hare Court ‘Jonathan is simply the best. He puts clients at ease in difficult circumstances, has a clear approach and articulates positions concisely. He is absolutely the one you want on your side!‘
Alongside 2 Hare Court‘s extensive work across criminal and health and safety work, the set also has experience in complex and highly significant inquests and inquiries. Jonathan Laidlaw KC represented Harley Facades in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Alexandra Tampakopoulos specialises in cases concerning state institutions – she represented Oxford Health Foundation NHS trust in an inquest into the death of a mother and daughter who jumped in front of the train; the trust assessed the mother’s mental health seven weeks before the incident and deemed her not to need further support. On the junior side, Nikita McNeill is representing the Welsh government in the COVID-19 Inquiry. Paul Renteurs appears in inquests concerning deaths in custody and care homes.
London Bar > Crime
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4Jonathan Laidlaw KC – 2 Hare Court ‘He has an immense ability to retain both specific facts as well as the bigger picture of cases. He is brilliant with clients, especially when a difficult message has to be conveyed. He is also flexible and does not get offended when challenged or asked to back up his view.’
London Bar > Fraud: crime
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Jonathan Laidlaw KC – 2 Hare Court ‘Jonny is a go-to KC and the fact he is not only brilliant but easy to work with makes him excellent for a range of clients. He is simply one of the greatest advocates around. There is a reason he is consistently involved in the biggest cases.’
2 Hare Court is a ‘leading set for white-collar work’ offering ‘the cream of the crop of criminal barristers’. Jonathan Laidlaw KC is ‘simply one of the greatest advocates around’ who is regularly instructed by high-profile clients. Brendan Kelly KC remains involved in the SFO’s investigation into London Capital and Finance, which is alleged to have been a Ponzi scheme, while David Whittaker KC has recently acted alone for a consultant surgeon accused of billing insurance companies for more complex procedures than the ones he actually undertook. Private prosecutions are a key area of expertise for the set’s members.