Gillian Jones KC > Red Lion Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Red Lion Chambers Offices
18 RED LION COURT
LONDON
EC4A 3EB
England
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Gillian Jones KC
Position
Gillian Jones KC has a high-profile practice advising on Business Crime & Fraud, Murder & Manslaughter, Serious & Organised Crime and serious Sexual Offences.
Gillian is described as a brilliant practitioner who is fabulous and absolutely faultless – solicitors appreciate her quality of advocacy before juries and her adaptability. She is an extremely bright and extremely hard-working …assiduous, quick-thinking, formidable silk …who is able to navigate the most complex cases and get to the heart of the matter almost instantly. She is a go-to person for those seeking pragmatic, sensible and reliable advice.
Gillian has developed a high-profile practice with a specialisation in Financial & Business Crime, acting on behalf of individuals, corporate clients, and the prosecution – many of her cases are well-known with a global reach. Gillian also advises companies on compliance issues, internal investigations, and strategically following commencement of investigations by the SFO, FCA and other regulatory bodies. Her practice is such that she has acquired specialist knowledge of restraint and confiscation, the obtaining of material from foreign jurisdictions, and an understanding and analysis of complex bank movements and offshore transactions.
Gillian is also noted for her significant expertise in Private Prosecutions.
Gillian is noted for being a tactically astute and persuasive advocate who has a reputation for meticulous preparation, excellent client care skills and commitment to her clients. She is described as having an incisive legal mind which enables her to cut rapidly to the crux of the issues in the most complex cases. She is able to take the client through difficult decisions, attracting plaudits for both her advocacy and her upbeat attitude – she stands her ground and holds her own… Her advice is pragmatic and vigorous, making her highly sought after.
Gillian also regularly defends in cases involving Murder & Manslaughter, Serious Organised Crime, misconduct in public office (including deaths in custody, Fraud, and sexual misconduct), death by dangerous driving and serious Sexual Offences having developed specialist expertise in trials involving vulnerable witnesses.
Gillian was appointed joint Head of Chambers in 2018. Appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2012, Serious Sexual Offences ticket 2016, and appointed to sit at the Central Criminal Court 2018.
Gillian has been named in The Hot 100 list 2021, produced by The Lawyer Magazine. She was the winner of Crime Silk of the Year at Legal 500’s UK awards 2020, won Highly Commended in the Women-in-Law category at the British Legal Awards 2019, and was cited as a Leading Silk across Financial Crime, Business and Regulatory Crime (including global investigations), Private Prosecutions, as well as General Crime by Chambers UK, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.
Career
Year of call: 1996 Inn: Lincolns Inn 2014
Developmental Board Member – Clean Break – charitable theatre company with an independent education programme enabling women offenders and those at risk of offending to develop personal, social, professional and creative skills leading to education and employment.
2013 SFO Prosecution Panel: Grade A 2013 SFO Proceeds of Crime Panel: Grade A 2013 CPS Specialist Panels: Fraud, Organised Crime, Confiscation/Asset Recovery: Grade 3 2012 CPS General and Rape Panel: Grade 3 2012 Recorder of the Crown Court 2012 to date Developmental list GMC 2011 Direct Access qualified 2010 Attorney-General’s List of Prosecuting Counsel 2008 Pupil supervisor
Languages
Italian
Memberships
CBA (Secretary 2012 -2013, Treasurer 2017-2018)
FLA
International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law
Liberty
South-eastern Circuit
Lincoln’s Inn
Education
Hammond School.
Chester Leicester University, LLB (EC) Hons.
Modena University, Italy, Diploma in Law; Inns of Court School of Law.
Personal
Archbold Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice, contributing editor
Fraud Law, Practice and Procedure, LexisNexis, chapter contributor
Corporate and Financial Crime – Conspiracy, Practical Law, co-author
Legal Professional Privilege and the right against self-incrimination, Practical Law, co- author
Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training Course, Course Director, Inns of Court College of Advocacy, and a lead facilitator on behalf of Lincoln’s Inn
Rook & Ward: Sexual Offences, Law & Practice, Sweet & Maxwell, contributor
Case Management and Ground Rules Hearing Toolkits, Advocate’s Gateway, contributor
Archbold Magistrates Court: Criminal Practice, Sweet & Maxwell, contributing editor
Gillian regularly presents webinars/lectures in the UK and overseas on a range of topics from financial crime to advocacy training. She is also regularly invited as a guest speaker, for example, by the FLA, by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in their two-part seminar marking the anniversary of the Bribery Act. Gillian acts pro bono for the Centre for Women’s Justice and is on the developmental board of the charity Clean Break. She also acts as a mentor to students as part of the ELBA out-reach programme.
Gillian has also appeared on a number of occasions as a guest on BBC Radio’s Women’s Hour and has recorded Podcasts for Get Legally Speaking on a number of topics.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Proceeds of crime (POCA) and asset forfeiture
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3Gillian Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘She is a silk of outstanding ability: highly efficient, relentlessly hardworking and with impeccable judgement. As an advocate, she is fluent and hard-hitting and never loses the ear of the court.‘
London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2‘Great set‘ Red Lion Chambers is noted in particular for its work for corporates in relation to regulatory and business crime. Gillian Jones KC ‘s practice includes privately prosecuting, as well as defence instructions.
London Bar > Crime
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Gillian Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Gilly is terrific and formidable in equal measure. She leaves no stone unturned in the fearless presentation of her case, whether prosecuting or defending. Undoubtedly one of the Bar’s greatest stars.’
Red Lion Chambers is one of the strongest criminal sets in London, with an ‘enormous breadth of talent from top to bottom’. Gillian Jones KC, ‘one of the finest barristers practicing in criminal law‘, recently acted as defence counsel in a case involving significant evidential complexity, including in relation to the potential mental health issues of the defendant, who was convicted of murder having stabbed to death a lone woman at a bus stop. Jennifer Dempster KC, ‘an eloquent and tenacious advocate‘, represented a man who was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility in the first televised sentencing in England and Wales. Turning to the set’s juniors, Edward Renvoize prosecuted two men, who recieved prison sentences of twelve and fifteen years imprisonment for a home invasion robbery of two-time Tour de France green jersey winner Mark Cavendish, in which two Richard Mille watches with a combined value of £700,000 were stolen.
London Bar > Fraud: crime
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Gillian Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Gillian is a powerhouse when it comes to strategy and a flawless advocate. She provides an invaluable and clear headed insight into how the SFO might put together a case. One of the very ablest silks in this field.’
Red Lion Chambers is widely seen as ‘one of the leading sets for serious and complex fraud work’ with ‘an array of talented counsel’. Gillian Jones KC, a ‘quick-thinking, fluent and penetrating advocate’, has recently been instructed to defend an individual alleged to have orchestrated a £50m international Ponzi scheme using a corporate vehicle, namely forex trading firm Capital World Markets, to attract investors. Felicia Davy is a ‘fearless and commanding advocate’ who regularly prosecutes and defends both individuals and corporate clients in relation to major fraud and money laundering offences.