Red Lion Chambers > Chelmsford, England > Set Profile
Red Lion Chambers Offices
Red Lion Chambers
THORNWOOD HOUSE, 102 NEW LONDON ROAD
CHELMSFORD
CM2 0RG
England
THORNWOOD HOUSE, 102 NEW LONDON ROAD
CHELMSFORD
CM2 0RG
England
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Red Lion Chambers > The Legal 500 Rankings
London Bar > Crime Tier 1
Red Lion Chambers has long been known as a ‘very strong and highly regarded set of criminal law barristers‘. Gillian Jones KC recently defended Marius Draghici, charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiring to facilitate a breach of immigration law after a group of Vietnamese migrants died in the back of a lorry trailer on the way to the UK - the case involving novel legal arguments concerning the potential abuse of court process relating to Draghici’s extradition from Romania, as well as the disclosure of case papers to the defendant's Romanian lawyers. Jones KC and Genevieve Reed also represented a man acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter in a five-defendant trial concerning a robbery of a competitor by a group of drug dealers - a co-defendant was convicted of murder. Hugh French , ‘a robust and effective prosecutor’, has a varied practice that encompasses homicide, child sexual abuse, and large-scale drug conspiracy cases. In January 2024 he was lead junior for the Crown in a trial, in which a married couple received matching sentences of 33 years imprisonment for exporting six tonnes of cocaine to Australia.Leading Silks
Gillian Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Gilly's abilities cannot be praised highly enough; she is simply the best barrister around. She is phenomenally hardworking, her attention to detail is exceptional, she is tactically very astute and is a formidable advocate. She has the ability to communicate at every level and her care towards clients is the best.'
Riel Karmy-Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Riel is a class act. She is approachable, impressive and very clever indeed. She commands the attention of the whole courtroom; watching her in court is like being chauffeur driven in a Rolls Royce. Her capacity for hard work and her attention to detail is awe-inspiring. Her judgement is impeccable, her tactics astute, and she is particularly good with vulnerable witnesses.’
David Etherington KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘David is a smooth operator. He is an exceptional jury advocate.'
Jennifer Dempster KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Jenni has an ability to digest and then explain the very complicated in terms a lay person can understand. Then when she is in court she is an advocate with energy and determination like no other.’
Kate Bex KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Kate is an advocate at the top of her game. She is a commanding and charming presence in court - a difficult feat to pull off - and her closing speeches are a masterclass in advocacy. She has great tactical acumen and remains a very firm but fair prosecutor.'
Christopher Paxton KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Chris is a terrific advocate. He has amazing courtroom presence. Judges and juries listen to him. He is brilliant in cross-examination and very good with clients. He is absolutely at the top of the tree.'
Michael Goodwin KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Michael is very thorough and incredibly analytical. He is a powerful advocate and highly respected by his peers.’
Edmund Vickers KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Edmund has great attention to detail and is forceful and very effective in legal argument. He is a winner.'
Tom Forster KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Tom is a master strategist as well as courteous, charming, and very persuasive. Tactics and presentation win cases, and he excels in both. He is legally very astute and demonstrates impeccable judgement. His capacity for hard work is exceptional and his eye for detail is second to none. Tom is very classy and modest and has the most amazing brain. He is frighteningly intelligent.’
2024 Silks
Tom Payne KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Tom is sensible and decent. His attention to detail is second to none, he has good judgement and is a likeable and impressive advocate.’
Leading Juniors
Paul Evans – Red Lion Chambers ‘Paul is tactically astute and produces focused legal arguments and well-thought-out submissions. He shows sensitivity in cross-examination of witnesses but is nonetheless robust - a difficult balance to strike at the best of times. He demonstrates the very best attributes of professionalism.'
Joanna Hardy-Susskind – Red Lion Chambers ‘Joanna is meticulously organised and takes cases by the scruff of the neck at the earliest possible juncture. She is always ahead of the curve and has a winning courtroom manner which charms judges as effectively as it does juries.'
Hugh French – Red Lion Chambers ‘Hugh is dogged and determined. He always comes armed with a strategy to exploit any weaknesses in the opposing case. His closing speeches are particularly impressive; Hugh has the confidence to pick the best points, and run with them, undiluted. He is a rare example of someone who is genuinely as effective on either side of the courtroom and the outcomes he secures are testament to an advocate of the highest ability.’
Ian McLoughlin – Red Lion Chambers 'Ian is always very well prepared. He looks for the best points to take to advance his case and undermine that of his opponent. He is a persuasive advocate with a calm and measured approach which appeals to juries and judges.'
Felicia Davy – Red Lion Chambers ‘Felicia is extremely thorough in her approach and in her analysis of large amounts of evidence. She has an excellent manner with clients and is very good at approaching difficult issues with clients with significant learning difficulties. She is fearless and fights for the best possible outcome for clients.'
Jack Talbot – Red Lion Chambers ‘Jack is very adept at digesting large volumes of information and presenting them to a jury in a manageable, understandable way. He has a very good manner with juries and is skilled at cross-examination. His closing speeches are engaging and persuasive.'
Leo Seelig – Red Lion Chambers 'Leo is an exceptional advocate with sound judgement.'
Aneurin Brewer – Red Lion Chambers 'Aneurin is very hardworking, prepares meticulous written legal arguments and is proactive in doing so. He has a very calm, persuasive and assertive style of advocacy that seems to rapidly bring people round to his way of thinking.'
Genevieve Reed – Red Lion Chambers ‘Genevieve brings a commanding and powerful presence and confidence beyond her year of call. Previously a solicitor, she brings a breadth of experience which makes her comfortable with clients and challenging situations. Genevieve works hard and efficiently and is good natured and a pleasure to instruct.'
Jane Oldfield – Red Lion Chambers ‘Jane is a star whose forensic and legal skills will ensure that she rises to the top of the legal profession. Her knowledge of the law is first class, which she deploys to good effect and very skillfully.’
Testimonials
‘Lee Young and David Pilkington pay great attention to detail and provide excellent communication with solicitors.’
‘The clerks are always live and proactive in terms of any issues arising. They are able to communicate effectively with courts, including courts out of area. They are readily available to discuss matters. Max Bradley consistently provides a service of the very highest level.’
‘Ellie Jones is efficient, helpful and professional.’
‘Mark Bennett is peerless.’
‘Red Lion Chambers is one of the strongest criminal defence sets in the country. The clerking team is excellent at managing diaries and ensuring matters are covered. The set as a whole is approachable and friendly.’
‘A very strong and highly regarded set of criminal law barristers.’
‘An excellent set of chambers with a breadth of talent across the call range.’
‘Red Lion is an excellent set. In terms of training and depth of counsel they are second to none.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Fraud: crime Tier 1
Red Lion Chambers is widely regarded as ‘one of the pre-eminent fraud sets with advocates specialising in both prosecution and defence work’. Michael Goodwin KC is sought after for his expertise in handling large-scale serious fraud cases, and David Walbank KC is well known for his extensive experience in white-collar defence matters. Among the juniors, Jack Talbot is well versed in defending and prosecuting corporate entities in a wide range of fraud matters, including longrunning, multimillion-pound money laundering cases. Tom Payne KC was appointed to silk in March 2024.Leading Silks
Michael Goodwin KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Michael is a consummate advocate. He is careful, measured and precise. He is a details barrister who leaves no stone unturned.'
Cameron Brown KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Cameron is a fair but firm prosecutor, who is always completely on top of the detail. He has a lightness of touch that endears him to judges and juries, and cuts straight to the heart of the case.’
Gillian Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Gillian is a brilliant advocate. She is very intellectual, with a fantastic work rate.’
David Walbank KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘David is an excellent orator. He commands respect and is fearless in his defence of his client.’
Jane Bewsey KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Jane is a brilliant jury advocate in complex fraud cases. She is able to simplify the most complex issues in a manner the jury understands. Her cross-examination is outstanding.'
Allison Clare KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Allison is a ferocious advocate. She is fearless in the face of stout opposition or hostile judges. Her understanding of the evidence and instructions from clients is swift, confidence-inspiring and accurate.’
Jonathan Fisher KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘An expert in his field.’
Tom Forster KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Tom's advocacy is smooth and persuasive, and his knowledge of the law is incredibly impressive. He is an exceptional asset to chambers.'
2024 Silks
Leading Juniors
Faras Baloch – Red Lion Chambers ‘Faras is extremely intelligent. His ability to forensically analyse and deconstruct a situation to a very high level, and then pick all the pieces back up again and come up with a solution is impressive.’
Felicia Davy – Red Lion Chambers ‘Felicia is incredibly thorough, prepared and hard-working. In court her advocacy style is direct and persuasive. She is always ahead of everyone else in court in matters of law and her arguments are immaculately prepared and coherent. She is a star.'
Jack Talbot – Red Lion Chambers ‘A skilled cross-examiner, engaging and persuasive, and he has a very good manner with juries.'
David Claxton – Red Lion Chambers ‘David offers insightful and practical advice. He has a real depth of knowledge that informs his tactical decision making.'
Testimonials
‘They have professional clerks that are easy to work with. Mark Bennett has been exceptional in his dealings with us.’
‘Mark Bennet is calm, unflappable and totally committed to supporting his counsel team and those who instruct them.’
‘Nick Parkinson, Lee Young and David Pilkington are all excellent, and tirelessly helpful.’
‘Mark Bennett is an outstanding practice manager ably assisted by his deputy Nick Parkinson and a well-run clerking team.’
‘Red Lion Chambers has a formidable roster of silks and juniors, who appear in the most serious cases of crime and fraud.’
‘Red Lion Chambers is a go-to set for serious and complex fraud cases for the prosecuting authorities and white-collar defence firms alike.’
‘Chambers is one of the pre-eminent fraud sets with advocates specialising in both prosecution and defence work, and some doing both. It has a great depth of practitioners in this field both at the silk and junior level.’
South Eastern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud) Tier 1
Red Lion Chambers remains a ‘top-tier criminal set’ ‘with versatile counsel’ for providing quality representation in high-profile criminal cases, spanning murders, drug conspiracies and serious sexual offences. An ‘exceptional barrister’, Christopher Paxton KC is highly adept at handling serious crime and multi-handed murder matters, garnering praise for his ‘precise, focused and thereby highly effective cross-examination’. Simon Spence KC is ‘an excellent in-court communicator’ known for his ‘very sound grasp of the facts and legal issues’ and has recently acted for the defendant in a complex murder case related to the robbery of drugs from a flat. ‘Highly persuasive in written work and advocacy’ Jane Oldfield was prosecuted a man who was sentenced to 28 years for sexually assaulting his niece and his friend's daughter, as well as raping his own daughter.Leading Silks
Christopher Paxton KC – Red Lion Chambers 'Christopher is a fabulous advocate who dominates the court room. His cross-examination is brilliant. He is assiduous and very hardworking.'
Simon Spence KC –Red Lion Chambers ‘Simon is a very experienced advocate and fights hard for his clients. He has good tactical judgment in trials, steering deftly through difficult areas to secure the best outcome.’
Leading Juniors
Andrew Thompson –Red Lion Chambers 'Andrew has great communication skills and provides clear representation.'
Edward Renvoize –Red Lion Chambers 'Edward's strengths are dealing with clients when they are in a time of need and facing serious offences. His advocacy is persuasive and to the point. He is great with a jury and very good at handling difficult witnesses.'
Jane Oldfield –Red Lion Chambers 'Jane is tactical, thorough and kind. She puts the client's interests first and is always ahead of the game. She is very supportive of clients whilst also respected by judges and opponents.'
Matthew Sorel-Cameron –Red Lion Chambers ‘Matthew is excellent on the law, and his written work is immaculate. He has a good tactical awareness in cases and is able to exercise superb judgement. He is hard-working and always has complete commitment to his work.’
Testimonials
‘Mark Bennett runs a fantastic clerks’ room.’
‘Mark Bennett is always on hand to deal with serious or sensitive issues.’
‘Red Lion Chambers is a good set with a range of advocates with various levels of experience. The team is great at serious and complex cases.’
‘Red Lion Chambers is a fantastic set. There is incredible strength in depth across several areas, in particular, serious crime and fraud.’
‘Red Lion Chambers is a great set with a breadth of talent throughout the call range.’
‘Red Lion Chambers is a good set with a depth of skills and ability.’
London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) Tier 2
Red Lion Chambers covers the full range of investigations and prosecutions brought by public agencies such as SFO, FCA, HMRC and CPS related to financial and regulatory crime. The set is lauded for expertise in environmental law, which spans water and air pollution offences, waste dumping, land pollution, and international trade in hazardous waste issues. Allison Clare KC advised a British plc operating internationally on an internal investigation regarding a historic fraud and corruption scheme operating over a ten-year period.Leading Silks
Jonathan Fisher KC – Red Lion Chambers 'Jonathan possesses an absolute mastery of his subject. He exudes quiet and unflappable confidence which calms even the most skittish of clients.'
Gillian Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Fantastic work-rate, impeccable judgement, excellent advocate.’
Allison Clare KC – Red Lion Chambers 'Allison's technical skill is unmatched, but she is also one of the best advocates. She is able to take extremely complicated material and break it down to present with precision and simplicity. This is critical in proceedings, for her clients, and for the solicitors she works with.'
Leading Juniors
Sailesh Mehta – Red Lion Chambers 'When prosecuting - he is the smiling assassin - totally prepared and ready for every legal argument - but incredibly calm and pleasant as he delivers the legal blows - fatal to your case! But when defending, again completely prepared - while empathetic to the lay client, calm and instills trust and confidence - a true master of his craft.'
Faras Baloch – Red Lion Chambers 'Faras is incredibly hardworking, fair minded, calm and diligent. The in depth knowledge of the underlying evidence in each case shines through. With a methodical forensic style of cross which can be devastatingly effective.'
Testimonials
‘Mark Bennett is an outstanding practice manager ably assisted by his deputy, Nick Parkinson and a well run clerking team.’
‘Very efficient.’
‘Top set in this field.’
‘Red Lion Chambers is a go-to set for serious and complex fraud cases for the prosecuting authorities and white collar defence firms alike. Red Lion boasts strength in depth at a senior level both prosecuting and defending serious and complex fraud.’
‘Great set of chambers.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Extradition
Rising stars
Tom Davies – Red Lion Chambers 'He is extremely helpful and always prompt. He is very efficient. He always knows his papers very well and does not take hopeless points. He makes sensible concessions when it is appropriate to do so.'
London Bar > Proceeds of crime (POCA) and asset forfeiture
Leading Silks
Jonathan Fisher KC –Red Lion Chambers ‘Jonathan possesses an absolute mastery of his subject. He exudes quiet and unflappable confidence which calms even the most skittish of clients.'
Gillian Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Fantastic work-rate, impeccable judgment and an excellent advocate.'
Leading Juniors
Anita Clifford – Red Lion Chambers ‘Anita provides excellent legal advice and is responsive to the needs of her instructing solicitors. Particularly experienced in white collar crime and heavy fraud.'
London Bar > Financial services and fintech regulation
London Bar > Tax: corporate
London Bar > Fraud: civil
London Bar > Tax: VAT and excise
London Bar > International human rights and criminal law
London Bar > Health and safety
London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law
London Bar > Sport
Leading Juniors
Max Baines – Red Lion Chambers ‘Max is superb all-round. Sound, concise advice, excellent written work, authoritative before a court or tribunal and seriously effective cross-examination.’
Barrister Profiles
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Joe Bird | Joe maintains a busy, solid practice, both alone and as led junior,… | View Profile |
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Marc Brown | Marc is an experienced Crime practitioner who prosecutes and defends as both a leading… | View Profile |
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Steven Dyble | Steven Dyble’s practice covers all areas of criminal defence work with a… | View Profile |
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Lucy Ginsberg | Lucy is a tenacious barrister with an impressive academic background. She brings… | View Profile |
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Hannah Gladwell | Hannah appears as both a junior alone and led junior across the… | View Profile |
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Laura Kenyon | Laura has developed a thriving Crime practice and appears regularly on the South… | View Profile |
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Nicola May | Nicola is an experienced senior junior who both prosecutes and defends in… | View Profile |
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Jane Oldfield | Jane is currently ranked as a leading junior for her expertise in Crime and Regulatory… | View Profile |
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Christopher Paxton KC | Chris is cited in both the Legal 500 and Chambers UK directories.… | View Profile |
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Tom Payne KC | Tom Payne specialises in Business Crime & Fraud (particularly cases of financial crime involving… | View Profile |
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Stephen Rose | Stephen is a specialist criminal practitioner who both prosecutes and defends in… | View Profile |
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Cyrus Shroff | Cyrus Shroff appears on the CPS List of Advocates at Grade 4… | View Profile |
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Matthew Sorel-Cameron | Matthew Sorel-Cameron is a robust and persuasive advocate advising on Business Crime… | View Profile |
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Simon Spence KC | Simon Spence KC undertakes an even mix of prosecuting and defending Crime work across… | View Profile |
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Mr Andrew Ian Thompson | Andrew Thompson appears most often in cases where serious Sexual Offences are alleged, in… | View Profile |
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Hal Watson | Instructed as sole or led junior to prosecute and defend complex criminal… | View Profile |
Diversity
Red Lion Chambers [“RLC”] can demonstrate its commitment to equality of opportunity and in some areas, we significantly outperform the Bar statistics.
Gender: In the 100th year of women at the Bar, 35% of QCs in Chambers are female against the Bar statistics of 15.8%. This year, 75% of our pupils are female as against the Bar average of 50%.
Non-traditional: Almost half of our members (46%) were the first in their family to go to University and just under half (47%) coming from a UK state school background compared to 39% of members who were educated privately.
We reflect the Bar statistics in that:
- 58% of tenants are male and 38% female.
- 78% of members define themselves as British White. 13% identify as from ‘Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds meeting the representation at the Bar and
- 6% identify as having a disability.
Corporate social responsibility
- Over half of our members (51%) work in roles supporting a range of charitable institutions or community organisations often from Board level down and across a wide range of entities, including schools, housing, legal, BME, female and sports. 34% have worked with the organisations for over 5 years demonstrating a long-standing commitment.
- This year RLC set up projects with ELBA [East London Business Alliance] and UEL Open Doors which aim to provide mentoring and training, opening access to the legal profession and motivating the recipients to achieve their potential.
- Crime
- Fraud: crime
- South Eastern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud)