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 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.Leading Silks
Riel Karmy-Jones KC – Red Lion Chambers 'Riel is a top-tier silk whose timely trial preparation, combined with pre-eminent advocacy skills, always ensures that every case she conducts is of the highest order.'
Gillian 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.’
David Etherington KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘David has a huge wealth of experience and is an extremely effective advocate. His charming manner with the jury belies the shrewd tactician that he is.'
Jennifer Dempster KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Jenni is an eloquent and tenacious advocate. She is meticulous with her preparation of cases and knows them inside-out. Jenni also has an excellent bedside manner with lay clients and is able to immediately put them at ease with her legal knowledge and knowledge of the case.’
Kate Bex KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘She is thoroughly prepared and never misses any thing - her eye for details is unrivalled. In court she is laser sharp and commands attention - her closing speeches are a masterclass in advocacy.'
Michelle Nelson KC – Red Lion Chambers 'Michelle is a very experienced homicide lawyer. She works incredibly hard for her clients and has a real eye for detail. As for the law in this area, she really knows her stuff and is a highly effective jury barrister.'
Edmund Vickers KC – Red Lion Chambers 'Edmund is very professional even when faced with very high odds. He is a very attractive and effective advocate.'
Christopher Paxton KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Chris is a brilliant advocate with a tremendous court presence and a phenomenal practice. He has great energy and a very easy manner with witnesses and juries. He is well respected by all who deal with him.'
2024 Silks
Tom Payne KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Tom is a very calm, decent and solid barrister. He has a quiet sense of authority, good judgement and is organised and methodical in his approach.’
Leading Juniors
Joanna Hardy-Susskind – Red Lion Chambers ‘Joanna is a force to be reckoned with. She is incredibly well prepared and grasps very complicated and detailed cases from the first conference. She is very personable and her advocacy is excellent, particularly her cross-examination, which is thorough and incredibly effective.'
Paul Evans – Red Lion Chambers ‘He is a persuasive advocate both orally and on paper with an eye to detail and the capacity to assimilate large volumes of evidence. He is very experienced in dealing with vulnerable witnesses both in and out of the courtroom. He works well with others and has a keen sense of humour, though it is never misplaced in the court room.'
Hugh French – Red Lion Chambers ‘Hugh is a robust and effective prosecutor who sets about his task with determination and confidence. His case preparation is meticulous, and he has a strong command of the law. His advocacy in court is focussed and succinct, in particular his cross-examination which can be tenacious when required.'
Jack Talbot – Red Lion Chambers ‘Jack is a conscientious prosecutor who is always on top of his brief. He is fearless but courteous, and persuasive to a jury. He always approaches prosecuting with the utmost fairness.'
Genevieve Reed – Red Lion Chambers 'Geneviève is adept at dealing with troubled and difficult clients, gaining their confidence and putting them at ease. She has confidence and gravitas beyond her call and she is a commanding presence in court.'
Felicia Davy – Red Lion Chambers 'On her feet, Felicia is a fearless and commanding advocate. She is intense and committed and juries and clients love her. She is focussed on what needs to be done and is excellent at communicating and delegating as necessary.'
Michael Skelley – Red Lion Chambers ‘Michael is extremely intelligent and an incredibly deep-thinker. He is very client-friendly and always one or several steps ahead of the prosecution. In advocacy, he is persuasive by being quietly, sensibly, persuasive.’
Edward Renvoize – Red Lion Chambers 'Ed is always well prepared and his advocacy is stylish and forensic in nature.'
Testimonials
‘Theresa Feeney is constantly cheerful and helpful, even in the face of totally chaotic court listing.’
Lee Young remains a constant thorn in the side of opponents. He is reasonable, efficient, funny.’
‘Red Lion is a top criminal set.’
‘Red Lion is a top set at the peak of criminal work. Their barristers are leaders in their fields.’
‘A very strong chambers with strength and depth at all levels of call, including silks. They also offer high quality in-house training.’
‘The clerks’ room is second to none. The clerks are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about their barristers and their practices and those who may want to instruct them.’
Work highlights
South Eastern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud) Tier 1
London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) 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.
2024 Silks
Rebecca Chalkley KC –Red Lion Chambers ‘Rebecca is incredibly bright, adaptable and unflappable.’
Testimonials
‘Great set. Excellent choice of prosecution counsel.’
‘The set has very deep anti-money laundering expertise.’
‘Very good!’
‘All very responsive and helpful.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Fraud: crime Tier 2
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.Leading Silks
Michael Goodwin KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Michael is a first-class practitioner. He has a tremendous ability to foster good relations with judges, juries, and other members of the Bar. He is extremely likeable, hardworking, courteous and honest. He has a phenomenal intellect and great powers of cross-examination.’
Cameron Brown KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Cameron is highly intelligent and masters the details of every case he is instructed in. His cross-examination is nothing short of excellent.'
David Walbank KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘David is fearless and dedicated. He is a very bold advocate with huge determination to succeed at whatever cost. His written submissions are very comprehensive.’
Jane Bewsey KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘She is brilliant in simplifying the most complex of fraud cases for juries and her cross-examination skills are second-to-none in this area.’
Gillian 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.'
Jonathan Fisher KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Jonathan is very astute, quickly understands the important issues and is able to very easily pinpoint the relevant law and explain it in a simple way. He always finds a solution. Aside from his fantastic knowledge of the law and his skill in applying that knowledge, he always makes himself available and his turnaround of work is exceptional.'
Allison Clare KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Allison is reliable, well-organised and always on top of the detail of a case. She has well-developed client handling skills and an easy manner with her team. She is a true expert in financial crime cases, understated and effective.’
Tom Forster KC – Red Lion Chambers 'Tom is an advocate of exceptional skill. He is able to cut through very complex and messy areas of dispute to strategically focus the court on key points. His client care skills are also exceptional.'
2024 Silks
Tom Payne KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Tom is a hard working, fair and effective prosecutor. He fights his corner well. He is smart, thorough and realistic. He is a decent, humane person to work with too.’
Rebecca Elizabeth Chalkley KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Rebecca is fiercely bright, incredibly adaptable and unflappable.'
Leading Juniors
Felicia Davy – Red Lion Chambers ‘Felicia can master voluminous cases and can identify the important issues with ease. She has a pleasant rapport with clients. Her advocacy is persuasive and demonstrates her competence with her legal knowledge and through understanding of her cases. ‘
Faras Baloch – Red Lion Chambers ‘Faras is very hardworking, very knowledgeable and very astute both tactically and strategically. As an advocate, he combines a courteous attractive manner with well-focused tenacity.'
Jack Talbot – Red Lion Chambers ‘Jack has a fluid, relaxed and open manner of delivery which judges trust and juries like. With specific respect to fraud, his knowledge of the law, practice and current procedure is unparalleled. He is dedicated to the facts of his clients’ cases and how any weaknesses in the opposing case can be exploited.’
Testimonials
‘Mark Bennett is everything you would want in a clerk. He is simply superb.’
‘The clerks’ room is a friendly and busy one and Mark Bennett knows the business inside out and has excellent support from Nick Parkinson, Lee Young and Chris Jones.’
‘The stand out is Nick Parkinson, who really has a good understanding of the regulatory regime and the needs of clients.’
‘Red Lion Chambers is one of the leading sets for serious and complex fraud work. It has strength and depth of advocates who practice in this field. It is one of the go-to sets for this type of work.’
‘An excellent fraud set.’
‘A top set in this field, they have barristers of considerable ability in good number at every level.’
‘The clerks’ room is second to none. The clerks are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about their barristers, their practices and those who may want to instruct them.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Proceeds of crime (POCA) and asset forfeiture
Leading Silks
Jonathan Fisher KC –Red Lion Chambers ‘Jonathan is exquisite. He captures the confidence of the client from the very start of any consultation with his mastery of the detail, his clarity of thought and his obvious pre-eminence in the area.‘
Gillian 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.‘
Leading Juniors
Anita Clifford – Red Lion Chambers ‘Anita is one of the strongest barristers there is in the anti-money laundering space. She is a leading junior and is enormously respected amongst the AML specialists in the City.‘
London Bar > Financial services regulation
London Bar > Fraud: civil
Leading Silks
Jonathan Fisher KC –Red Lion Chambers
‘His reputation is second to none. As he practices in a number of jurisdictions, he has an exceptional profile in massive cross-border cases. He is very bright and a super-effective counsel.’
London Bar > Tax: corporate
London Bar > Tax: VAT and excise
London Bar > Environment
2024 Silks
Rebecca Chalkley KC – Red Lion Chambers ‘Rebecca is approachable, knowledgeable and proactive. She is always well-prepared.’
Leading Juniors
Sailesh Mehta – Red Lion Chambers 'A junior who commands respect. He is always up to date on the law.'
London Bar > Health and safety
London Bar > International crime and extradition
Leading Juniors
Nina Tavakoli –Red Lion Chambers ‘Her attention to detail and overall legal judgement are second to none. She is an experienced and outstanding advocate both in the UK and international courts.’
David Young –Red Lion Chambers ‘He is clear, to the point, and passionate about his cases. He is known to be effective in court, including in questioning witnesses.’
London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law
London Bar > Sport
Leading Juniors
Max Baines – Red Lion Chambers ‘Max is a brilliant advocate. His instructing solicitors would not want to be cross-examined by him, and he is really approachable and thorough.’
Barrister Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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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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Richard Kelly | Richard is a fearless Crime advocate who acts for both the prosecution and 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 | 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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Jamie Sawyer | Jamie Sawyer has extensive general Crime experience, both defending and prosecuting in courts throughout… | 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 | 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 |
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Mr David Wilson | David is a skilled and experienced lawyer who has been described as… | 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
- South Eastern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud)