Set Profile > Chambers of Simon Denison QC > London, England

Crime Tier 1

6KBW COLLEGE HILL handles some key defence work, but is best known as prosecution set. Chambers handles a range of terrorism cases and, for example, Duncan Atkinson QC prosecuted a British Army lance corporal in a civilian court for membership of National Action; Annabel Darlow QC and Alistair Richardson prosecuted an Islamic State supporter who used a Telegram group to incite, among other offences, the murder of Prince George and a campaign of ice-cream poisoning. Away from terrorism, Tony Badenoch QC successfully prosecuted Carl Beech, who under the pseudonym "Nick" made lurid and false allegations of child sexual abuse against a number of high-profile individuals, triggering the Operation Midland imbroglio. In addition, Duncan Penny QC took over from Mark Heywood QC of 5KBW as First Senior Treasury Counsel at the Old Bailey. For the defence, Simon Ray represented former Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? presenter Chris Tarrant in a drink-drive case.

Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) Tier 2

6KBW COLLEGE HILL's members defend and prosecute across a spectrum of business crime matters, with recent instructions involving international bribery, corruption, and interest-rate rigging cases. Duncan Penny QC defended Andreas Hauschild, a former Deutsche Bank executive, who was accused by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of manipulating the Euribor rate; the defendant was acquitted of all charges. Alison Morgan QC is instructed by the SFO in the trial – which began in January 2019 – of four Barclays senior executives regarding the bank's 2008 fundraising from Qatari investors.

International crime and extradition Tier 2

6KBW COLLEGE HILL is widely recognised for its strength in extradition matters. In one example instruction, David Perry QC successfully defended Ilya Yurov, a former co-owner of a Russian bank, against the Russian authority's request for his extradition to face fraud charges. In March 2019 Mark Weekes was appointed to the circuit bench.

Police law (defendant) Tier 2

Proceeds of Crime Act and asset forfeiture Tier 2

6KBW COLLEGE HILL's Jonathan Hall QC represented the National Crime Agency (NCA) in a high-profile asset recovery case against Zamira Hajiyeva, the wife of a former chairman of a state-owned Azerbaijani bank who was convicted of embezzlement; the case marks the first time that the NCA issued an unexplained wealth order (UWO) after it was discovered that she had spent £16m in Harrods in a decade. Additionally, David Perry QC led William Hays in R (Gibson) v Secretary of State for Justice, a Supreme Court case which considered whether part-payments made against a confiscation order would reduce the term of imprisonment in proportion to the original amount of the order, or the original amount with interest.

Fraud: crime Tier 3

6KBW COLLEGE HILL's Esther Schutzer-Weissmann acted in R v Alan Cartledge and others, a case concerning an MTIC fraud valued at £20m, which arose out of HMRC investigations into companies based in the North East of the UK, while Paul Jarvis represented Darren Goulbourne, who was convicted of conspiring to make false representations in connection with a number of fraudulent mortgage applications.

Administrative and public law (including local government) Tier 4

Set overviews: England and Wales

A ‘go-to’ set for the full spectrum of criminal defence work, 6KBW COLLEGE HILL offers ‘unfluctuating levels of excellent service across the board’. Following cuts to legal aid, solicitors bemoan the ‘the significant loss of high-calibre counsel’ willing to take publicly funded work. However, this chambers continues to accept such work which ‘compliments their predominately privately funded practice, although they do not treat legally aided cases any differently’. ‘The set deserves full recognition for this fact and their commitment to justice for all in what is now a very difficult climate,’ said one solicitor. In recent news, Timothy Cray and Alison Morgan have taken silk; Professor Ian Dennis, Emeritus Professor of Law at UCL, has joined as an associate member; and Mark Weekes has been appointed a circuit judge. The ‘dynamic’ clerks’ room is led by highly regarded senior clerk Andrew Barnes and his deputy, Mark Essex. ‘Ubermaster of the clerking world’, first junior Richard Summerscales ‘always goes above and beyond’ for instructing solicitors; he is ‘extremely personable, dealing with matters professionally while maintaining great good humour’. A ‘true asset to chambers’, Lizzie Miller’s ‘levels of efficiency are formidable’; ‘she is able to head off any problem many days in advance. She is completely unflappable and takes everything in her stride’. Offices in: London