Mr Lee Hughes > Kate Blackwell KC > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile
Lincoln House Chambers Offices
Lincoln House Chambers
TOWER 12, BRIDGE STREET, SPINNINGFIELDS
MANCHESTER
M3 3BZ
England
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Mr Lee Hughes
Position
Lee is considered a “rising star” in business and regulatory crime by Legal 500. He specialises in regulatory law, with a focus on health and safety (including fire), road traffic (including work in front of the traffic commissioners), seizures by HMRC and Border Force, Ofsted enforcement, inquests, professional discipline, environmental law and trading standards.
Prior to joining chambers Lee worked as a solicitor for some of the country’s leading regulatory practices. In doing so he gained experience in advising and representing international corporate clients, developed excellent client handling skills and amassed significant technical knowledge in his specialist areas. He also developed a keen insight into what instructing solicitors require from their instructed counsel.
Due to Lee’s significant experience as a solicitor coupled with his thorough preparation and eye for detail, Lee has quickly established himself as a successful, sought-after junior in regulatory law matters.
Since moving to the Bar Lee has been in high demand for representing privately funded defendants in the Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court for a range of criminal offences. He has also appeared in numerous cases involving POCA, where substantial sums have been sought.
In much of his work, Lee is instructed by insurance practices and national law firms to defend corporate clients and individuals. In addition to his solid defence practice, Lee also prosecutes on the Specialist Regulatory Advocates list for Health and Safety and Environmental Law.
Lee has also been instructed in matters of national significance, including the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the Gosport Independent Panel Review and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
In addition to advocacy, Lee provides training and assistance to instructing solicitors and regulatory bodies on a range of subjects and is always happy to get involved in a case pre-charge, when he can influence the direction of investigations.
Lee develops strong working relationships with instructing solicitors and clients alike, using his experience supervising teams of lawyers to ensure successful outcomes.
Due to his professional disciplinary experience Lee has been appointed as an independent investigator by the United Kingdom Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association (UKBJJA) in disciplinary matters and also as a legal expert assisting the Disciplinary and Arbitration Committees of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF).
Lee has been successful in achieving panel status for several specialist prosecution agencies, including the CPS general Crime list, the CPS Serious Crime Specialist Panel, the SFO Panel and the Specialist Regulator (AG) Panel.
He is authorised to represent members of the public under the ‘Public Access’ scheme.
Career
Call to the bar: 2006
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Business and regulatory crime (including health and safety)
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Lee Hughes – Lincoln House Chambers ‘Lee is a really diligent barrister and his preparation is second-to-none. He is very clear and concise in his advice to clients, he is very amiable and easily wins trust from clients, and in court, he is a precise, persuasive, and effective advocate.’
Lincoln House Chambers is praised as ‘a stellar set‘ and the regulatory team offers a wide range of expertise across both prosecution and defence work in Environment Agency, Trading Standards, and DEFRA cases. Lee Hughes also has strong expertise in health and safety matters, and he acted for the prosecution in HSE v Gateshead Cheder School, in which an Orthodox Jewish school was fined £30,000 following a dangerous mountain hike that endangered the lives of 13 boys. Simon Gurney is instructed to prosecute two paramedics accused of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a vulnerable patient in their care, who was run over by the third defendant taxi driver whilst she was lying on a public highway. Richard Dawson is notable for his transport expertise. David Pojur joined the set in September 2023.
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Professional disciplinary law
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Lee Hughes – Lincoln House Chambers ‘Lee is insightful and analytical and gives straightforward, practical advice to clients. He is extremely approachable, always happy to be contacted, and willing to go the extra mile.’
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud)
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Inquests and inquiries
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Lee Hughes – Lincoln House Chambers ‘Lee is experienced beyond his years. He has a keen eye for detail, an approachable nature, and his experience as a former solicitor enables him to fully understand what an instructing solicitor needs from counsel.’