Jennifer Brenton

Work Department

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Bribery and Corruption
• Civil
• Confiscation
• Crime
• Defence
• Drugs
• Employment
• Financial Crime & Fraud
• Housing
• Insurance
• Landlord & Tenant
• Licensing
• Personal Injury
• Professional Negligence
• Property
• Prosecution
• Road Traffic & Motoring
• Sexual Offences
• Violent Crime

Position

Introduction

Jennifer is a committed junior barrister with significant experience in fraud and white collar crime, regulatory offences and licensing law. She accepts instructions for both Prosecution and Defence work. She regularly provides written advice and is recognised for her concise analysis and pragmatism. As an advocate, she is clear and direct.

Expertise: contract; property; wills and probate; insolvency; partnerships; negligence – including personal injury, employers’ liability and occupiers’ liability – general crime. Jennifer joined Thomas Bingham Chambers as a Third Six Pupil in September 2014, before being taken on as a tenant in December 2014. She continues to develop her core practice areas within Chambers as well as expanding into other civil fields. She believes in thorough preparation and takes a meticulous approach to all her cases, whether civil or criminal. She has the benefit of substantial advocacy experience, developed through criminal work, and strong legal research and case preparation skills, derived from her civil work which has been consistently recognised as far exceeding her level of experience. Civil: Jennifer went directly from the Bar course into pupillage at a highly ranked common-law set. She trained under a senior civil practitioner (now full-time district judge) in the above civil practice areas. She undertook substantial devilling work as well as pro bono work from the outset, with particular emphasis on unfair dismissal and employment discrimination claims, sale of goods disputes, partnership agreements, insolvency proceedings and estate agency contracts. She was also heavily involved with the property group, working on multi-track trust disputes and applications before the Land Registration division of the Property Chamber. Since getting onto her feet in April 2014, she has appeared in the county courts in a wide variety of civil claims as well as providing written advice and pleadings in contractual and tortious disputes. Criminal: Jennifer spent a large proportion of her second six prosecuting across the Magistrates’ Courts. She was in court every day running back-to-back trials as well as presenting legal applications across the spectrum of criminal law. Since coming to Thomas Bingham Chambers, she now exclusively defends. She is regularly instructed to appear in both Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. She has covered a broad range of criminal offences; from private road traffic matters and common assaults to burglary and high-level drugs offences. She has already received Crown Court trial instructions in her own name.

Career

Call 2013. Awards and prizes: Inner Temple BPTC Exhibition Award; City Law School – Stephen Seabrooke Memorial Prize (for highest marks in year in advocacy and criminal litigation); Inter-Inn Mooting Competition (2013) – Inner Temple, winner.

Crime

Jennifer began on her feet with 68 CPS trial lists in her second six of pupillage. Her practice developed through defending a full range of criminal offences including; drugs, dishonesty, offensive weapons, proceeds of crime and road traffic.

She was then seconded to two local authorities to work on white collar prosecutions for abuse of public funds. At the latter of these, she oversaw the Prosecutions and Licensing legal team for 16 months and was responsible for all criminal cases brought by the authority. She appeared in the Crown Court in the more serious and complex matters including fraud, proceeds of crime, false identity documents and forgery and counterfeiting offences.

Jennifer has advised on prosecutions from their inception and is therefore particularly adept at offering practical advice on evidential issues to ensure the best prospects of conviction. This equally enables her to pinpoint and exploit the weaknesses in a prosecution case.

She has both made and opposed a significant range of legal applications including; abuse of process, applications to admit or exclude evidence, submissions of no case to answer, compensation, confiscation and costs applications.

Regulatory

Jennifer has prosecuted a broad range of regulatory offences including environmental protection, housing, health and safety at work, planning and licensing charges. She has appeared on behalf of the Defence in cases brought by Transport for London, the RSPCA, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and in Contempt proceedings in the County Court.

Jennifer has advised on and overseen associated matters including Enforcement Policies, Public Spaces Protection Orders and Cumulative Impact Zones. She has further advised on and drafted secondary legislation and guidance for a public regulator and bye-laws for a local authority.

Jennifer accepts advisory and advocacy instructions across the full spectrum of regulatory matters.

Licensing

Jennifer is experienced in the full range of proceedings under the Licensing Act 2003 including New Grant and Variation applications, Reviews by Responsible Authorities, expedited Reviews for Serious Crime and Disorder and Appeals.

Jennifer spent two years at a local authority working within and (for the latter 16 months) managing the prosecutions and licensing legal team. She oversaw all decisions of the licensing committee and appeals against those decisions, she acted as legal advisor on the more complex and controversial applications. From this experience, she has gained insight into the concerns of licensing authorities and is able to offer practical advice on how to meet those concerns to ensure the best outcome for both current and prospective licence holders. This also places her well to address such decisions on appeal.

Jennifer accepts instructions for both local authorities and licence holders.

Education

University of Edinburgh: MA (hons) 2.1; College of Law: GDL – Distinction; City Law School: BPTC – Outstanding (8th in year of 400+ students).

 

Awards & Prizes

Inner Temple BPTC Exhibition Award

City Law School – Stephen Seabrooke Memorial Prize (for highest marks in year in Advocacy and Criminal Litigation)

Inter-Inn Mooting Competition (2013) – Winner, Inner Temple 

Qualifications

University of Edinburgh: MA (hons) 

College of Law: GDL – Distinction

City Law School: BPTC – Outstanding