Set Profile > Chambers of Mark Ellison QC > London, England

Crime Tier 1

QEB Hollis Whiteman has a track record of prosecution work, including some of the most serious cases, but also handles a diverse range of defence instructions. Philip Stott prosecuted thrice-bankrupt hereditary peer Rhodri Philipps, who received a 12-week sentence for sending menacing racist messages to anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller, one of which purporting to offer a £5,000 bounty for ramming her with a vehicle. Turning to defence work, Stott and Zoe Johnson QC also represented a GP who was accused of the gross negligence manslaughter of a patient who died of a rare adrenal gland disorder – the case was dismissed on no case to answer after the prosecution's case was heard. In a more unusual matter, Johnson QC represented the Crown Prosecution Service to defeat an attempt by two men convicted of the murders of Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare in 2005 to discharge the order which anonymised a witness for the first time in an English criminal trial. Defence work in sex offences is one area where the set is particularly strong; Eleanor Laws QC and Polly Dyer defended a doctor who was acquitted on 11 counts of sexual assault on ten male patients.

Fraud: crime Tier 1

'Premier set' QEB Hollis Whiteman has an 'impressive breadth and depth' of 'high-quality, talented, and experienced barristers handling criminal fraud cases', a team of barristers which is 'equally sought after to prosecute as well as defend'. The set has reported an uptick in private prosecution work, and has been handling cases involving, for example, carbon credit frauds, investment schemes, and VAT fraud.

Police law (defendant) Tier 1

Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) Tier 2

QEB Hollis Whiteman's members garner praise from solicitors for their 'impressive range of experience defending and prosecuting in cases brought by both the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority'. Multiple members of the set continue to act in long-running trials concerning the SFO's investigation into Alstom; Peter Finnigan QC is representing the SFO in the prosecution of the Alstom group of companies. Also of note, Mark Ellison QC has been representing a former senior employee of Rolls-Royce (pre-charge and up to the discontinuation of the SFO's investigation in February 2019) following the company's deferred prosecution agreement in 2017.

Police law (defendant) Tier 2

Financial services regulation Tier 2

Health and safety Tier 2

Professional disciplinary and regulatory law Tier 2

QEB Hollis Whiteman is 'very strong in professional discipline and regulation', according to clients who are made up of both regulators and professionals in the medical, dental, legal, and accountancy fields, among other areas. In one recent highlight, Paul Raudnitz prosecuted a General Medical Council fitness to practise case against a doctor who had been convicted of possessing child pornography; the doctor was removed from the register.

Sport Tier 3

Inquests and inquiries Tier 3

Media and entertainment (including art and cultural property) Tier 3

Set overviews: England and Wales

The ‘pre-eminent’ criminal and regulatory chambers in the UK, ‘big hitter’ QEB Hollis Whiteman has ‘a number of real star performers’ ‘from top to bottom’ whose cases are ‘rarely out of the headlines’. Chambers ‘continues to produce stars of the future’, and its strength in depth and ‘dedication to quality’ can be seen in its pupils, ‘who are amongst the most impressively trained at the London Bar’. Since the publication of our last guide, Nick Corsellis took silk in 2019 and Anne Whyte joined from Atlantic Chambers on the Northern Circuit. Described as ‘an efficient, commercial machine’, the clerks’ room is ‘at the top of its game’, led by ‘quality operators’ senior clerk Chris Emmings and first junior Faye Patis. ‘Leading the pack of new breed senior clerks’, Emmings is ‘wonderful and straightforward’ to deal with, and ‘always very approachable if issues do arise’. The ‘charismatic’ Patis is ‘one of the top clerks in London’ and is respected by barristers, fellow clerks, and solicitors alike. Second junior David O’Sullivan is ‘the junior clerk to watch’; ‘he is able to quickly grasp the issues of a case and secure the best possible counsel, even at short notice’. Diary clerks James Booth and Jonathan Wagstaff ‘provide brilliant support’ and junior clerk Sam Window is ‘very good’. Stacey Hunt is chambers manager. Offices in: London