Vanessa Lau > Chambers of Richard Chapman KC > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile

Vanessa Lau

0161 278 1800 clerks@18sjs.com

Work Department

Criminal law, family law.

Position

Family law: Children Act section 8 proceedings; care proceedings. Criminal law; prosecuting and defending; motoring offences; local authority regulatory prosecutions.Vanessa accepts instructions relating to Children Act section 8 proceedings and Care proceedings, both in the family proceedings court and at County Court level. Her interest in family law has led her to providing revision seminars for the Ilex Course in Family Practice. Vanessa regularly appears in the Magistrates’ Court for both the prosecution and defence and is increasingly in the Crown Courts. Her experience of the Magistrates’ Courts means that she is often instructed to act in private cases involving motoring offences. In addition to her general criminal practice she also undertakes prosecutions on behalf of local authorities under the Education Act 1996. Prior to her pupillage, Vanessa worked as a legal assistant at a leading Manchester law firm specialising in commercial fraud.

Career

Called 2005.

Languages

Cantonese (fluent).

Memberships

Criminal Bar Association.

Education

London School of Economics (LLB hons); Bar Vocational Course, ICSL.

Leisure

Outside of her work, Vanessa takes an active interest in local community affairs and is a board member of a local housing association.