Cloth Fair Chambers is 'the crème de la crème of business crime sets'. The team has 'talent in abundance', and is very highly regarded for handling the full spectrum of complex corporate criminal matters. John Kelsey-Fry KC 'combines authority, empathy, and knowledge with hard work and a strong sense of the practical', and Tom Allen KC is 'strategic and brave in his advice'. Alison Pople KC is 'tactically astute and incredibly hard working', with an excellent reputation for acting in SFO and FCA investigations. At the junior end of chambers, Rachel Kapila's workload includes cases involving bribery, corruption and money laundering offences. Stuart Biggs KC was elevated to silk in March 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Dean Brown is an excellent addition to Cloth Fair. He is calm and authoritative.'
- 'Dean Brown brings a wealth of experience and a friendly, hands-on manner to the clerks' room.'
- 'Dean Brown runs the show with real style and gravitas.'
- 'Priya Greig is very helpful, responsive and thoughtful.'
- 'Cloth Fair is a highly respected set in the world of corporate white-collar crime.'
- 'Cloth Fair offers great depth because of the large number of well recognised white-collar crime specialists.'
Lawyers
Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
John Kelsey-Fry KC
‘John has an instinctive feel for how to present a case, underpinned by first-rate judgement and a terrifyingly intense work ethic. In a packed courtroom, he is invariably the barrister who knows more about the case than anyone else.’
Alison Pople KC
‘Alison is a class act. She has an easy but confidence-instilling manner and exceptional legal and strategic knowledge.'
Nicholas Purnell KC
'Technically excellent and strategically astute.'
Ian Winter KC
‘Ian is exceptionally talented. He ticks all the boxes as a powerful advocate.'
Jonathan Barnard KC
‘One of the brightest legal minds of his generation, Jonathan is an absolute force in financial crime – fearless, meticulous and devastatingly effective on his feet. Instructing him feels like turning up to a gun fight with an armoured tank.’
2025 Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Stuart Biggs KC
‘He is extremely bright and user-friendly, and able to develop a rapport with clients even in the most complex cases. He has a calm authority in the courtroom which is reassuring.’
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
Rachel Kapila
‘She is fearsomely bright, logical and perceptive with exceptional judgement.'
Rhys Meggy
Robert Dacre
‘A fantastic analytical thinker. He is tactical in his decision making. He is a junior with real flair.’