Led by Giles Bark-Jones, the team at Bark&co frequently advises on murder trials, sexual offences cases, and national security matters. Bark-Jones has repeated successes in cases involving high-net-worth clients or multiple jurisdictions, and is reputed for his depth of expertise in drug conspiracy or importation proceedings. Vanessa Wiggins is equipped to handle the entire lifecycle of a criminal investigation, while Ria Kudrati is particularly adept in matters involving vulnerable individuals such as children or people with mental disabilities.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'In my view, Bark and Co is one of the preeminent firms in this area with great strength and depth in the team.'
- 'I would wish to single out Giles Bark-Jones, who remains the backbone of the firm and very much in control of the whole show. He is an excellent lawyer and very much the power house that drives the firm forward and ensures that it provides the excellent quality of service that it does.'
- 'Giles Bark-Jones is still one of the real heavyweights of the criminal defence world. He is actively involved in client management and providing high-level strategic and tactical advice.'
- 'This is a practice consisting of all good lawyers who can rely on each other, and do rely on each other, for advice and guidance. It does come across as a real team effort when instructed by any of those individuals.'
- 'Vanessa Wiggins is great with clients.'
- 'Barks has a very strong team and has a great reputation in London for general crime.'
Work highlights
Acting for one of three men charged under the National Security Act with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service, and with foreign interference.
Acting for a high-net-worth individual in relation to counter-terrorism investigations concerning the funding of terrorism in Russia.
Acting for one of multiple defendants charged in connection with an investigation into the large-scale importation of cocaine from the Netherlands into the UK between 2021 and 2024. Up to 2,265kg of cocaine was involved, with a street value of up to £226.5m.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Giles Bark-Jones
Other key lawyers
Ria Kudrati; Vanessa Wiggins