Department profile
Cloth Fair Chambers

Financial Crime

UK Bar Guide 2026 : London (Bar)


Cloth Fair Chambers

Rankings

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Financial Crime - London (Bar)

Band 1

Band 1


What the Team is Known For

Instructing solicitors describe Cloth Fair Chambers as a set with "very experienced trial lawyers." Members are "well-accustomed to the most complex matters." It houses a deep bench of experienced barristers who are well versed in the representation of leading corporations and individuals in complex market manipulation, insider dealing and international corruption cases. Members are regularly instructed to represent their clients in high-profile investigations and offer considerable expertise in the handling of international matters. Recent mandates have included representing former Managing Director of GPT, a subsidiary of Airbus, who was acquitted of corruption in relation to contracts awarded to GPT in respect of work carried out for the Saudi Arabian National Guard.

Dean Brown is director of clerking.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • The service of Dean Brown is unmatched, he is truly at the top of his game.

    Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Cloth Fair has a very helpful clerking team.

    Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Our experience of liaising with the clerks at Cloth Fair has been easy and responsive.

    Financial Crime respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Senior StatespeopleNicholas Purnell
    Senior StatespeopleNicholas Purnell

    Nicholas Purnell

    Nicholas Purnell KC is a highly respected and accomplished silk who continues to impress the market with his performance in leading cases and who is noted for breaking new ground in the area of deferred prosecution agreements. He is highly rated for his comprehensive experience of financial crime cases and provides accomplished counsel on everything from joint investigations by the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority to corporate compliance with bribery rules. His past experience includes advising on cases concerning misstatement of corporate results and the manipulation of rates.

    • Nicholas is a class above.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Alison Pople
    Band 1Alison Pople

    Alison Pople

    Alison Pople KC enjoys market acclaim for her fluent interpersonal skills and methodical courtroom manner. Her cases involve allegations of insider dealing, corporate misstatement and corruption. Pople's client base includes major multinational corporates, as well as top executives and officers.

    • Alison is very easy to work with and develops good client relationships, as well as providing strong drafting assistance and guidance.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • She is excellent. She is meticulously prepared and has a calm manner.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Alison is one of the best at the bar. She has great experience, is tactical and down to earth. She is my first choice always.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Ian Winter
    Band 2Ian Winter

    Ian Winter

    Ian Winter KC is a popular choice of senior counsel for advisory matters at the pre-charge stage of criminal matters. He also draws trial mandates in multiple jurisdictions, representing senior executives charged with fraud and corruption in both the UK and Hong Kong. Winter is acclaimed for his aggressive and effective client advocacy. He is noted for his astute advice to corporates on financial crime matters.

    • Ian is a star of the criminal bar. He has a calm sophistication which is eminently reassuring to corporate clients.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • One of the best cross-examiners at the bar. He is a very forceful advocate.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1John Kelsey-Fry
    Band 1John Kelsey-Fry

    John Kelsey-Fry

    John Kelsey-Fry KC is a star player on account of his truly remarkable performances as a jury advocate. He is regularly selected to advise on high-stakes matters, such as high-profile investigations and prosecutions by the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority. His areas of expertise include international corruption matters ‒ although he has further experience in the full range of fraud and financial crime. He is sought after for his financial crime advice to corporates.

    • He is a master tactician, immensely experienced and well-regarded.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • As a prosecutor, you are very nervous to see him on the other side. He is extremely good.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Without a shadow of doubt he is the most outstanding criminal silk of the past decade for serious financial crime.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Rachel Kapila
    Band 2Rachel Kapila

    Rachel Kapila

    Rachel Kapila is a respected financial crime barrister recognised for her strong defence work. She is particularly experienced in fraud, bribery and corruption cases, and is adept at internal corporate investigations.

    • She is absolutely phenomenal. She is a really bright lawyer.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • She is a very polished advocate and is completely on top of the detail.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Rachel is a real star. She is an extremely powerful advocate, yet always practical.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Jonathan Barnard
    Band 2Jonathan Barnard

    Jonathan Barnard

    Jonathan Barnard KC has experience acting on hotly contested criminal and quasi-criminal matters concerning corruption, misstatement of financial figures, and fraud. He is prized for his noted ability in bribery and money laundering cases. Barnard both provides high-level advice to major corporates and defends senior executives facing Serious Fraud Office proceedings.

    • Great with clients and has a good sense of judgement. He is a very impressive operator.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Jonathan is a superb advocate. He is amazingly well prepared, exceptional in his applications of the procedures, drafting and being able to break very complicated and complex financial terms down.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • A very elegant advocate who cuts to the chase but is sensitive to the clients' needs.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Rhys Meggy
    Band 2Rhys Meggy

    Rhys Meggy

    Rhys Meggy has a fast-growing reputation for defending individuals facing financial crime proceedings and also provides counsel to corporations on compliance questions. His practice spans tax fraud, money laundering and corruption matters. Meggy is experienced in Serious Fraud Office, HMRC and Financial Conduct Authority investigations.

    • Rhys has charm and charisma. He has a great court presence and drafts phenomenally.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Rhys has really excellent experience in commercial crime issues and gets the commercial aspects which are important to our client. A real star of the future.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Rhys is very easy to work with and reacts well with clients. He is good at digesting the detail and understanding and advising on the key risk areas.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Tom Allen
    Band 2Tom Allen

    Tom Allen

    Tom Allen KC is a silk with deep experience of financial crime. He has handled cases relating to rate manipulation, film finance, and bribery. He is noted for his clear communication skills and approachable manner. Allen has deep experience of handling Serious Fraud Office and Financial Conduct Authority investigations. He also advises corporates on various issues, including allegations of fraud and corruption.

    • Tom is calm and collected with a gentle approach which is very effective.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Tom is a very good jury advocate, is great at working in a team and he has very good client handling skills.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Tom is first class. He really gets to the heart of the problem.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Polly Dyer
    Band 2Polly Dyer

    Polly Dyer

    Polly Dyer has a broad criminal and regulatory practice that takes in fraud and money laundering cases. She also has experience in private prosecutions and is widely respected throughout the legal community for her diligence and advocacy.

    • Polly is a pleasure to work with.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Polly is particularly well-skilled in fraud and confiscation. She has a huge capacity to absorb and organise vast quantities of financial data.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Patrick Hill
    Band 4Patrick Hill

    Patrick Hill

    Patrick Hill is a recognised name across financial crime for clients seeking deft and specialised legal representation. Matters that he works on include fraud, bribery and corruption and he is skilled in advising on legal issues with an international component.

    • He is excellent. He is clever and hard-working.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • He is a very good barrister.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Robert Dacre
    Band 4Robert Dacre

    Robert Dacre

    Robert Dacre is plauded for his financial crime practice. He has experience advising clients charged with embezzlement, investment fraud and VAT fraud.

    • Robert is cerebral but also able to get to the solution for the client. He is exactly what you want in a barrister, and with authority beyond his level of experience.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Robert is brilliant, diligent, smart and strategic.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Robert has a smooth way in court, is a lovely advocate and good with detail.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
  • New SilksStuart Biggs
    New SilksStuart Biggs

    Stuart Biggs

    Stuart Biggs KC is praised for his impressive practice and noted for his expertise in cases involving fraud and money laundering. He both prosecutes and defends, and further undertakes related civil work. Biggs has appeared on numerous occasions in the Court of Appeal. He has increasing experience of acting alone in cases as junior counsel, as well as in private prosecutions.

    • Stuart is a natural advocate. He is extremely bright and very hard-working.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • He is an absolute star. He dives into the detail and always makes time for urgent calls.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar
    • Stuart is first class. He has a very measured approach and is confident.

      Financial Crime respondentUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Cloth Fair Chambers (21)

London (Bar)

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