Crime

Ali Naseem Bajwa KC has extensive experience handling high-profile and serious criminal matters, including murder, rape and terrorism cases. He also has particular expertise in criminal cases incorporating human rights issues.

"He is very good. He presents cases beautifully. His advocacy style is very attractive and he combines that with hard work."

"Ali is an exceptional silk."

"Ali is absolutely fantastic. He is very smooth, clever and fair. He inspires complete confidence in people."

Crispin Aylett KC is a star individual who is enormously respected for his abilities as a prosecutor. He regularly handles complex and high-profile murder cases, along with other matters such as terrorism and firearms offences. Aylett is renowned for his ability to take on the most serious criminal matters, including those relating to sexual allegations and joint-enterprise murder. He has experience dealing with cases involving vulnerable defendants, such as those suffering from a mental health condition.

"He is my first choice advocate to prosecute high-profile and complex homicide cases."

"He has an incredible legal brain and both judges and juries adore him."

Eleanor Laws KC is an outstanding silk who specialises in serious crime and has particular expertise in murder and sexual offences. Her experience includes acting as both prosecution and defence counsel in cases concerning historic sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Laws' criminal work is well complemented by her civil litigation practice.

"She is very persuasive and engaging on conceptually difficult matters. She has a breadth of experience and is an expert and leading authority in this field."

"Ellie is able to take a challenge, persuasive in writing and on her feet. In trial, she is top of the game. She thoroughly earns the title as the top sex offence brief in the country."

"She is very bright, well-prepared and strategic."

David Jeremy KC is a respected advocate with a strong reputation for homicides in particular. He has experience both prosecuting and defending high-profile murder cases, as well as matters concerning fraud. Jeremy is well regarded for his commanding courtroom presence and superior cross-examination skills.

"It's always a privilege to work with David Jeremy. He will have identified the winning strategy from the outset and he brings everybody else on board with him."

David Spens KC has vast experience of both serious general crime and financial crime. He is a defence specialist who has represented those accused of murder and sex crimes. Spens frequently defends in high-profile and complex cases including those involving diminished responsibility.

"David is a very detailed barrister in terms of complex cases."

Edward Brown KC is a well-regarded silk and a former Senior Treasury Counsel praised by interviewees for his ability to support clients through difficult trials. He is a highly experienced criminal practitioner who is also a strong regulatory lawyer. Brown is highly thought of for his exemplary cross-examinations and skilful advocacy in serious criminal cases. He has expertise in prosecuting cases involving juvenile defendants and those subject to Mental Health Act orders.

"Edward is in that hallowed category of 'best criminal prosecutors.'"

Philip Evans KC frequently defends and prosecutes complex homicide cases, as well as the full range of general crimes. He has an impressive roster of high-profile criminal cases, including the prosecution of Levi Bellfield and a member of the gang that carried out the Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary.

"He is a genuine team leader with great advocacy and knowledge. He takes a logical decision-making approach and takes responsibility."

Sean Larkin KC is an admired barrister with decades-long experience of both prosecuting and defending serious criminal cases including those relating to murder and sexual offences. Larkin is an expert in terrorism matters and has experience appearing in the Supreme Court.

"Sean is an excellent barrister. He is very diligent, very thorough and turns his hand to anything."

"Sean's skill and ability is truly a sight to behold. He's calm under fire, eloquent in advocacy and truly has the jury in the palm of his hand."

"Sean is disarmingly relaxed and devasting when he starts to turn on the questions."

Zoe Johnson KC is a brilliant silk, highly regarded for her advocacy and strong presence in court. She has expertise in both serious crime and professional discipline matters, and is praised for her skill in cross-examination. Johnson has been instructed in matters relating to terrorism, homicide, child murder and gross negligence manslaughter.She frequently handles complex criminal matters that heavily feature medical evidence.

"Zoe is razor-sharp and an excellent barrister."

Orla Daly defends and prosecutes a range of complex criminal proceedings. She regularly appears in complex and high profile cases covering a wide spectrum of matters including murder, rape and other sexual offences.

"She is a very calm and measured advocate who has very good judgement and persuasive arguments."

"She is great with clients, incredibly understanding and pragmatic and very empathetic."

"She is phenomenal in the representation of defendants charged with sexual offences and consistently produces fantastic results."

Philip McGhee undertakes work across criminal law, including instructions in organised crime matters and criminal fraud. He prosecutes and defends equally adeptly and is Junior Treasury Counsel.

"He is exceptional and professional in the way he pitches a case."

Philip Stott prosecutes and defends serious criminal cases at the highest level. His practice also encompasses regulatory work and fraud cases.

"He is very bright and brings a fantastic aptitude for putting together very complex cases very quickly. He shapes the case in a digestible way and he is an excellent all-rounder."

"He isan exceptional jury advocate whose cross examination skills are impressive. He is incredibly bright and makes effective, complex legal arguments immediately as an issue arises."

William Boyce KC is a fantastic silk and a former Senior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court who stands out for his impressive track record in complex and high-profile cases. He focuses his practice on criminal defence matters and regularly handles murder and sexual abuse cases. His experience further includes World War II war crimes investigations and a range of fraud cases.

"He is knowledgeable and meticulous in everything he does and this shows in his cross-examination. He is considerate and gets the best out of clients through empathy and skill."

"William is a marvelous advocate and has tremendous attention to detail."

"Anne is very effective and a strong performer, Judges like her and she is very good on the law."

"He is a truly dedicated advocate."

"Kerry is hugely analytical and clever."

"Paul is anexperienced advocate who is very knowledgeable and experienced."

"He's a lovely guy and a really good barrister."

"Rachna is an excellent junior."

"She is excellent and provides robust representation. She is very tough and will give an excellent service."

"Susannah is very good at cross-examining witnesses and is a very capable advocate."

"She is meticulous in her preparation and outstanding in court."

"He is a very impressive thinker and a great advocate, he has a lovely style in court and the judges love him. He is very thoughtful, clever and very good on the law."

"He is an absolutely superb barrister."

"Julian is a clear, sharp and fair barrister."

"He does really complex cases and is a very good performer with a very nice style."

"He is very charming and because he prosecutes and defends; judges have a lot of confidence in him."

"Paul is a class act, fabulously smart and a clever advocate."

"Paul is a very good practitioner and his advocacy is great."

"Polly shows remarkable prowess and ability and she is a courageous advocate."

"Tom is a fantastic barrister and intimidatingly clever."

"Tom has a very calm and authoritative presence."

"Adam has a fantastic manner in court and he really inspires confidence. He has an authority about him and is very diplomatic and wonderfully articulate."

"He is very competent, client-focused and has very confident advocacy skills."

"Alexandra is very thorough and accurate in her advice."

"She is very relatable and good at explaining the situation to clients in a way that they understand. She's a very confident advocate who is fearless and will challenge anyone."

"She does very impressive criminal work and her written advocacy and submissions are extraordinary."

"Her client management is very good and her drafting is at a very high standard."

"She is incredibly organised and has a fantastic ability to weed out relevant material. She is very personable, accessible and practical in the advice she gives."

"Roger is very calm, authoritative and logical in his approach. He knows the case extremely well and is very personable and trusted."

"He is phenomenal and knows the law inside out. He is the perfect barrister to have on a complex case."

"He has high attention to detail and is remarkably persistent in examining every aspect of a case to arrive at highly persuasive legal and factual argument. He wins cases and achieves results."

"Arabella has a personable approach outside the courtroom which is beautifully balanced by a fierce determination for her client’s case in the courtroom."

"Ben is bright and has a real dynamism. He is a great advocate and his written advocacy shone through."

"Ben is an outstanding practitioner. He is a real leader and he leads with tact and sensitivity."

"Ben is excellent. He is great at detail and the big picture."

"She has great judgement in respect of legal arguments and has full and effective grasp of the brief."

"Ruth writes clear arguments in advance that assimilate and condense huge amounts of information with great clarity. She is thorough, with a meticulous eye for detail, and is consistently supportive."

"She is a quality advocate who combines dedicated preparation with detailed advice."

"She is absolutely brilliant and brings both intellectual rigour and emotional investment."

Senior Treasury Counsel Jocelyn Ledward KC acts primarily as a prosecutor but also handles complex defence work. She has experience with sexual offence allegations and drugs matters, and has been instructed in terrorism and murder cases, some of which relate to organised crime.

"Jocelyn is an exceptional barrister and very bright. She is fair, with a great eye for small detail. Her negotiation skills are exceptional and she grapples with solutions to obtain the right result."

"Her intellect crackles and she matches her superior ability with attention to detail."

"Jocelyn is fantastic. She is very bright, tenacious and level headed. She is a force of nature and has the right balance between intellect and people skills."