James Thacker KC

Practice Areas

Expertise in financial crime, complex and organised crime, sexual offences and child abuse, and regulatory and professional disciplinary proceedings. Prosecutes and defends as leading counsel in high profile, multi-handed cases with factual and legal complexities.

Notable cases: Op. Funsea (Conspiracy to launder ancient art from the Musee des Arts d’Extreme), Op. Widow (people trafficking); Op. Estadio (EncroChat); Op. Edge (Drug conspiracies involving 23 defendants and EncroChat); Op. Enlist (Drug conspiracies involving EncroChat); Op. Labootan (Cocaine Conspiracy with EncroChat); R v WT (stranger rape during national lockdown); R v PJ (death by careless driving); R v T & F (DEFRA EU fraud); Ops. Amaryllis/Ensete (International £7m banking fraud); Ops. Veil nos.1&3 (multi-million tax evasion); R v HP et al (attempt to abort foetus); R v SG (death by dangerous driving); Operation Dinghy (investment fraud); R v Cameira (Legal services fraud); Op. Crystal (Access to Work fraud involving 12 deaf defendants); R v Brad (£3m bank fraud); R v Kayode (£4m Education Trust fraud believed to be ‘Britain’s largest Education Fraud’); Op. Dee (£2m bank fraud), Op. Glider (HMRC fraud); Op. Evergreen (Insider NHS fraud).

Career

Called 2001 (Gray's Inn), Recorder of Crown Court, SFO Prosecution Panel (A), CPS Prosecution Panel (Grade 4), CPS Serious Crime Panel (Grade 4), CPS Specialist Fraud Panel (Grade 4), Approved to prosecute serious sexual offences and child abuse, Regulatory list (Panel B), Recorder of Senior’s in Hall at Gray’s Inn, Direct Access trained.

Professional Memberships

Criminal Bar Association, Fraud Lawyers Association, South Eastern Circuit. Central London Mess Junior.