Paul Sharkey

Practice Areas

Crime

Financial Crime

Career

Called: 2000

Recorder: 2019

Deputy District Judge: 2019

SFO A Panel

CPS Grade 4 – Specialist Fraud, Serious Crime Panels

Paul Sharkey is an advocate with vast experience of cases involving fraud, money laundering and confiscation proceedings, corruption and misconduct in public office, murder and serious violence, and the importation and supply of drugs.

Paul regularly as acts as leading counsel in large-scale, multi-handed cases leading teams of lawyers and investigators in relation to serious and complex cases, and as a specialist, he is often asked to advise pre-charge on appropriate charges and case strategy.

Paul is highly skilled at dealing with cases involving a significant amount of documentary, financial and expert evidence, and at presenting difficult cases to juries. He fully conversant with the range of evidential tools often deployed: telephone evidence (cell-site, phone billing, phone interrogation), observation evidence, drug valuation evidence, other forensic evidence and evidence obtained through co-operation with foreign jurisdictions through mutual assistance.

Paul also acts as Independent Counsel to advise upon legal professional privilege in relation to material seized by police and prosecution authorities.

Recent instructions include: Cold case murder (Apelgren), Just Stop Oil protests (Delap), £27m alcohol diversion/VAT fraud (Op Centrum), £14m boiler room fraud (Tanveer), importation of 56kgs of cocaine (Bauza), prosecution of legal costs fraud (Khan), attempted murder and misconduct in public office.

Recently nominated as Crime Junior of the Year in Legal 500 Bar Awards 2025.

Professional Memberships

Criminal Bar Association

South Eastern Circuit