Raj Chada

Practice Areas

Raj Chada is the Head of the Criminal Defence, Financial Crime and Regulatory teams at Hodge Jones & Allen. He is one of the country’s leading criminal lawyers with expertise in serious and complex crime, public order and financial crime.

As one of a handful of specialist human rights specialists who can take on cases with political dimensions, Raj frequently acts in high profile cases that receive significant media attention. He has acted for clients involved in notable protest and human rights cases, including the “Stansted 15” trial where the defendants were accused of terror-related offences after preventing the take-off of a flight from Stansted Airport. The case was labelled by the New Statesman magazine as “the most important political trial of our times”.

Raj acts for those accused of the most serious criminal offences, including murder, attempted murder and the conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He is also well-known for his financial crime and regulatory work, having represented numerous company directors accused of serious fraud or regulatory offences.

He has significant niche expertise in cases involving bribery and corruption, having represented several senior executives and co-authored a book on the topic, “Bribery: A Compliance Handbook”.

Raj was the winner of the Criminal Lawyer of Year Award in 2012, (LALY), awarded by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group. As a Higher Rights Advocate, shortlisted on 3 occasions as “Advocate of the Year” by the Law Society Excellence Awards, being commended in 2017. He was also shortlisted as “Criminal Lawyer of the Year” by the Society of Asian Lawyers in 2017 and 2018.

He regularly appears on the national media and writes a regular column for the Legal Action Group (LAG).

Career

Admitted as Solicitor 1998; Gordon Doctors Walton 1998-99; Hodge Jones & Allen 1999 to present; Partner 2002; Member 2010

Professional Memberships

• LCCSA (The London Criminal Courts Solicitors' Association)

• SAHCA (Society of Higher Rights Advocates (committee member))

• Liberty

• Amnesty International

Publications

Co-author of Bribery: A Compliance Handbook; Regular column in Legal Action Group (quarterly) and contributor to national media.

Personal

Board member of Freedom from Torture, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW). Previously Leader of Camden Council, committee member of Fraud Lawyers Association, committee member of Society of Higher Rights Advocates.