Crown Court

Clients are normally represented at the Crown Court by a Barrister based at a set of Chambers either locally or in London.

However this Firm now employs both In-House Counsel and two Solicitor-Advocates (Higher Courts Criminal) who are all able to exclusively represent our Clients before the Crown Court.

In-House Counsel

Grant Benjamin (Barrister) joined this Firm in February 2008.  He was called to The Bar in 2002.  His practice has always been exclusively criminal and regulatory.  Before joining the Firm, Grant was instructed alone and as a led junior in a wide range of serious criminal matters including Murder, Money Laundering, False Imprisonment, Robbery, GBH as well as dishonesty and drugs offences.  His recent notable cases include:

2005   R v Owen  A £3.8m Conspiracy to Supply Class A & B Drugs together with Money Laundering and firearms offences.

2006   R v Gecsoyler & Ors.  ‘Britain’s largest Human Trafficking case’.

2007   R v Mayuran & Ors.  A multi-handed ‘gang warfare’ incident that resulted in proceedings for Attempted Murder.

2007   R v Baptiste.  A doorman accused of GBH and in particular of seriously assaulting 5 people in a nightclub.

2007   R v Price & Ors.  Money Laundering and Theft relating to a large scale systematic stealing of industrial copper cable.

Solicitor-Advocates (Higher Courts Criminal)

A Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Courts Criminal) is a Solicitor who is additionally qualified to represent Clients before the Crown Court, Court of Appeal and House of Lords in Criminal Cases.  Ian Clift and Matthew Bone have obtained this prestigious qualification.

By maintaining an in house Crown Court Advocacy service we can provide our Clients with continuity of representation throughout the course of their case from the Police Station, through to the Magistrates’ Court and on to the Crown Court.

In addition, to supplement our in house Crown Court advocacy service we instruct Barristers at The Chambers of Wiiliam Clegg QC at 2 Bedford Row, Chancery Lane, London.  The Barristers there are considered to be leaders in Criminal Law matters and for further information, please use the following link: www.2bedfordrow.co.uk.