Jonathan Laidlaw QC

Rated in the directories as a leader in the fields of crime, financial crime, health and safety, inquests and public inquiries and sport and previously awarded “Crime Silk of the Year”, Jonathan Laidlaw QC has consistently been ranked by Chambers as one of their star silks. The directories have described him as “an exceptional silk who provides superlative client care and commands the authority of the court with his formidable advocacy”. They have spoken of him being “an outstanding advocate … regularly instructed in headline-grabbing cases” who is, “also eminently well equipped to advise significant individuals on sensitive matters involving reputational issues”. It has been said that he is “an extraordinarily able advocate with great style who can deal with the most difficult of cases with the greatest of ease” and that he has “lethal cross-examination skills and a mean way with closing speeches”. He features in the Sunday Times/Debretts list of the 500 most influential people in Britain today.

Jonathan Laidlaw QC’s practice is predominantly in business and financial crime, in defending directors and companies facing charges brought by the HSE and in professional, regulatory and disciplinary matters. Much of his work, both for individuals and companies here and abroad, is pre-charge and advisory in nature. Jonathan Laidlaw QC has also appeared in the Commercial Court, major inquests and sporting tribunals and is asked to produce reports in silk-led internal inquiries. He presently acts for the Bank of England, for a number of individuals who are the subject of SFO, FCA and DoJ investigations including Rolls Royce and ENRC; for PCP in the Barclays litigation; for The FA; for directors and companies facing gross negligence and corporate manslaughter charges; for a core participant in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry; and for Operation Kenova in Northern Ireland.

Recent instructions include acting for Rebekah Brooks in the phone-hacking case; in the cricket match fixing case; for the Football Association in the Hillsborough Inquests; for Statoil in the In Amenas Inquests; for Fluor, Hugo Boss and Cape Industries, BAM, Ferrovian and Kerr in fatality cases; for Monovan Construction Ltd and JTF Wholesale in corporate manslaughter cases; for the trainer Jim Best in hearings before the British Horseracing Authority; for the IAAF in a CAS hearing in Lausanne; and for Allseas in their private prosecution.