2 Hare Court | London Barristers Chambers - One of the UK's leading sets

Business Crime

2 Hare Court has a proud history of involvement in the largest and most complex white collar crime cases.

In recent years, members have been instructed in the LIBOR and FX litigation, the investigation into Cambridge Analytica, the HBOS corruption scandal, the litigation concerning ENRC and the SFO, the Malaysian 1MDB scandal, SFO investigations into Barclays Bank, Rolls Royce, Quindell and Glencore, fraud allegations arising out of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the investigation into former Barclays CEO Jess Daley regarding his alleged relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, Boris Becker’s criminal insolvency trial and cases spawned by the release of the ‘Panama Papers’.

In addition, members have been involved in litigation relating to the accounting scandals at Tesco, Serco, G4S and Carillion.

We offer an end to end service, advising at the sensitive pre-charge stage and in relation to restraint proceedings, moving through to trial and confiscation proceedings thereafter if necessary. In addition, we have extensive experience of cases with an international dimension, enabling us to advise on a variety of cross-jurisdictional issues.

Our barristers have experience of a wide spectrum of the business crime or criminal regulatory issues which companies or individuals might face, including allegations of bribery and corruption, criminal anti-competitive behaviour, insider dealing, fraud, money laundering, intellectual property crime, data protection, sanctions and tax evasion.

We also advise on issues such as internal investigations and compliance, whistleblowing, deferred prosecution agreements, the likelihood of civil rather than criminal recovery, global settlements and other areas as requested by our clients. We also undertake private prosecutions, primarily (but not exclusively) on behalf of corporate clients.

Financial Services

Many of our members have extensive regulatory experience in the field of professional discipline. Being able to dovetail that experience with their expertise in financial crime, means that they are instructed to advise and act for firms and individuals working in the financial services sector. Advisory work often includes potential liability under the criminal law in parallel with regulatory breaches of the civil regime, e.g. market abuse and the withdrawal of authorisation.

As a result, we deal not only with criminal investigations, but also cases brought by the FCA in the High Court, in the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal or before the Regulatory Decisions Committee.

Members are instructed directly by individual traders and FCA approved persons to advise and act on their behalf, as well as through their solicitors or other representatives. Our Business Crime & Financial Services Group also offers experience from industry, with members having come to the Bar following careers in other sectors, including trading in the City of London and other international financial markets.

Members have recently been instructed on behalf of the PRA, for example the £46.55m fine imposed on Standard Chartered Bank for inadequate governance controls and for failing to be open and cooperative, and in relation also to the £87m fine imposed on Credit Suisse for risk management and governance failures.

Finally, we have been involved in some of the largest internal investigations undertaken in recent times by banks and other financial institutions. Whilst for reasons of client confidentiality it is difficult to provide further details, we have advised on the full range of issues which arise in these cases, including the scope of the investigation, composition of the investigation team, legal professional privilege, relationships with the SFO and the FCA and managing the end product of the investigation.

Read more

"2 Hare Court have quality running right through the set."

Legal 500 UK 2025

"2 Hare Court are the premier set for serious and general crime. They have strength at every year of call, and the clerks know their counsel intimately."

Legal 500 UK 2025

"Always helpful clerking team and excellent counsel available."

Legal 500 UK 2025

"2 Hare Court is a leading set for white-collar work offering the cream of the crop of criminal barristers."

Chambers UK 2024

"They are as comfortable dealing with complex white-collar crime cases as with highly sensitive and serious general crime cases."

Chambers UK 2024

"They have very sophisticated clerking with a commercial awareness that sets them apart."

Chambers UK 2024

"Director of clerking Julian Campbell is very business-focused but also very reasonable."

Chambers UK 2024

"The set as a whole is fantastic to work with. The clerks make life every easy, and are on top of everything. Julian Campbell and Chloe Tennent are brilliant."

Legal 500 UK 2024

"2 Hare Court is an excellent set with a range of eminent silks as well as brilliant junior barristers."

Legal 500 UK 2024

"2 Hare Court is a superb set that leads in private criminal cases and white collar work."

Legal 500 UK 2024

Key Contact

Julian Campbell, Director of Clerking

For more information please contact Julian Campbell on 020 7869 7806 or email juliancampbell@2harecourt.com.

We will guide you through our simple and transparent process and ensure you obtain the best representation.

Business Crime & Financial Services Barristers

King's Counsel

Jonathan Laidlaw KC

Call 1982 | Silk 2008

Martin Heslop KC

Call 1972 | Silk 1995

Peter Wright KC

Call 1981 | Silk 1999

Orlando Pownall KC

Call 1975 | Silk 2002

Martin Hicks KC

Call 1977 | Silk 2003

Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC

Call 1984 | Silk 2006

Brendan Kelly KC

Call 1988 | Silk 2008

Brian O’Neill KC

Call 1987 | Silk 2010

Kate Blackwell KC

Call 1992 | Silk 2012

Jonathan Kinnear KC

Call 1994 (Northern Ireland 1996) | Silk 2012

Christopher Coltart KC

Call 1998 | Silk 2014

Oliver Glasgow KC

Call 1995 | Silk 2016

David Whittaker KC

Call 1986 | Silk 2019

Mark Graffius KC

Call 1990 | Silk 2020

Leon Kazakos KC

Call 1999 | Silk 2020

Gudrun Young KC

Call 2001 | Silk 2022

Junior Counsel

Tyrone Belger

Call 1984

Gavin Irwin

Call 1996

Peter Lownds

Call 1998

Angus Bunyan

Call 1999

Julia Faure Walker

Call 2004

Vivienne Tanchel

Call 2005

Sarah Przybylska

Call 2006

Daniel Chadwick

Call 2006

Harry Bentley

Call 2007

Fiona Robertson

Call 2008

Will Martin

Call 2010

Nikita McNeill

Call 2010

Rebecca Erkan-Bax

Call 2012

Lewis MacDonald

Call 2014

Hannah Thomas

Call 2016

Neelam Gomersall

Call 2017

Max Mills

Call 2018

Harry Laidlaw

Call 2018

Gabriele Watts

Call 2019

Eleanor Fox

Call 2021

Thomas Beardsworth

Call 2021

Daniel Mullin

Call 2021

Related resources and news

Neelam Gomersall instructed in bribery and corruption trial of the former Premier of Turks and Caicos Islands

The case concerns the alleged abuse of power by the Premier, Michael Misick, and Cabinet…

Defendant acquitted of illegal money lending

Daniel acted for the defendant in a Trading Standards prosecution investigated by the National Illegal…

David Whittaker KC and Gabriele Watts act for Anna Machkevitch, daughter of ENRC Founder, who has her SFO conviction overturned

On 16 September 2024 at Southwark Crown Court HHJ Rimmer granted permission for Anna Machkevitch…

View all related news

Portfolio Builder

Select the practice areas that you would like to download or add to the portfolio

Download    Add to portfolio   
Portfolio
Title Type CV Email

Remove All

Download


Click here to share this shortlist.
(It will expire after 30 days.)