2 Bedford Row

Head of Chambers: Brian Altman KC and Jim Sturman KC

Senior Clerk: John Grimmer

Tenants: 73

THE CHAMBERS Clients benefit from the knowledge, expertise and support of one of the country’s leading criminal and regulatory sets. Committed to all aspects of criminal and regulatory law, Chambers advises and represents clients in a wide variety of proceedings and investigations, from high profile fraud and murder cases, to health and safety and professional disciplinary proceedings. Members have appeared in International Criminal Courts in The Hague, the ECHR, Privy Council, Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Administrative Court and all courts and tribunals of first instance, as well as public inquiries and inquests. Chambers has a high volume of international work and members attend hearings around the globe. Chambers serves a variety of clients, spanning national governments, international companies, local authorities and other public bodies, regulators, trade unions, corporations and directors and professional and sporting authorities, and individuals. Chambers calls upon the combined expertise of 15 KC’s and 58 juniors, including a former First Senior Treasury Counsel, standing counsel to the Health and Safety Executive, and a number of recorders. Chambers has provided two Chairs of the Bar Council and two Chairs of the CBA. Supporting them is a clerking team recognised as one of the best in the country.

WORK UNDERTAKEN

Crime: As one of the acknowledged ‘magic circle’ criminal sets, it has an outstanding track record in high profile trials, including corporate crimes, terrorism and war crimes. Examples include the News International Phone Hacking; the Hillsborough Football Stadium disaster; the Hatfield and Potters Bar rail disasters; the Buncefield prosecution; Michael Stone; Colin Stagg; Tony Martin; Levi Bellfield (Milly Dowler murder); Stephen Lawrence; Kenneth Noye (M25 murder); Russell Bishop (the ‘Babes in the Wood’ murder); Barry George; Vincent Tabak, Sgt Danny Nightingale; Rolf Harris; Thomas Mair (murder of Jo Cox MP); Adebolajo (murder of Corporal Lee Rigby); Ched Evans; and Corporal Lee Clegg.

Fraud: With an exceptional record for fraud and financial crime, its members have appeared in many of the highest profile cases, such as JJB Sports, Asil Nadir, Imperial Consolidated, Pharmaceuticals, BAE, Innospec, Op. Condor, Jubilee line, Torex, Brent Walker, WSTC, Cheney Pensions, Izodia pic, iSoft, Robinsons, HBOS, Libor, Euribor, Rolls Royce, Barclay’s Bank and Unaoil.

Health & Safety & Environmental Enforcement: Chambers has a commanding presence in health and safety, including corporate and gross negligence manslaughter cases. Members include Standing Counsel to the HSE and ORR, the co-author of the leading practitioners’ textbook and the author of ‘Blackstone’s Guide to the Corporate Manslaughter Act.’ Members have been instructed in all of the most significant appellate cases including Chargot [2009] 2 All ER 645 HL. Chambers also has an enviable reputation in environmental work with particular experience of alleged pollution offences, environmental permit breaches and Transfrontier Shipment Regulations breaches.

Professional & Disciplinary Tribunals: Over the years members have developed an intuitive understanding of how professional bodies think, which allows them to tailor their advocacy for the greatest effect. 2 Bedford Row represents professionals before the GMC, GDC, GOC, NMC and SDT among others, as well as acting for professional bodies themselves.

Financial Services Regulation: The team has considerable experience in SFO, FCA, and Revenue & Customs investigations, VAT Tribunals, prosecutions and appeals.

Inquests & Public Inquiries: The regulatory group assists clients before coroners’ inquests and public inquiries, providing high quality advice and representation. Examples include Duggan and Grenfell Tower, The Turks and Caicos Corruption Inquiry, De Menezes, Lakanal fire, Shipman, Climbié, Lawrence. The Ashwood Hospital Inquiry and The Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse.

Sports Law: Members also frequently appear before professional sporting tribunals including The Court of Arbitration for Sport, they appear in all sports but particularly in football, rugby and cricket, and represent many Premiership clubs and individual players both in the UK and Abroad.

INTERNATIONAL Members have undertaken work in the US, West Indies, Middle East, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Turks and Caicos and most of mainland Europe. Members can work in Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Krio (Sierra Leone), Russian and Serbo-Croat. For more details please see the website.