2 Hare Court

Head of Chambers: Jonathan Laidlaw KC

Director of Clerking: Julian Campbell

Tenants: 77

THE CHAMBERS 2 Hare Court is recognised as one of the UK’s leading sets of expert barristers specialising across a range of practice areas including crime, professional discipline and regulatory, financial crime, health and safety and inquests and public inquiries and contentious tax. Excellence in advocacy, advice and strategic analysis are at the core of chambers principles. Individuals, professionals and corporate clients instruct chambers via solicitors, professional advisers, or on a public access basis. Members and clerks are highly praised as a progressive team, placing an emphasis on understanding the needs of the client in an ever-changing legal market.

WORK UNDERTAKEN

Crime: Chambers specialist advocates advise, defend and prosecute (both privately and publically) all forms of criminal work, particularly in serious and complex cases of murder, international drug and human trafficking, serious organised crime, terrorism (including special advocate work), honour killings and sexual offences (especially historic). Recent cases include: National action terrorism matters, the murder of PC Andrew Harper, Dr Agnes Taylor torture case (wife of former leader of Liberia Charles Taylor), Charles Riddington Double K Gym murder, Alex King hoax Novichok poisoning in Salisbury (whilst on the run for a largescale drugs supply case), career conman Mark Acklom, prosecuting tube bomb plotter Damon Smith, murdered French nanny Sophie Lionnet, Finsbury Park attacker Darren Osbourne, the Rolf Harris appeal, prosecuting Britain’s ‘worst ever paedophile’ Richard Huckle, Grindr serial killer Stephen Port, Honey Rose (the first optometrist to be convicted of gross negligence manslaughter), Brooks (phone hacking), Lee Rigby Murder and Operation Yew Tree.

Financial Crime: Members are instructed on the largest and most complex financial crime cases. Their experience includes all forms of fraud, MTIC/VAT tribunal hearings, market abuse (insider dealing, LIBOR and other benchmark rates), asset recovery and forfeiture, and restraint/confiscation proceedings. Recent cases include: ICO v Cambridge Analytica, The SFO’s investigation into Rolls Royce, Operation Amazon, the HBoS corruption trial, Operation Tabernula, Turks and Caicos corruption cases, BA price fixing and Blue Index.

Health & Safety: Hare Court advises companies and directors on matters including corporate and gross negligence manslaughter, deaths at work, falls from height, mechanical injuries, food labeling, poisoning, and inhalation of cases. Recent cases include: Pret A Manger food allergy death, Chevron North Sea Ltd, Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry, Dicot A Power Station, Monovan Construction, Cristal Pigments and The Hillsborough Inquiry.

Professional Discipline: 2 Hare Court has extensive expertise in this field appearing in proceedings across a broad range of industry sectors including healthcare, financial services, legal (SRA and BSB), police and military,TMT (technology, media and telecommunications), tax and sport. Members primarily defend professionals before the regulatory tribunals, crown and high courts.

Inquests & Public Inquiries: 2 Hare Court has a team of specialists with experience before the Coroner’s Court, particularly in cases involving health and safety, healthcare and military service issues. Notable Inquests include the London Bridge and Westminster terrorist attacks, acting for the family of Lance Corporal Craig Roberts one of three soldiers who died of heat illness on an SAS selection test in the Brecon Beacons and representing the family of Alexander Perepilichny, who died in unexplained circumstances. Public inquiries have included the Grenfell fire, Manchester arena bombing, inquiry into the death of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian FSB agent allegedly poisoned by Polonium 210 in London, as well as various members instructed on the long running Hillsborough inquest.

INTERNATIONAL Members have experience of work in the Hong Kong, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos and Northern Ireland.

LANGUAGES French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu.