Areas of Practice

Criminal

 

WTC offers an unrivalled combination of specialist skills and experience in national and international criminal law. Our team possesses pre-eminent practitioners in an exceptionally broad array of discrete practice areas, from murder and manslaughter cases concerning young defendants through to corporate fraud cases and related advisory work.

WTC contain an even balance of members who predominantly appear for the defence in contested criminal cases and those that lead and direct the prosecution of offences for various agencies and entities. Most members of chambers undertake a mixed profile of cases both prosecuting and defending.

Our work includes challenging search warrants and production orders, through to asset restraint, to managing investigation cooperation strategies, our multi-faceted specialisms make WTC uniquely placed to provide comprehensive pre-charge advice to corporate and individual clients to minimise potential criminal exposure. Members of the team have an unparalleled range of supplementary skills to support their criminal expertise including: reputation management; civil actions in tandem with criminal investigations; financial services and other disciplinary sanctions.

Members of WTC frequently mount effective public law challenges in the criminal law context. The team possesses some of the country’s most renowned practitioners in the field of challenges to police powers.

Members of WTC are frequently instructed to advise and to lead investigations at the earliest opportunity and before trial proceedings are commenced. This reputation and experience explains the background to our partnering with Custodian Solutions. Members of WTC have experience of working collaboratively with many overseas investigative agencies including the F.B.I.

WTC offers trial specialists to cater for cases involving the whole range of proceedings, from corporate manslaughter through to terrorism. Members have developed specialist expertise in specific areas, such as official secrets and gross negligence manslaughter.

The team also specialises in key business crime areas: including corporate criminal liability, insider dealing, cross-border corruption, cartels and fraud of many types. The team is instructed by a wide range of bodies and persons: multinational corporations, private equity groups, banks, traders, directors, senior business executives, City firms, regulators, prosecuting authorities, professional bodies, government departments and foreign governments.

The team’s innovative intellectual approach to criminal cases also means that members are regularly brought in at appeal stage, to take carriage of points of law before the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. A number of members have been involved in litigation relating to miscarriages of justice: CCRC referrals and compensation for wrongful convictions.

The team’s international criminal work has included cases involving diplomatic immunity, state immunity, torture, rendition, genocide and other violations of fundamental human rights; issues relating to individual violations of international criminal laws.

Members also have specific experience of a number of major public inquiries and inquests.

Regulatory – Financial and Professional

 

Financial Regulatory

Members of Chambers have considerable experience and expertise in the financial regulatory sector. Members have in the past been panel listed Queen’s Counsel with the Serious Fraud Office, lead teams of investigators with FIG, SOCA and the National Crime Agency. Members have also lead teams of investigators in large scale international fraud cases concerning Microsoft software, banking fraud, ‘grey market’ importation and an international car ringing gang moving in excess of £100 million pounds worth of luxury vehicles.

Members of chambers have also defended in some of the biggest financial fraud cases including the largest ever mortgage fraud conspiracy prosecuted in the jurisdiction involving over a 1,000 properties. Members of chambers have also defended solicitors and other professionals accused of major financial fraud. This wealth of experience accumulated over many decades of work qualifies members of WTC to advise regarding discrete questions of disclosure – a key specialism of chambers and one recognised by Custodian Solutions.

As an example of our specialism – a member of WTC was appointed to Chair and manage an investigation and produce a final report on alleged irregularity in the governance of an Academic Trust. The investigation and the subsequent report were praised by the D.O.E. as ‘a model example’ of how such investigations should be conducted and for the clarity and detail of the final report.

Professional Regulatory

We represent a wide range of professionals facing disciplinary and regulatory proceedings, with noticeable strength in representing those in the healthcare, financial, legal and police sectors.

Members of WTC are instructed by private individuals, regulatory bodies and defence organisations and have experience appearing before the following regulatory bodies:

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

  • Environment Agency

  • The England Boxing Disciplinary Panel

  • The Football Association

  • The General Chiropractic Council

  • The General Dental Council

  • The Health and Care Professions Council

  • The General Medical Council

  • The General Optical Council

  • The General Pharmaceutical Council

  • The Nursing and Midwifery Council

  • The General Social Care Council

  • The Police Disciplinary Tribunal

Our barristers are particularly adept at their work in the healthcare regulation field, acting on behalf of both individual professionals, such as medical and dental practitioners facing complex disciplinary proceedings, and on behalf of the various regulatory bodies, particularly the GMC and GDC.

We also act for a range of other professionals including accountants, architects, engineers, insurance brokers, solicitors, surveyors and vets before their respective regulatory bodies.

A number of barristers are registered lawyers with the Football Association and one member was the Chair of the Disciplinary Appeals Committee of C.I.P.F.A. – one of the seven regulatory bodies of the Chartered Accountancy profession.

We offer advice and representation during all stages of the disciplinary process. We are well equipped to handle cases of the utmost severity and complexity. Utilising our considerable strength in the criminal and civil field, we particularly excel in cases with potential or concurrent criminal and civil proceedings.

Arbitration – Domestic and International

 

Members of chambers are qualified arbitrators, members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, mediators, part time legal umpires and Judges.

We offer advice and representation during all stages of the commercial or domestic dispute process.

Members of WTC have a special connection with Africa and conduct international commercial arbitrations with clients from that jurisdiction and also have an active involvement with the African Arbitration Association. Chambers had planned to attend this year’s annual conference in Ghana (2020) and whilst the event was cancelled due to the pandemic we are hopeful to attend the revised conference in Accra in April 2021. We look forward to seeing you there.

Members of chambers have written ADR schemes for third party entities such as the Music Publishers Association and shaped the development of regulatory policy at bodies such as the Bar Council and CIPFA.

Members of chambers have advised film makers (‘Rise of the Foot Soldier II’ and ‘Football Factory’ are examples), record producers, playwrights, actors and novelists. We have proof read books and advised on all legal aspects thereof. We have run record labels, promotion companies and managed the business affairs of named bands and artists (Laurel Aitken, Alton Ellis, the Newtown Neurotics and the Cockney Rejects number amongst our clients). We have drafted film production contracts, Directs and Producers and Lead Actors contracts on major films. We have assisted in organising funding for a number of films and have a network of contacts formed over many years with many talents within the arts world.

We are well equipped to handle cases of the utmost complexity. Utilising our considerable strength in the civil and criminal fields, we particularly excel in cases with potential or concurrent civil and criminal proceedings.

Intellectual Property – Trade Mark, Anti-Piracy, Music and Digital Media

 

Members of chambers include recognised trade mark counsel and experienced Anti-Piracy policy advisors and leaders. Members of chambers have advised in relation to numerous reputational damage and defamation cases. We have worked with Pfizer, Microsoft, the MPA, Vertigo Films, Snapper Music, Cherry Red Records and Trojan Records.

We have set out above just some of the experience that members have in these highlighted practice areas. It is axiomatic that there is some overlay.

This is an area of practice in which WTC intend to expand its offering in the coming years.

Sports Law – Regulatory and Commercial

 

Several members of Chambers have practiced as solicitors and dual-capacity lawyers. In those roles we have accumulated significant experience in sports law and related commercial disputes.

That background means that WTC chambers members have experience amongst other things of negotiating contracts with Premiership Football Clubs and Championship Clubs on behalf of young players. We have experience of contested disciplinary hearings before the FA and have dealt with player welfare matters with the PFA. We have represented the seven time British Speedway Champion and caused the Speedway Board of Control to reconsider policy and rule changes.

WTC contains full members of the MCC, season ticket holders at Chelsea FC, members of the Bar Yacht Club… our involvement in sport is pitched at every level, professional, regulatory and enthusiast.