Cloth Fair Chambers > London, England > Set Profile
Cloth Fair Chambers Offices
39-40 CLOTH FAIR
LONDON
EC1A 7NT
England
Cloth Fair Chambers > The Legal 500 Rankings
London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) Tier 1
Cloth Fair Chambers maintains a strong position in the market, with the set’s workload including fraud, corporate and financial crime, and members of the set being ‘consistently involved in the high profile and notable cases involving corporations, senior executives and high-profile individuals‘. For example, ‘brilliant, much-in-demand, silk‘ Alison Pople KC is instructed by a high net-worth individual charged with eight counts of cheating the public revenue to the tune of £22m, and in SFO v Balli Group, an SFO prosecution for fraud offences in connection with Balli Group’s steel trading platform, John Kelsey-Fry KC led Rachel Kapila in representing the chairman of the group. Tom Allen KC is instructed to represent the former managing director of an Airbus subsidiary accused of corruption relating to work for carried out for the Saudi national guard. In November 2022, Stuart Biggs joined from Three Raymond Buildings. Rhys Meggy joined from QEB Hollis Whiteman in May 2023. Ben Sundborg joined as head of practice management from 39 Essex Chambers in April 2023.Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
‘Chambers Director, Annaleen Stephens, is a force of nature, innovative, smart and a pleasure to deal with.’
‘The clerks are also excellent and go to great lengths to secure the counsel team that a client needs for particular issues.’
‘Annaleen Stephens is tenacious, pragmatic and knows the value of her chambers and the quality of services that are provided.’
‘The clerks are also excellent and go to great lengths to secure the counsel team that a client needs for particular issues.’
‘Cloth Fair is the pre-eminent chambers for high-end criminal work, and has been actively recruiting the best juniors to complement their stellar silk line-up.’
‘Excellent set in terms of strength in depth for Business and Regulatory Crime.’
‘Cloth Fair is widely regarded as a chambers of elite Silks and leading juniors. Their members are consistently involved in the high profile and notable cases involving corporations, senior executives and high-profile individuals.’
‘Cloth Fair continues to maintain its reputation as the City’s premier white collar advisory practice, a cut above the competition.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Fraud: crime Tier 2
Cloth Fair Chambers is a ‘leading set for white-collar defence work’, hosting both silks and juniors ‘at the top of the game’. John Kelsey-Fry KC has recently been involved in several high-profile cases, including for a defendant in the SFO’s case against the Balli Group for alleged fraud offences committed by its steel trading platform. Alison Pople KC, ‘excellent at navigating tricky legal and ethical issues’, has recently represented an entrepreneur in relation to a charge of eight counts of cheating the public revenue by way of VAT fraud. Rhys Meggy brings his considerable experience in complex international fraud cases to chambers from QEB Hollis Whiteman.Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
‘Olivia Filby-Barnett in particular is a sensible and practical clerk.’
‘Cloth Fair is full of barristers, both silks and juniors, who are at the top of the game. They represent the very best talent at the criminal and regulatory bar. There are no weaknesses – all members are first rate.’
‘Cloth Fair remains a go-to set for complex financial crime matters.’
‘A leading set for white collar defence work, particularly for individuals.’
‘The clerks’ room is, like the members of chambers, first rate. Given that Cloth Fair is, relatively speaking, a small set, the clerks are able to provide a rapid and bespoke service to instructing solicitors.’
‘The clerks are very good and efficient.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Elections
Leading Juniors
London Bar > International crime and extradition
Leading Juniors
London Bar > Crime
Leading Juniors
Cloth Fair Chambers > Set Profile
Cloth Fair Chambers is the pre-eminent set advising on the most complex fraud, criminal and regulatory matters for individuals and corporates.
Bridging the criminal and civil jurisdictions, our purpose is to provide the very best advice and representation in the most complex matters, especially in matters of financial misconduct where the corporate world and criminal laws intersect.
Cloth Fair is a unique chambers, deliberately boutique in size, made up of distinctive King’s Counsel and junior barristers with renowned expertise in business crime, global investigations, high-profile crime, regulatory and disciplinary matters, and where our specialist advocacy and advisory skills are required.
Pioneering in the field, our members are market leaders and regularly break new ground. Often working together, members are routinely instructed as counsel of choice for corporates and senior executives dealing with allegations such as bribery and corruption, money laundering, whistle-blowing, corporate fraud and false accounting, market abuse and insider dealing and tax fraud. Typically instructed at an early stage for strategic pre-charge strategy advice, members apply their expertise to advise both boards and individuals.
Investigations are often multi-jurisdictional and involve different prosecutorial bodies spanning the SFO, FCA, CMA, HMRC and the DOJ.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Director of Clerking | Dean Brown | ||
Members of Chambers | KELSEY-FRY KC, John (1978) | ||
Members of Chambers | PURNELL KC, Nicholas (1968) | ||
Members of Chambers | WINTER KC, Ian (1988) | ||
Member of Chambers | MULHOLLAND KC SC, Mark (1993) | ||
Members of Chambers | POPLE KC, Alison (1993) | ||
Members of Chambers | ALLEN KC, Tom (1994) | ||
Members of Chambers | BARNARD KC, Jonathan (1997) | ||
Members of Chambers | BIGGS, Stuart (1999) | ||
Member of Chambers | WATKINS, Aaron (2006) | ||
Members of Chambers | KAPILA, Rachel (2006) | ||
Members of Chambers | MEGGY, Rhys (2009) | ||
Member of Chambers | DACRE, Robert (2013) |
Barrister Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Tom Allen KC | Tom Allen focuses on commercial and business crime alongside financial regulation. He… | View Profile | |
Jonathan Barnard KC | Jonathan is a highly respected leading advocate in the fields of crime and… | View Profile | |
Stuart Biggs | Stuart’s practice focuses on matters involving allegations of misconduct by companies, directors,… | View Profile | |
Rachel Kapila | Rachel is a highly sought-after junior in the fields of financial crime… | View Profile | |
John Kelsey-Fry KC | John Kelsey-Fry KC is Head of Cloth Fair Chambers. He is widely… | View Profile | |
Mr Rhys Meggy | Rhys Meggy’s practice centres on defending allegations of financial criminality or regulatory… | View Profile | |
Alison Pople KC | With over 25 years experience as an advocate, Alison Pople KC commands… | View Profile | |
Nicholas Purnell KC | Nicholas Purnell KC’s career at the Bar spans over four decades and… | View Profile | |
Ian Winter KC | Ian Winter is a leading white-collar crime silk with an impressive track… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Dean Brown : Director of Clerking Olivia Filby-Barnett : Operations Manager- Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations)
Top Tier Set Rankings
- Fraud: crime