John Kelsey-Fry KC KC > Cloth Fair Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Cloth Fair Chambers Offices
39-40 CLOTH FAIR
LONDON
EC1A 7NT
England
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John Kelsey-Fry KC KC
Position
John Kelsey-Fry KC is Head of Cloth Fair Chambers. He is widely recognised as one of the leading silks at the Criminal Bar. He is outstanding in front of a jury, has exceptional advocacy skills and his wealth of experience is almost unparalleled. As one commentator says, “There is rarely a high-profile criminal case where he is not instructed, and his level of commitment and can-do approach is inspirational”.
John is particularly sought after in areas of business and financial crime where his criminal expertise is matched by his commercial understanding and his strategic vision. He is exemplary at advising boards and individuals alike.
He is also known for high-profile general crime and is often cited for his work involving defamation where his cross-examination skills have proved game-changing. Further, he is commended for his work in the sports sector, having a wide range of experience of sporting and regulatory tribunals.
Career
John represented Natwest in the first ever criminal prosecution by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of a financial institution under anti-money laundering laws in the UK.
SFO v Barclays (winner – Most Important Court Case 2020, GIR). For the former head of investment banking in the Middle-East, acquitted of all charges re multi-billion pound capital raise in 2008 following a five-month trial at the Central Criminal Court.
Advised individuals in relation to a number of SFO investigations including ENRC, Balli and Unaoil as well as advising a Premier League Football Club in relation to an ongoing HMRC investigation.
Other notable instructions in recent years include:
- HKSAR – v – Kwok: Successfully defended the property tycoon, the only defendant to be acquitted in Hong Kong’s largest ever graft case.
- R -v- Olympus Corporation: acted for the company in securing a full acquittal regarding Companies Act charges brought by the SFO
- R -v- W: Successfully defended the CEO of a raw materials company charged by the SFO with conspiracy to defraud
- R -v- Huhne: Represented the former Energy Secretary charged with perverting the course of justice
- R -v- C: Successfully represented the former Director of iSoft in criminal and regulatory proceedings
Memberships
Called to the Bar – 1978
QC – 2000 | KC – 2022
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Fraud: crime
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Kelsey-Fry KC – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘John is strategic, supremely committed to his client’s best interests, and has an astonishing work ethic. A massively bright silk in fraud law.’
Cloth Fair Chambers stands out as ‘an undisputed heavyweight‘ in the fraud and financial crime space. John Kelsey-Fry KC has an excellent reputation for being ‘one of the most persuasive advocates at the Bar‘. Rhys Meggy stands out as ‘one of the very top junior barristers of his generation‘. Stuart Biggs is another highly regarded junior in the financial crime field, with a solid track record in appearing for both the defence and the prosecution. In recent work for the set, Biggs is defending the manager of an Iranian-owned money exchange business against allegations of money laundering and using part of the money for the sale and purchase of Bitcoin. In a key development for chambers, Dean Brown joined the set as Head of Practice Management in July 2024.
London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Kelsey-Fry KC – Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Clients are yet to encounter a silk who has JKF’s work ethic, depth of perception and judgement. He is also an excellent jury advocate.’