Crispin Aylett KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman 'Crispin turns his hand to anything with exceptional skill. He is probably the finest jury advocate of his generation.'
QEB Hollis Whiteman has an established reputation as ‘one of the best sets out there that is packed with excellence from top to bottom’. Crispin Aylett KC led the prosecution of several individuals charged with the abduction, torture and murder of well-known Turkish DJ, Koray Alpergin, kidnapped in Tottenham alongside his girlfriend over money he owed. Jocelyn Ledward KC took silk in April 2024. Ali Bajwa KC’s broad practice covers major murder and sexual offences cases. Philip Stott prosecuted former barrister Henry Hendron, who was convicted of encouraging the commission of offences, namely seeking to purchase methamphetamine from clients themselves facing drugs charges – Hendron was imprisoned for fourteen months, and in separate disciplinary proceedings subsequently disbarred.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Chris Emmings and Faye Patis are two of the best clerks around. They are a fantastic team. They have integrity, good sense, initiative and nous.'
- 'The clerks have an incredible work ethic and a brilliant attitude to work. They are proactive in every way, quickly providing solutions to problems. They are all extremely profession and no one ever lets the team down. Chris Emmings is exceptional. He has his finger on the pulse with an excellent knowledge of the needs of instructing solicitors. David O'Sullivan has a fantastic, approachable and friendly demeanour.'
- 'Sam Window is excellent: organised, easy to deal with and helpful. If he is unavailable and you are told he will call you back, he does. He knows his barristers' diaries well and knows his solicitors' needs just as well.'
- 'Faye Stimpson is always fantastic. She is a superstar.'
- 'QEB are a wonderful set full of heavy hitters. They are regularly instructed on the most serious of offences and undertake a breadth of work in many areas of crime and regulatory work. Their barristers are often appointed to judicial positions or made KCs because they are exceptional.'
- 'QEB Hollis Whiteman is in the very top tier of criminal sets.'
- 'QEB Hollis Whiteman stands out as a beacon of legal excellence, embodying a profound commitment to precision and innovation and high-quality advocacy and written work. Their approach to complex legal matters is marked by a rare blend of astute analysis and creative problem-solving. Their reputation for integrity and client-centered service is well deserved.'
- 'QEB Hollis Whiteman is an excellent set for criminal defence work, which is why they are a number one choice. The standard of counsel is unbeatable.'
Silks
Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
David Jeremy KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘David is a superb lawyer and advocate, at the pinnacle of his powers.'
Zoe Johnson KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Zoe is a devastating advocate, an impressive lawyer and a first-class human being. She effortlessly achieves the best results for her clients.'
Ali Bajwa KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman 'Ali's preparation for a case is of the highest level; he explores and understands every single detail. His advocacy is an art; listening to him cross-examine is like listening to poetry - good poetry. Ali takes the court and the witness on a journey to an almost inescapable final destination.'
Philip Evans KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Philip is a wonderful advocate with a nice, dry turn of phrase. He is also a very capable lawyer. Out of court he is great - a fantastic team player, lovely to work with and always looking out for others. A dream leader.'
Tom Kark KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman
Sean Larkin KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman 'Sean's manner in court is calm and his advocacy is unrivalled, with many who know him commenting on his sheer skill at holding a jury's attention and making them truly think about the evidence. His ability to immediately understand the issues in a case, even in the most complex, is a sight to behold. Yet with all of this he still has empathy, even with the youngest and most vulnerable of lay clients.'
Alexandra Felix KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Alexandra is outstanding - she commands the ear of the court when on her feet, so her points hit home. She takes a collaborative approach to case progression making it easy to work with her, and clients respond to her direct but warm manner.'
4
Peter Finnigan KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman 'Peter is charming, effective, and understated. He does not waste a word and is excellent on his feet.'
Julian Evans KC
QEB Hollis Whiteman2023 Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
2024 Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Juniors
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
Philip McGhee
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Philip has the ability to do it all and make it look easy. He has an impressive grasp of the law, the written and oral advocacy skills of a silk, and interpersonal skills that make everyone in a room warm to him. He will be one of the very best and is regarded rightly as a real talent.’
Philip Stott
QEB Hollis Whiteman 'Philip is great with lay clients and is an impressive advocate.'
Susannah Stevens
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Susannah is a superb cross-examiner as well as a confident and robust advocate. She is great with clients and quickly secures their confidence.'
Adam King
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Adam is versatile, pragmatic, tenacious, personable and – most importantly of all – effective. Adam is very much a go-to barrister. He has a great style with both clients and courts alike, and always comes up with a novel angle.’
Tom Broomfield
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Tom is attentive to clients and has a caring nature. He is a composed and calm person who inspires confidence. His written work is always of a high standard and quality. He is also extremely responsive to solicitors' and clients' needs.'
Kerry Broome
QEB Hollis Whiteman3
Rachna Gokani
QEB Hollis Whiteman
Fallon Alexis
QEB Hollis Whiteman4
Polly Dyer
QEB Hollis Whiteman 'Polly is incredibly hard-working and astute at getting to grips with the detail of a case. She is very approachable and has a good relationship with instructing solicitors and lay clients alike. She is a confident and skilled advocate with a considered and tactical approach.'
Karen Robinson
QEB Hollis Whiteman4
Nadesh Karu
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Nadesh is a brilliant advocate. His closing speeches hit the mark, and both the jury and the judge sit up and listen.’
4
Kyan Pucks
QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘Kyan is an absolutely first-rate barrister with a golden future ahead of her. She is thorough and comprehensive in her case preparation, works tirelessly, and has great strategic sense and judgement, which is all rounded off with great advocacy skills. She presents as significantly ahead of her years. A star.’