The Bar - Regional Bar • Midland Circuit
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Crime (general and fraud)

The 36 Group

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The 36 Group is widely praised as ‘a strong set of criminal practitioners who are adept at dealing with complex and serious matters’. ’First-rate trial advocate’ and crime group head Mary Prior KC is regularly instructed to prosecute and defend in high-profile and medically complex murder cases involving the deaths of children – she recently prosecuted the mother and stepfather of a ten-month-old who died after physical abuse compared by a pathologist to a multi-storey fall; the stepfather was convicted of murder and the mother of causing or allowing the death of a child. Claire Fraser is recognised as ‘an engaging and fluent advocate whose style endears herself to juries’. Lisa Hardy recently defended a man acquitted on charges of with unlawful act manslaughter , having allegedly spiked his date's vape fluid with a lethal dose of painkiller oxycodone. Arthur Kendrick’s burgeoning practice covers organised crime, homicide and fraud cases.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Michelle Simpson leads an impressive team who are always keen to assist and find solutions to any problem.'
  • 'The 36 Group is a standout chambers. The breadth of the work they do means that they are able to assist with almost any case that arises with a selection of excellent barristers to choose from. The clerking team is second to none. Michelle Simpson runs a tight ship which results in excellent service. You cannot go wrong with the 36 Group.'
  • 'The clerks are always helpful and usually respond on the day.'
  • '36 Crime is a strong set of criminal practitioners who are adept at dealing with complex and serious matters, supported by a particularly professional and pro-active clerks' room.'
  • 'The 36 Group is a long-established set of chambers that has a powerful team of criminal barristers who prosecute and defend in serious and complex criminal cases throughout the Midlands, as well as nationally.'
  • 'The 36 Group is the pre-eminent set in the East Midlands.'
  • 'The 36 Group is an excellent set of chambers with an especially strong presence in the Midlands.'

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.
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Mary Prior KC
The 36 Group
 ‘Mary is one of the best silks around. She is a fantastic advocate - jurors love her. She breaks complex concepts down very easily and enables a jury to follow her arguments with ease. Her client care is also brilliant.'
2
John Lloyd-Jones KC
The 36 Group
 ‘John has exceptional client care skills, an exceptional eye for detail, exceptional drafting skills and his advocacy is then over and above all other areas. He is a jury trial advocate of superb quality.'
2
Christopher Donnellan KC
The 36 Group
‘Christopher is charismatic, thorough and fair. His presentation of cases is second-to-none. He has a real flair for detail.’

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.
1
Sarah Knight
The 36 Group
‘Sarah is an exceptional advocate with a clear and persuasive approach to advocacy. She takes the most complicated of cases and carves a clear channel through the evidence with her understanding. She is calm and methodical and oozes good judgement and presence in a court room. She is quite exceptional all round.’
2
Nadeem Holland
The 36 Group
‘As an advocate Nadeem comes across as thoughtful, calm and authoritative when on his feet in court. He puts his lay clients at ease with his approachable manner. He is a very fine advocate.'
2
Claire Fraser
The 36 Group
‘Claire is an exceptionally able advocate who has demonstrated over a significant period that she can be trusted with very serious and complex criminal work. Her advocacy skills, both written and oral, are of a very high standard. Claire is in a class of her own, a true leader and a real team player whether leading or junioring.’
3
Lisa Hardy
The 36 Group
'Lisa has a very good eye to detail; she is very thorough and provides advice on the evidence well in advance of hearings. She has excellent client care skills and creates a rapport with clients within seconds.'
Rising stars
Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.
Tom Parker
The 36 Group
 ‘Tom is an outstanding young barrister. He is clever without feeling the need to show his intelligence off. He is calm and performs well under pressure. He is also a thoroughly decent individual and this shines through in his engagement with others making him both persuasive and very effective. He is destined for great things.'
Arthur Kendrick
The 36 Group
‘Arthur is an extremely able, hardworking, and intelligent junior barrister who is swiftly rising through the ranks. His strengths lie in his case preparation and attention to detail. He also has a very good manner with lay clients and puts them at ease. He is a good choice for all complex cases.’
Sebastian Walker
The 36 Group
‘Sebastian is professional, intelligent, focused, unfalteringly diligent, flexible, robust, and eloquent, with an irresistible advocacy style. He is without doubt one of the most impressive barristers around.'

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