Exchange Chambers is praised as ‘the go-to set for serious criminal work’, with members called upon to defend and prosecute at all levels of court across the North West of England. The set has a strong bench of silks, including Ben Myers KC, whose practice encompasses the entirety of criminal law, from murder, manslaughter, rape, and sexual offences, to high-value fraud, money laundering, and drug trafficking - of recent note, he represented Lucy Letby, the former neonatal nurse convicted of the murder of seven infants and the attempted murder of six more after a ten-month trial. David Temkin KC is another notable criminal law silk handling both defence and prosecution work, while Imran Shafi KC exclusively defends in a range of criminal trials, including murders, complex fraud, and drug conspiracies. Head of the set’s criminal group Richard Littler KC has significant expertise in terrorism cases, and he also represented a fifteen-year-old autistic, mute boy, one of two defendants convicted of the murder of transgender teenager Brianna Ghey in Liverpool. Mark Rhind KC is another active silk who frequently handles multi-handed murder cases, as well as pension and timeshare frauds. Among the juniors, Damian Nolan predominately acts for the defence and his expertise spans across terrorism cases and international drug conspiracies, while Ian Whitehurst is notable for his expertise in cyber-related criminal activity. David Toal has expertise in prosecuting serious sexual offences, and he also prosecuted American boxing trainer Brian McIntyre for possession of a firearm - illegal in the UK but licensed in the US - that was found in his suitcase at Manchester Airport. Michael Lavery is another notable name, and he mostly handles defence work in fraud cases.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Nick Buckley is an exceptional criminal clerk. A real fixer and super responsive.'
- 'The main reason for the enduring success of Exchange is the management of the whole business, and the clerks are an integral part of that. Nick Buckley epitomises what Exchange are all about - excellence, professionalism, and complete reliability. The clerks room is seamless across the three cities and the service is simply superb.'
- 'Strong clerk's room. Nick Buckley is a robust senior clerk leading a hard working team at the Manchester set. In Liverpool, Kate Masher continues to provide excellent service. She is always honest in her assessment of counsel's strengths when approached for comment.'
- 'Dave Haley in Manchester is such a great guy. Nothing is ever too much trouble and he goes out of his way to help. In the event that there is a catastrophe around the corner, and in criminal cases there's always one looming, he always manages to sort out the problem with no fuss.'
- 'Nick Buckley is a robust senior clerk who knows his barristers' strengths and weaknesses. He is straight talking and easy to communicate with. He is supported by a strong team, especially Andy Leech.'
- 'Nick Buckley has a tremendous amount of experience. If ever unforeseen issues arise, Nick will have the solution to hand.'
- 'Ian Spencer is one of the best clerks. Nothing is too much for him and he will always endeavour to ensure clients' needs are met.'
- 'Nick Buckley is obviously a formidable clerk and an excellent chambers director. He is always available to speak and happy to assist in any way he can. More than anything, he is always reachable, approachable, and helpful.'