King's Counsel

At JD Spicer Zeb Solicitors, we strive for excellence in all aspects of legal representation. That is why we instruct King’s Counsel of unrivalled experience and exceptional ability to act for our clients in court, on appeals, and even, where requested, for assistance with pre-charge engagement.

King’s Counsel are senior lawyers who are nominated and appointed on the basis of merit. They represent, on average, the top 10% of barristers in terms of excellence, and are considered experts in their field.

We are proud to have developed strong and longstanding relationships with leading Barristers’ Chambers specialising in criminal defence, as well as forming close ties with individual barristers themselves. Where you can obtain a Kings Counsel on legal aid we will assist you but sometimes you have to fund a Kings Counsel and legal costs privately. J D Spicer Zeb provides a first class private service with instruction of Kings Counsel.

Through decades of experience instructing the best barristers in the country on a wide range of criminal cases, we have acquired a nuanced understanding of each King’s Counsel with whom we work, placing us in the best possible position to recommend the most suitable barrister for each individual client we act for.

Why instruct JD Spicer Zeb to select you Kings Counsel

JD Spicer Zeb can make sure that we select the most suitable  Kings counsel for your case and we will negotiate your fees in private cases so that you receive the most competitive fee quote. We will also ensure that the fees quoted are transparent and clear to you before you proceed.

To give you an insight into the calibre of counsel we instruct, we have listed below a selection of King’s Counsel with whom we are proud to work closely. While we hope this information is useful, please note, it should not be taken as legal advice. If you need legal support with instructing King’s Counsel to act on your case, then please get in touch and our team can advise you.

James Scobie KC

James Scobie KC is highly experienced in defending the most serious cases across a broad spectrum of criminal work and is ranked as one of the best criminal barristers in England and Wales.

We are fortunate to have instructed James Scobie KC on a number of occasions. He has represented our clients in some of the most serious cases, including a murder appeal in the Court of Appeal.

Jeremy Dein KC

Jeremy Dein KC is one of the most highly regarded defence counsels in the country. He also has experience sitting as a Crown Court judge and has developed universal trust and respect by all in the profession.

At JD Spicer Zeb, we regularly instruct Jeremy Dein KC to act for our clients and have done so for several years. In 2012, Jeremy represented our client, MP Eric Joyce, in the Magistrates’ Court after he was charged with assault following a fight in the House of Commons bar. We are currently working with Jeremy on an appeal against conviction in a multi-defendant case of conspiracy to murder.

Louise Sweet KC

Louise Sweet KC is a criminal barrister with vast experience in defending in legally complex, emotive, and high-profile cases. She is widely regarded as one of the best defence barristers to instruct in cases involving sexual offences and homicide, due to her specialist expertise in this area.

We instruct Louise Sweet KC on an extremely frequent basis and have witnessed her secure acquittals for our clients in Crown Court rape trials, help us to persuade the police to take no further action in sexual assault investigations, and act for some of our high-profile clients as they take their cases to the Court of Appeal.

Paul Keleher KC

Paul Keleher KC is renowned for being a leader in crime and has commanded the utmost respect from those in the legal profession for his commitment to each individual case. Regardless of the nature of the offence or the circumstances of the client, he is known for being fearless and determined in his approach.

We are currently instructing Paul Keleher KC in a re-trial for conspiracy to murder in the Old Bailey.

Tyrone Smith KC

Tyrone Smith KC is Head of Chambers at 25 Bedford Row, the leading specialist criminal defence set in the country, with whom we are proud to share a strong and long-lasting relationship. He is highly sought-after in very serious cases such as murder, large-scale drug conspiracies, and terrorism cases, and he has 30 years of experience at the bar.

Tyrone Smith KC has represented our clients in a wide range of cases, including some of the most serious and complex matters we deal with, and always achieves the best possible outcomes when instructed by us. In 2023, Tyrone secured a Community Order in the Crown Court for one of our clients charged with attempted sexual communication with a child, despite the sentencing guidelines indicating that a custodial sentence was appropriate.

Paul Mendelle KC

Paul Mendelle KC has been defending in criminal cases for over 40 years, and is now considered one of the most impressive and well-respected barristers in criminal law. He is particularly recognised for his ability to defend in cases involving complex expert and scientific evidence.

We have instructed Paul Mendelle KC in extremely serious and complex cases, including a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court in which our client did not give any evidence in his own defence.

Anand Beharrylal KC

Anand Beharrylal KC is a highly experienced barrister who defends a myriad of cases of a high level of intricacy and seriousness. From homicide to business crime, he has a strong record of achieving extremely favourable outcomes for those he defends.

Anand Beharrylal KC has acted for our clients in particularly difficult cases, including having a case dismissed in relation to a murder in which the victim had been stabbed 19 times in his own flat, overturning a conviction for attempted murder in the Court of Appeal, and securing a complete acquittal of both murder and manslaughter for a youth follow a fatal attack in North London.

Mark Kelly KC

Mark Kelly KC has substantial experience defending clients who have been charged with offences carrying the most extreme penalties. He has particular expertise in cases of complex and serious fraud for which we engage him regularly.

We are currently instructing Mark Kelly KC to provide advice in an appeal against conviction for serious sexual offences for a client in Birmingham, having recommended him to our client given his previous record of success in our cases. To name but a few, Mark has helped to secure an acquittal in a multimillion pound money laundering case.

Sultana Tafadar KC

Sultana Tafadar KC has an extensive and high-profile practice across many areas of law, including counter-terrorism, national security, and criminal justice. She has a proven track record, and is widely recognised as one of the foremost experts in defence of terrorism suspects.

When we are representing a client charged with terrorism offences, Sultana Tafadar KC is often our counsel of choice, as she has consistently helped us to secure outstanding results. In 2022, acting on our instructions, Sultana appeared as leading counsel for our client who stood trial at the Old Bailey on four terrorism charges, where he was acquitted on all counts. Most recently, in August 2024, we instructed Sultana Tafadar KC to represent our client who was charged with three terrorism offences and, following a three-week trial at Winchester Crown Court, he was found ‘not guilty’ of every single charge.

Beth O’Reilly KC

Beth O’Reilly has a practice which covers multiple areas of criminal law, including homicide, organised crime, and serious sexual offences. Beth has an unimpeachable record, and has been ranked as a leader in Crime in the Legal 500 and Chambers UK.

Beth is currently representing two of our clients in proceedings at the Crown Court, involving allegations of a sexual offence of a serious nature, possession of a firearm, and assault. Consequently, Beth is one of our first points of call when our clients are facing a serious charge.

Naeem Mian KC

Naeem Mian is an award-winning barrister, who took silk in just fourteen years. Naeem has experience across various aspects of criminal law, including homicide, terrorism, business & financial, government investigations, and professional discipline.

We have recently Naeem to defend on our clients against very serious charged, including terrorism. Therefore, Naeem deals with cases of the utmost sensitivity and handles them in an exemplary manner.

Emma Goodall KC

Emma Goodall is a tenant of Doughty Street Chambers, having taken silk in 2021. Emma has experience in cases involving homicide, terrorism, fraud, organised crime, and serious sexual offences.

We recently instructed Emma to defend one of our clients in relation to allegations of large-scale fraud.  Emma is very hard-working, forensically sharp, and great with clients and solicitors - she leads from the front.

Farrhat Arshad KC

Farrhat is a tenant of Doughty Street Chambers, with a diverse skillset across various areas of criminal law, such as murder, sexual offences, protest cases, drugs, and firearms.

In 2023, Robert Wong instructed Farrhat in relation to act as counsel for one of our clients, who had who was accused of being involved in high-value fraud. Our client was subsequently acquitted.

Contact our criminal solicitors today

If you need legal support with instructing King’s Counsel to act on your case, then please get in touch and our team can advise you. You can contact a member of our dedicated team of criminal defence lawyers in London, Birmingham, and Manchester by telephone at:

• Brent & Camden London Office: 020 7624 7771
• Manchester Office: 0161 835 1638
• Birmingham Office:  0121 614 3333
• City of London: 0207 624 7771 our senior Solicitors and Partners can meet by appointment in the City.

Or email: solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk