Editors’ Choice - Criminal Law Chambers of the Year in England Furnival Chambers Oliver Blunt QC Barrister Tel: +44 (0)20 7405 3232 oblunt@furnivallaw.co.uk www.furnivallaw.co.uk Sally O’Neill QC Joint Head of Chambers Tel: +44 (0)207 405 3232 clerks@furnviallaw.co.uk www.furnivalchambers.co.uk Furnival Chambers is a leading criminal set with Oliver Blunt QC and Sally O’Neill QC as joint heads of chambers. There are over ninety members of chambers with a rich diversity in both gender and ethnic origin. Over one third are women with five female QC’s amongst its fourteen silks. The set specialises in serious and organised crime, terrorism, sexual offences, financial crime and asset forfeiture, extradition and regulatory/disciplinary cases. Members are renowned for appearing in high-profile cases for both the prosecution and defence at trial, in the Divisional Court, Court of Appeal. Privy Council and the Supreme Court, as well as the European Court of Human Rights and regulatory/disciplinary panels. A ‘go to’ set for serious, complex cases and those involving novel law. Serious and organised crime: The News International phone hacking and corruption (Operation Elveden) trials, the Hatton Garden Jewellery raid, the Stephen Lawrence murder, the Millennium Dome conspiracy, ‘Europe’s
largest drugs conspiracy’, the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, the murder of Sarah Payne, ‘Baby P’, the £50m Tonbridge robbery, the ‘Witchcraft murder’, death row appeals and Official Secrets Act Trials. Terrorism: The London Tube Bombing, the Gloucester shoe bomber, the first Al Qa’eda funding prosecution post-9/11, the Afghan Stansted hijacking, the ‘Ricin’ conspiracy, Al Qa’eda, Iran and Syria-related cases and IRA trials in the past. Sexual Offences: Operation Yewtree cases, the prosecution of Rolf Harris, the Oxford sex ring, Deep Cut, the ‘West End mini cab rapist’, the M25 rapist, the DJ rapist, the Steve Cook trial and historically R-v-Dica. Financial Crime and asset forfeiture: Members act for and against the SFO, FCA (FSA), CPS, UKBA, the police, HMRC and public companies and individuals in international/multijurisdictional proceedings. Cases include the UBS rogue trader (Adoboli), Goldman Sachs and professional cricket ‘spot-fixing’.
Extradition: members advise and represent individuals and foreign governments. Cases include the ‘biggest military computer hack of all time’ into computers at NASA and the Pentagon, Nikonovs v HMP Brixton regarding retention of habeas corpus and ‘Hound of Hounslow’ flash crash trading case. A number of members appeared in Goluchowski and Sas v Poland before the Supreme Court. Regulatory and disciplinary: Chambers has vast experience in cases before the GMC, NMC (including the Morecombe Bay Healthcare Trust case), GOC and SRA. Members also appear before the coroners court, public enquiries, mental health review tribunals, the British Boxing Board of Control and Football Association regulatory commissions.
The set specialises in serious and organised crime, terrorism, sexual offences, financial crime and asset forfeiture, extradition and regulatory/disciplinary cases.
Editors’ Choice - Individual - Serious Crime Barrister of the Year in England Furnival Chambers Oliver Blunt QC Barrister Tel: +44 (0)20 7405 3232 oblunt@furnivallaw.co.uk www.furnivallaw.co.uk Oliver is the Joint Head of Furnival Chambers, a leading criminal set with over 90 members. He was called to the Bar in 1974 and took silk in 1994. He served as a Recorder of the Crown Court, principally sitting at the Old Bailey between 1991 and 2006. He has repeatedly been ranked over the years in the top category of Leading Silks in Crime in all established legal directories. Oliver’s criminal practice is entirely defence-based, specialising in murder, terrorism, fraud, corruption and drugs cases. He has been instructed in over a hundred murder trials, ranging from street gang killings to contract killings/assassinations. As a consequence he has represented some of the U.K’s most notorious criminals including both serial killers and serial rapists. His involvement over the years in terrorist cases has included I.R.A, Iranian, the London Tube Bombings and more recently ISIS-related cases. He has considerable experience in the litigation of high-profile,, multi-million pound drug
importation and distribution conspiracies. Oliver has been instructed on behalf of organised crime families based variously in London, Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool. He has been involved in an infinite variety of fraud cases, ranging from mortgage, insurance, shipping, tax and electoral fraud to money laundering investigation. One case of particular note involved the defrauding of highly placed members of Goldman Sachs. In the last two to three years Oliver has been principally involved in the Operation Elveden enquiry investigating the corruption of public officials. He was instructed on behalf of five editors and journalists from News International. All five after investigations and trial were cleared of all wrongdoing. Throughout his criminal law career Oliver has appeared in some of the most celebrated criminal trials e.g. The Millennium Dome Robbery. With regard to regulatory interests he has been instructed by the British Boxing Board of Control to conduct various Appeals on their behalf.
Oliver’s criminal practice is entirely defence-based, specialising in murder, terrorism, fraud, corruption and drugs cases. On a personal front Oliver has been married for 37 years with four children, one of whom is the celebrated Hollywood actress Emily Blunt. He is now the proud grandfather of three grandchildren, with more no doubt to come. His recreational interests are both cultural and sporting. The family focus in acting had prompted a keen interest in both theatre and film. The failure in his youth to achieve his England ambition on the cricket field has not dampened his enthusiastic participation at Barnes Cricket Club over forty years. His interest in rugby has included coaching and membership at Rosslyn Park Rugby Club. Too many self-inflicted accidents on the mountain have curtailed his skiing experiences. However he still retains a considerable enthusiasm (if not accuracy) on the golf course both here and in Portugal.
Global Awards 2017
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