25 Bedford Row retain Band 1 positioning in Legal 500 2020 for Crime

Successes include 1 new Silk entrants, 3 Silk position elevations, 3 new Leading Junior entrants and 2 elevations.
'An excellent set with high-calibre barristers', 25 Bedford Row is an entirely defence-only set that handles, alongside privately funded work, some of the most difficult publicly funded work, often including multi-defendant violent crime cases.' 
Silks in Band 1, George Carter-Stephenson QC – ‘A fantastic jury-friendly advocate who ensures they are engaged throughout the case. ’ Jeremy Dein QC - ‘The more complex and intense the case, the more he thrives. ’ Courtenay Griffiths QC - ‘ The best orator in the profession – simply one of the greatest of all time. ’ Paul Mendelle QC - ‘ One of the silkiest, smoothest advocates in the profession.  Other leading defence silks positioned in Legal 500; John Cooper QC - ‘ Instructed in serious violent crime cases. ’ Peter Doyle QC - ‘ A real gentleman of the profession – it is a privilege to watch him at work. ’ Diana Ellis QC - ‘Extremely thorough and incredibly persistent. ’ Paul Hynes QC - ‘a free-flowing advocate who tests the Crown's case to its limits. ’Paul Keleher QC - ‘A robust advocate who is great on disclosure issues. ’Rudi Fortson QC - ‘Well-known as a specialist in illegal and semi-legal drugs and their scientific components. ’ Tom Price QC - ‘Very charming with juries and has a nice touch with lay clients. ’ Jo Sidhu QC - ‘He defends in a range of homicide cases. ’ Tyrone Smith QC - ‘He finds alternative angles in cases others fail to see.’ Adrian Eissa QC – ‘A meticulous, technical advocate who is highly rated in the profession. ’ Simon Pentol QC - ‘A great advocate, and fearless. ’
Our leading juniors have done brilliantly, including three new entrants.  Aisling Byrnes and Arlette Piercy have retained their position in Band 1.  Aisling is noted, as ‘‘when she walks into court, you know she means business. ’ Arlette Piercy - ‘an old-school "proper brief", particularly good with sensitive and vulnerable clients.’  Band 2 rankings and notable quotes for Emma Akuwudike - ‘ A tough, no-nonsense advocate who delivers results. ’Carolina Guiloff - ‘Dedicated to putting her clients' defence firmly in the minds of the jury,’ Melanie Simpson - ‘A go-to advocate to deal with a difficult client facing a seemingly overwhelming case. ’ Ben Smitten - ‘ A canny tactician with sound judgement. ’ Elevated to Band 2 Michael Neofytou - ‘a big personality – judges and juries like him. ’ and Laurie-Anne Power - ‘An extremely talented, highly in demand advocate. ’
Also ranked as a leaders in their field and highly praised, Alex Di Francesco - ‘Charming and authoritative in and out of court. “Sebastian Gardiner - ‘A fearless and dogged advocate in challenging criminal trials where prosecution evidence must be faced head-on. ’ Alex Jamieson - ‘He has a controlled and measured approach to advocacy. ’ Sheryl Nwosu - ‘Instructed in gang-related homicide cases. ’ Beth O'Reilly - ‘a committed advocate with an engaging, jury-friendly manner. ’ Osman Osman - ‘A feisty jury advocate with an affable style. ’ Matthew Radstone - ‘His speeches are a cut above – his clients comment on how engaging they are.’ Rebecca Randall - ‘Juries are genuinely engaged in listening to what she has to say. ’ Monica Stevenson - ‘Great at trial, particularly during cross-examination. ’ Dominic Thomas – ‘Highly intelligent, with an original and persuasive style of advocacy. ’Helen Valley - ‘She has a calming presence with an air of understated assurance. ’ Lisa Wilson - ‘a good battler. ’ David Wood - ‘He shows great initiative and gets on with it. ‘