Laura Collier

Laura is a highly regarded advocate and tactician, with a reputation for excellent client care. She has extensive trial and advisory experience, receiving instructions as a leading junior across the spectrum of white collar and heavyweight crime.

Laura receives instructions in matters of the most serious crime, including murder, manslaughter, drugs and firearms matters. She also specialises in cases of complex fraud and money laundering. Laura is frequently trusted with cases involving serious sexual offences including allegations of rape, including historic grooming and offences against children.

In addition, she also specialises in driving offences, having developed a reputation as a dynamic in-court advocate, with a calm and reassuring out-of-court manner.

Laura frequently receives instructions in, and has significant experience of, protest cases, from the Magistrates' to the High Court and encompassing complicated issues of human rights, public law and injunctive relief. She has done a number of cases both as a led junior and junior alone, often representing multiple defendants facing allegations arising out of protests against issues such as hydraulic fracturing, the felling of healthy trees by a council under a PFI contract, the arms trade and the anti-fascism movement. She has also received instructions in Extinction Rebellion protest cases.

Laura has also significant experience in paper heavy disclosure reviews in the most high profile and sensitive cases, including for the Grenfell Inquiry instructed by Peters and Peters and an HMRC investigation into a £134M alleged film fraud. She also has a significant private appellate practice, reviewing and identifying grounds against conviction and sentence.

Laura has recently completed a secondment at the Football Association, during which she appeared for the FA in a number of contested regulatory hearings. Further, she has experience of contested Football Banning Order applications, having appeared in both the Magistrates’ and High Court in relation to the imposition of such.

Laura has a proven track record of representing high profile clients, including working closely with Jeremy Dein KC in the preparation of complex legal arguments relating to former X Factor Judge and N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos, which resulted in the first successful non-stage agent abuse of process application. She was also instructed to represent a controversial public figure, in an application to appeal against the imposition of a stalking prevention order, made in favour of the then Home Affairs correspondent at The Independent.

Prior to commencing life at 25 Bedford Row, Laura worked in press and communications for a national charity. Additionally, she has spent time volunteering at the National Centre for Domestic Violence, undertaken an internship focused on prison law and interned at a national firm of solicitors. Laura was also the first person to be a finalist and prizewinner at The Times/Herbert Smith National Advocacy Competition in two consecutive years.

During her French degree, in which she obtained a first class, Laura spent a year teaching English in a secondary school in one of the most difficult Parisian suburbs. Whilst there, Laura initiated a drama project, involving some of the most disengaged children at the school. This project made the French national press.

Laura is particularly skilled in dealing with very vulnerable clients; both adults and youths. Laura is available for direct/public access instructions.