Leila-Zoe Mezoughi

Barrister

Leila’s practice involves work across all areas of criminal defence. She has particular experience in fraud, confiscation proceedings, football banning orders, regulatory law (including representing individuals and companies), motoring offences, public disorder and protest cases.

Before her decision to practice in criminal defence, Leila gained experience in international arbitrations, with experience of a wide range of arbitral institutions including the HKIAC, ICC, JCAA, LCIA, LMAA, UNCITRAL and SIAC (ad hoc). During this time, she gained a detailed insight into several large-scale shipping, international trade, shareholder and joint venture arbitration disputes heard at the IDRC, London.

Upon completion of the BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course) Leila obtained considerable experience in complex fraud matters at Legal 500 firms, including representing traders in SFO, FCA and US Department of Justice investigations into alleged manipulation of LIBOR, FOREX and EURIBOR rate and in the representation of politicians facing extradition proceedings, which involved resisting complex and high profile extradition requests from the Russian government. In addition to this, she was responsible for researching the UK’s contribution to Equality Now (An international human rights organisation dedicated to action for the civil, political, economic and social rights of girls and women) and IBA’s research project into international laws against sexual violence. This was presented to the UN with a view to implementing best practice guidelines for sexual violence across all UN member states.

During her pupillage, Leila trained alongside Nicola Howard KC gaining experience in complex, multi-handed frauds, specifically a four-month boiler room fraud at Southwark Crown Court and an 11-handed conspiracy to defraud at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Through this exposure, Leila is able to formulate well-reasoned arguments in complex matters having been instructed at short notice. She is well versed in assimilating voluminous information and honing in on the key facts which has been demonstrated throughout her successful cases and is often described as 'tenacious and robust'.

Leila co-authored a chapter in the academic textbook, ‘Mothering Justice’. This book on how organisational innovations in the criminal justice sector could improve the lives of vulnerable women was endorsed by Lord David Rambotham and is presently used by major UK universities as part of their criminology undergraduate curriculum.

Qualifications/Awards

BPTC – City Law school – VC
Future Lawyer excellence award – City Law School
Gerard Maye Legal award – University of Brighton
LLB Law with Business – University of Brighton – First Class Honours

General Crime

R v BB – Successful submission of no case to answer. The defendant was said to have been harassing his ex-partner and sending malicious communications.
R v NM – Secured defendant’s immediate release from custody following a successful appeal against sentence for assaulting an emergency worker.
R v AC – following representations as to why immediate custody would be ‘unjust’ this defendant was given a suspended sentenced for his 4^th knife possession offence.

Protest Cases

R v CV – Successful half time submission as to the legality (or otherwise) of a condition imposed during the London XR protests. After Leila’s submissions all defendants were acquitted.
R v SH – Successfully persuaded the prosecution to discontinue their case against a protestor at the DSEI protests.

Motoring Offences

R v PW – avoided a long-term disqualification for what defendant going 80mph over the prescribed limit
R v DT – advanced successful exceptional hardship argument avoiding the disqualification of a “totter”
R v MS – advanced successful exceptional hardship argument avoiding the disqualification of a “totter”
R v GC – advanced successful exceptional hardship argument avoiding the disqualification of a “totter”

R v PN – Identity document fraud, spanning several years. Representations were made that rigid adherence to sentencing guidelines would be unjust. Defendant unusually awarded a suspended sentence (contrary to recent case precedent).
R v SJ – Successfully argued for a confiscation Order to be agreed in accordance with the jury’s verdict. Available amount figure was reduced from £452,850 to a nominal £1.
R v RM – This case was listed for a contested POCA Order. Before Court, Leila was able to reduce the Crowns proposed benefit figure of £99,018.24 by 90% (£9,901.85) avoiding the need for a contested hearing.
R v TM – Leila secured a 50% reduction in Crowns proposed Order due to her pre-court negotiations.
R v ZT – Secured favorable confiscation Order on behalf of absent defendant.

R v ZH – defended a prosecution under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations.
R v RZ – successfully persuaded the local authority to discontinue a serious allegation of social housing fraud.