Laura has a wide-ranging practice, which straddles both the criminal and civil jurisdictions. Primarily an advocate, her extensive experience in both areas over the last eight years has also allowed her to develop the discipline and attention to detail integral to civil paperwork.
Laura’s particular areas of expertise are Financial Services Regulation, Complex and General crime, as well as Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury.
Financial Services Regulation:
Laura recently spent seven months in the Wholesale Enforcement Division of the Financial Services Authority working as part of an investigation team. Her work with the team involved all aspects of the regulatory process, including liaising with other divisions within the FSA, drafting an Investigation Report and appearing before the Regulatory Decisions Committee. Having completed her time within Wholesale, Laura was retained to assist Retail 1 on another complex investigation in relation to a Significant Influence Holder. Laura’s work for both Wholesale and Retail Enforcement gives her unparalleled insight amongst members of the Bar into the preparation and presentation of cases before the RDC and beyond.
Complex and General Crime:
In addition to her Financial Services work Laura has a busy criminal practice, both prosecuting and defending in equal measure.
Her experiences in complex criminal cases have encompassed all aspects of disclosure from both prosecution and defence perspectives including public interest immunity issues. Laura’s cases have often included international elements as a consequence of which she is familiar with the use of letters of request and has had to deal with the exchange of sensitive information across international borders. In this regard, her experience extends to cases involving drug and terrorist financing in South America, corrupt police officers and liaison with other law enforcement agencies. Laura has also completed work on behalf of Baker Platt, 7 Bedford Row's Jersey-based alliance partner, including work relating to the tracing and recovery of corrupt payments made to a PEP.
Laura is a highly experienced general criminal practitioner. Regularly instructed to appear in Crown Courts around the UK, both as a junior and in her own right, she has experience in PCMH and other pre-trial hearings, jury trials, sentencing, Newton and confiscation hearings in a wide variety of criminal matters. These include basic fraud, money laundering, public order offences, domestic violence and cruelty to children, violence including murder, perverting the course of justice, burglary and high-tech crime.
A Grade 3 prosecutor on the CPS London List in addition to her work for the Crown Prosecution Service, Laura has undertaken private prosecutions on behalf of individuals and the RSPCA. She has also recently been instructed by Newark and Sherwood District Council and successfully prosecuted an individual for breach of a planning enforcement notice.
Laura’s experience extends to the Court of Appeal and Divisional Courts where she has won appeals in relation to excessive sentences and the imposition of Sexual Offences Prevention Orders before the Court of Appeal. In 2008 she successfully appeared before the Divisional Court in the case of H v Doncaster Youth Court, a case about the statutory interpretation of the phrase "remainder of the term of the detention and training order" under the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 s.104(3).
In addition to the more traditional criminal work Laura’s civil experience means that she is frequently instructed to appear in relation to the wide range of ‘civil’ orders that can now be obtained before the Magistrates’ Courts. This work includes ‘Civil’ cash seizure and forfeiture applications under POCA, football banning orders, ASBOs and Sexual Offences Prevention Orders. Her work in this area has included covering the World Cup 2006, Champions League, Euro 2008 qualifiers and football banning order applications arising out of the Millwall/WestHam violence in 2009 on behalf of the Metropolitan Police. As well as bringing a novel application for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order in order to prevent an individual having unsupervised contact with children. Laura is also regularly instructed as Independent Counsel to carry out Legal Professional Privilege Reviews, as well as providing advice in relation to third party disclosure issues.
Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury:
Clinical negligence has been one of Laura’s interests since University where she received an MA in Medical Ethics and Law. In addition to her other work she is often called on to advise on liability and quantum, as well as to draft pleadings and applications in clinical and dental negligence matters. Laura also acts for both claimants and defendants in fast track and multi-track personal injury cases. Her work in this area covers road traffic and workplace accidents, tripping and slipping cases, and employers'/ occupiers' liability.
Key Cases
- R v Brown & Ors (2004): The Lincoln Prison riots. Second junior for the defence of an alleged ringleader in the first case in modern times of the authorities losing control of an entire prison.
- R v Kasonga (2005): £1.2 million Post Office fraud: second junior acting for one of the main defendants. Conducted the Newton hearing alone, leading a witness from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- R v Lane (2006): Successful appeal against sentence.
- R v Dennis & Ors (2007): instructed by CPS HQ in the successful prosecution of two former, and one serving, police officer for corruption.
- R v Russell & Sanchez (2008): Murder. Instructed as second junior for the defence.
- R v Edwards (2008): Successful appeal against imposition of a SOPO.
- H v Doncaster Youth Court [2009] EWHC 3463 (Admin): about the statutory interpretation of the phrase "remainder of the term of the detention and training order" under the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 s.104(3).
- Metropolitan Police Football Banning Orders: Ports Operation World Cup 2006, Euro 2008 qualifiers. Advised on a Metropolitan police operation to identify and take action against Millwall risk supporters including individuals involved in the violence on the 25th August 2009.
Seminars
Papers given at in-house seminars for solicitors include:
The Challenges of Investigating and Prosecuting Police Officers for Misconduct in a Public Office: Lecture given to serving police officers attending the Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Professional Standards induction course
An Introduction to the Regulatory Landscape in the UK: British Bankers Association
Appointments
Grade 3 prosecutor on the CPS London list
Memberships
Young Fraud Lawyers Association
Financial Services Lawyers Association
Criminal Bar Association
Medico-Legal Society
South Eastern Circuit
Midland Circuit
Contact Laura Dawes
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7242 3555
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7242 2511
Email: clerks@7br.co.uk