Ranked among the top ten silks for fraud at the London Bar by The Legal 500 (2007) Gareth is also recommended as a leading silk for criminal fraud and crime by Chambers & Partners (2008). Commentators describe him as "the epitome of the modern breed of silk: he works hard, looks after his clients, and is always bang up-to-date on any new developments in the law", "bright and enthusiastic" and "in anyone's list of the best".
Gareth's business crime practice is primarily concerned with advisory and trial work in company and commercial crime and regulation. His high-profile cases have concerned allegations of market abuse and corruption, conspiracy to defraud and offences involving company directors. He is also instructed in general crime and has recently defended in a number of heavyweight trials including the "Clydach murders."
Gareth couples his criminal work with a regulatory and disciplinary practice. He has appeared before the Regulatory Decisions Committee of the FSA, the General Medical Council and in police disciplinary hearings. He represented a number of police officers at the Victoria Climbie Inquiry.
Gareth speaks and writes regularly on subjects ranging from money laundering and corruption to company directors’ criminal liability.
Key cases
- R v (1) K (2) S (3) R (4) X [2007] EWCA Crim 1888; (2008) 1 Cr App R 1: reference from the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Convictions for money-laundering quashed
- R v Choy (2007); defending in case where a Chinese businesswoman was robbed and murdered by suffocation. The defendant had to be extradited from Holland
- R v Bright & Ors (2007): The Independant Insurance Fraud
- R v Morris (2006): "The Clydach murders"
- R v Cushnie & Ors (2004): The Versailles Fraud
- The Victoria Climbie Inquiry (2003): the independent inquiry into the circumstances of Victoria Climbie's death
Contact Gareth Rees QC
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7242 3555
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7242 2511
Email: clerks@7br.co.uk