Exchange Chambers

Exchange Chambers’ Criminal department tops national league table

Exchange Chambers has been independently recognised as the leading criminal set in England and Wales for Level 4 prosecution work.

With 35 barristers appointed to the Crown Prosecution Service’s new Level 4 Advocate Panel, Exchange Chambers tops the Level 4 table by a considerable distance.

All advocates undertaking prosecution work in the Crown Court (and Higher Courts) must now be members of the new, quality-controlled CPS Advocate Panel.  The panel members will complement and work alongside CPS in-house advocates.  Level 4 is “reserved to advocates of exceptional long term experience and ability”.

The panels will provide the CPS with quality-assured advocates who have been fairly assessed to ensure they are undertaking work that matches their level of ability, knowledge and experience. They will cover the full range of CPS Crown Court work across all areas and casework divisions, including extradition, serious crime, proceeds of crime and fraud.

Commenting on Exchange Chambers’ market leading national ranking for criminal work, Director of Chambers Tom Handley said:

“This is a tremendous achievement for Chambers.

“The quality and strength in depth of our criminal department has been emphatically recognised by the CPS and we are delighted to lead the way with the most Level 4 advocates in England and Wales.

“A great deal of time and effort went into the application process and it has resulted in a 100% success rate at level 4.”

Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said:

"The creation of the CPS Advocate Panel is a turning point in prosecution advocacy which will shape the way in which we instruct cases for the next generation of advocates. It is crucial that the CPS can instruct the very best advocates to present our cases from both within and outside the organisation, and this scheme means we now have a pool of quality assured barristers and solicitors with the talent and experience to do that.”

Exchange Chambers’ criminal department has 7 silks and 60 juniors who have gained an outstanding reputation for both prosecuting and defending all forms of criminal cases.

Added Tom:

“Chambers’ success on the CPS’s Advocate Panel comes at a time when our criminal defence practice has never been busier.

“In recent years, defence instructions have increased considerably and we provide specialist criminal defence representation across the board.”

Exchange Chambers is particularly recognised as a leader in the defence of corporate and commercial fraud allegations and runs the highly successful Fraud Forum for defence solicitors.

Concluded Tom:

“Our fraud forum gives defence solicitors the opportunity to meet their peers and discuss the topical legal issues of the day.   It is a very successful initiative.”