Adam manages to combine a busy criminal practice with a niche civil/commercial practice. He has extensive criminal defence and appellate experience both as a leading junior and a led junior. He is regularly instructed in high profile cases and has substantial experience of serious and grave crimes including; murder, manslaughter and other offences of a sexual or violent nature. He also specialises in fraud, and has a particular interest and expertise in financial crime, regulatory offences, money laundering offences as well as multi-handed conspiracy cases. He has an aptitude for assimilating financial information, terminology and procedure. He has defended in complex cases involving technical areas of fraud including share dealing, MTIC carousels and charitable funds.
His civil/commercial practice has an emphasis on company law and employment law. He has a comprehensive knowledge of bonus disputes, director’s service agreements, restraints of trade, confidentiality, restrictive covenants and injunctive relief.
Adam is a member of the CBA, ELA & ELBA
R v Noah Deen (2025) A group who fraudulently claimed more than £2m worth of Covid-19 funding has been jailed for nearly 50 years in total. They made bogus applications for small business grants, bounce back loans, the eat out to help out scheme and self assessment payments following the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. News story here
R v Ashley Byford (2024) A gang who stole BT Openreach network cables. Billy Lee Junior, Levi Lee, Samuel Sheady-Jones and Ashley Byford travelled in 4x4s with false registration plates and accessed manhole covers across Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Wrexham, Wales, in 2022. News story here
R v Annib khan (2025) Wolverhampton Crown Court. Annib Khan charged with murder after his father was found with stab wounds in a Dudley house. Mohammed Osman Khan, 45, was found seriously injured at a property in Buffery Road just after 14:05 BST on Friday and died at the scene. In a tribute, Mohammed’s family said: “He was a very fun, loving, loyal character and would do anything for anyone, a loving father, uncle and brother.” Led by Caroline Haughey KC. News story here
R v D – Worcester CC: Leading Junior. The case involved the spraying of acid on to a 3-year-old child in the Home Bargains Store in Worcester. The Crown’s case was that this attack was the product of an agreement between the defendants, which had its roots in the desire of the father of the child, to seek revenge for his wife pursuing a divorce from him. The defendants were alleged to have conducted extensive surveillance of the wife which led to an aborted attack taking place outside her children’s school on 13thJuly 2018. A second successful attack took place in Home Bargains on 21stJuly 2018. The case involved a complex factual matrix derived from multiple evidential sources including: extensive telephone data, Cell site, ANPR, CCTV footage, forensic evidence. The case was further complicated by 3 way cut throat between the defendants and fact defendant spoke no English requiring an interpreter throughout the 7-week trial. News story here
London Bridge Terrorist Attack Inquest – Central Criminal Court. Led Junior. Inquest into the deaths of the victims and attackers of London Bridge terrorist attack. Representing the family of the principal attacker Khuram Butt. Attracted significant media interest. Safeguarding concerns existed re. widow and children. Complicated legal and factual issues surrounding the knowledge, and activities, of the security services in the lead up to the events of the 3rd June. This includes disclosure issues re. covert surveillance by MI5 of Butt et al. Furthermore, applications for witness anonymity orders sought on behalf of the family members, involving analysis of domestic and European jurisprudence. News story here
R v M. (Operation Quantile) – North Yorkshire Police Major Fraud Unit. A 7-week trial against single defendant. Represented director of investment company. Allegations of fraud relating to property investment in Cyprus. The value of the fraudulent transactions was approximately of £5.8 million. The case involved 2 discreet allegations of fraud. The first allegation involved over 40 individual investors. The second allegation related to the funding for 3 commercial developments and involved two groups of sophisticated commercial investors. Issues arose as to the construction of a variety of complex financial instruments. This formed the basis of legal argument and a successful submission at the close of the Crown’s case. The trial ran for 8 weeks.
R v Clifford Field – Guildford Crown Court – This case involved in a large-scale sophisticated medical fraud involving the supply of medical supplies to a number of hospitals. These items included surgical instruments, replacement joints and a variety of consumerable items. It was alleged that the fraud took place over a lengthy period of time and involved a number of companies that were under the control of Mr Field. The second defendant was employed by B.U.P.A at their Gatwick Park hospital in the capacity of Supplies Manager. In that role he was responsible for ordering medical supplies, the receipt of deliveries and the distribution of these supplies within the hospital.
A number of discrepancies were discovered in the hospital’s ordering records. A number of the orders were from companies who were not accredited suppliers. Suspicion also attached to the fact that one of the orders were for goods that were obsolete. Further documentation relating to the purchases from the aforementioned companies and found that there were substantial discrepancies.
An internal investigation into the second defendant’s activities revealed dubious practises on the part of Mr Rapley and it was the Crown’s case that an audit of the Hospital’s stores revealed that items alleged to have been recently ordered were missing and unaccounted for. It was suggested that the second defendant had behaved in a corrupt manner in lieu of bribes made to him.
The Police seized records generated over the preceding 4 year period and a detailed analysis of these exhibits demonstrated that the items ordered from the companies associated with Mr Clifford-Field were not delivered. It was further alleged that the hospital’s computer system was deliberately manipulated in an attempt to conceal the transactions.
The Crown also undertook extensive investigations into the companies under the control of Mr Clifford Field and also bank accounts under his control.
Defendant and solicitor advised pre-trial and throughout the process.
Prosecuted by Leading Junior and Junior counsel.
R v G – Cambridge Crown Court – The defendant was an Army Major involved in the procurement process of large-scale government contracts. The defendant was alleged to have been involved in a sophisticated and corrupt scheme to award army contracts to suppliers for his own benefit. The alleged criminal conduct covered a number of transactions over a lengthy period of time. It was further alleged there was a deliberate attempt by the defendant to fabricate documents to cover his activities and to use his rank within the Army to ensure that junior soldiers complied with his demands. The defendant was charged with corruption, theft and perverting the course of justice. The preparation of the case involved detailed analysis of the Army’s procurement process; cataloguing and storage practice; and documentary records.
R v Wright – Nottingham Crown Court – The defendants were charged with money laundering, theft and fraud relating to in excess of £2m said to have been misappropriated from nationwide U.K charities dealing with appeals for children with cancer
R v Luu – Birmingham Crown Court – 8 – handed case involving multiple allegations of conspiracy relating to immigration offences, benefit fraud and mortgage fraud. Prosecuted by leading junior and junior.
R v Corbett – Southwark Crown Court – 5 handed conspiracy to defraud and subsequent confiscation proceedings arising from £10m boiler room fraud in the UK and Spain. Prosecuted by Q.C and Junior.
R v Joseph – Leicester Crown Court – 8 handed Conspiracy to defraud insurance companies involving a fraudulent car accident claims in the
R v M (2022) Defendant was charged principally with the attempted murder of a young man named Joshua Mussie. The prosecution say that the defendant, together with 6 other unknown males. News story here
R v MT – Central Criminal Court. Led Junior: Represented first defendant in 4 handed allegation of murder. Large scale public order incident following amateur boxing event in Bethnal Green. Victim died from multiple stab wounds. Up to 50 people involved in the disturbance; defendant said to be the prime mover who orchestrated attack. Vast array of CCTV footage had to be collated and presented in schedule format as part of the defence case. Number of people involved meant there was a complex factual matrix that had to be made accessible to the jury. Complex issues of law re. joint enterprise and liability of secondary parties. News story here
R v K – Defendant charged with murder prior to the body of his estranged wife was discovered in a suitcase. Case involved complex issues of causation as no definitive cause of death advanced by the Crown. Crown’s case predominantly based on inferences from evidence of telephone and computer usage as well as forensic evidence of clothing. Included purported identification from CCTV using a “gait analysis” expert.
R v Backhouse – Woolwich Crown Court – High Profile case involving the murder of a female “Stranger”. Instructed on behalf of the defence.
R v Elfes – Luton Crown Court (Mutli-handed drug related murder. Sophisticated murder plot by professional gang as part of an ongoing feud between rivals. First case to involve the use of an AK-47 assault rifle in mainland Britiain. Trial judge Wilkie J. Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel)
R v Emesibe – Central Criminal Court (Murder case investigated by “Operation Trident” Officers and prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel together with Junior Counsel, The case involved the murder of a local gangster by members of a rival teenage gang, armed with a shotgun, samurai sword and knives)
R v Palmer – Exeter Crown Court (Murder of infant baby by father. Involved expert evidence regarding shaken baby syndrome etc. Instructed on behalf of defendant. Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel)R v Cooley – Central Criminal Court (Multi handed conspiracy to murder. Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel)
R v M Ltd & Oths.(Operation Artigo) – Acted alone for Company. 6-week trial arising from the death of an independent contractor by electrocution from an overhead power line on the defendant company’s construction site. Company which was charged with Health & Safety offences. This case involved a potential cut throat between the Company and the 3rd and 4th The case was complicated by the interrelationship between the statutory duty of care prescribed by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Construction (Design and Management) regulations 2007, Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 and HSE guidance.
R v Reed – Winchester Crown Court (Represented Transport Manager of haulage company prosecuted following fatal accident on A303. Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel)
R v H & Others – A pro-active operation by officers from the Specialist Crime Directorate at New Scotland Yard. Represented the principal Defendant who was alleged to have controlled a sophisticated organized crime group operating at the highest level [of Class A drug supply]. Cocaine seized during this investigation was at some of the highest levels of purity seen in this country, namely 92%. It was estimated that the value of the drugs was in excess of £40 million. The case was factually complicated. The observation evidence involved a 6 month surveillance operation and the telephone evidence contained 26,461 entries. The case was also involved complex issues of disclosure regarding a participating informant. The trial ran for 10 weeks.
R v Harrington & Others – Southwark Crown Court. 9 handed conspiracy to import Class B drugs. This involved an Organised Crime Group who imported 250kg of Amphetamine into the UK by boat from France. Trial ran for approx 8 weeks. Prosecuted by leading junior and junior
R v Palmer – Plymouth CC Multi handed case involving commercial supply of class A drugs from North East to the South West. Further allegations of money laundering and confiscation proceedings involved a discretionary trust in the Isle of Man. Prosecuted by Q.C and Junior.
R v Harizaj & Others – Oxford Crown Court (Multi-Handed cases involving long standing Conspiracy to import and Supply Cocaine to the Oxfordshire area and beyond. Mr Harizaj was the central figure in the conspiracy involving 11 defendants. Case was the longest in the history of Oxford Crown Court and ran in excess of 11 months. Prosecuted by Leading Junior and Junior counsel)
R v Land & Others – Exeter Crown Court (Instructed as Leading Junior Counsel. Sophisticated conspiracy to supply Class A drugs throughout the South West of England. Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel)
R v Robbins & Others – Winchester Crown Court (Multi-handed case involving long standing conspiracy to import in excess of 400 kg of cannabis into the UK. Investigated by National Crime Squad. Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel)
R v CH – Exeter CC. Lead Junior. Defendant charged with allegations of historic sex abuse against step daughters and daughter. Case involved a complex factual matrix and the preparation of the defence case involved reconstructing the 20-year family history in order to provide proper context to the cross examination of the Complainants. Further complicated by voluminous digital evidence; including text messages and social media platforms as well as legal argument re. application of S.41 YJCEA, cross admissibility and Hearsay provisions of CJA 2003. News story here
R v CC – Nottingham CC. Operation Broadcast” – Represented head of family OCG accused of trafficking vulnerable women from Hungary into, and within, the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The UK operation included setting up and running a large number of brothels in Nottingham, Liverpool and other locations in the north of England. This included establishing, and maintaining, a number of on-line profiles on adult websites, together with call centres to deal with clients. Voluminous banking evidence together with voluminous digital evidence including website profiles and telephone / cell site evidence. Trial ran for 4-months. News story here
R v Goad – Plymouth Crown Court (Described in the national press as “Britain’s worst paedophile”. The defendant was a prominent businessman in the south west of England. It was alleged that over a period of 30 years the defendant used his position and influence to groom young boys who he subsequently abused. It was alleged that during his reign he abused in excess of 300 victims. Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel)
R v Mayberry – Exeter Crown Court (Prosecution as part of the investigation into Forde Park reform school. Historic allegations of sexual abuse by choirmaster. Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel)
R v M Ltd – Truro Crown Court. Company Directors, Key employees and contractors charged with gross negligence manslaughter and a variety of H&S offences following fatal accident involving electrocution of contractor by overhead power line on construction site. Represented the company. Prosecuted by leading Junior and Junior Counsel.
R v R – Winchester Crown Court. Represented Transport Manager of haulage company prosecuted following fatal accident on A303. Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel
NMC v HW – Represented registrant charged with a variety of charges relating to the death of a baby in the care of the hospital. These allegations arose following investigations into failures of clinical care in the maternity unit at Furness General Hospital, part of what became the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.
Adam recently represented a leading hedge fund management company in proceedings in the High Court. The proceedings were in respect of breach of post termination restraints relating to a suspected team move to one of their competitors. This included obtaining interim injunctions in relation to the disclosure of digital / social media and injunctive relief to enforce the post termination restraints.
Adam also recently advised partners of a leading UK construction firm in relation to a High Court partnership dispute and associated property issues.
London Bridge Terrorist Attack Inquest (Central Criminal Court)
Led Junior. Inquest into the deaths of the victims and attackers of London Bridge terrorist attack. Representing the family of the principal attacker Khuram Butt. Attracted significant media interest. Safeguarding concerns existed re. widow and children. Complicated legal and factual issues surrounding the knowledge, and activities, of the security services in the lead up to the events of the 3rd June. This includes disclosure issues re. covert surveillance by MI5 of Butt et al. Furthermore, applications for witness anonymity orders sought on behalf of the family members, involving analysis of domestic and European jurisprudence.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cg3n2pzw5rpt/london-bridge-attack-inquest
R v F & Oths (Operation Baddeck) – This was the principal case in a series of trials arising from a wide-ranging investigation into alleged mistreatment of vulnerable residents at residential care homes across North Devon. Trial lasted for 3 months. This was a complex case involving expert evidence from psychiatrists, psychologists and behavioral experts in the fields of mental health and learning difficulties. Further complicated by issues of bad character, cut throat with D1 and operation of the MHA 1983 and associated codes of practice. [Acquitted]
R v AP & Oths (Operation Baddeck trial #2) – Follow-on trial as part of Operation Baddeck above. This trial involved the care of vulnerable residents at a different care home in North Devon. Similarly, involved expert evidence from psychiatrists, psychologists and behavioral experts and ran for 5 weeks. [Acquitted on 1 count and convicted on 1 count]
R v Faruq & Others – Reading Crown Court. Sophisticated and long running conspiracy to facilitate the entry into the UK of foreign nationals. Further conspiracy to illegally obtain benefits in respect of those individuals, once within the jurisdiction. Mr Faruq was the central figure in the case. [Crown sought confiscation in excess of £30m] Prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel and 2 Junior Counsel.
University of London (LLB Hons), University of London, Centre for Commercial Studies (LLM)
