Barrister. One of HM’s Queens Counsel. Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn, Fellow of UCLan
As charismatic as he is controversial, Jerome Lynch QC is widely regarded as a “powerful and notable advocate” and one of the UK’s top international criminal barristers.
Jerome Lynch.
Specialising in all types of serious crime, including murder, fraud, corruption, offences under the Companies and Financial Services Acts, insider trading, money laundering and other white-collar crime. Jerome is an international QC of the highest calibre whose cross-examination skills have been known to bring cases to an abrupt end.
Jerome is currently working with Trott & Duncan in Bermuda on secondment as a litigation expert in a number of high-profile cases involving the ex-Premier of Bermuda, a multi-billion dollar trust under investigation by the US Department of Justice and the IRS and the Ex-Minister of Resources in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
He continues to be associated with Cloisters doing a variety of private and publicly-funded criminal work for solicitors up and down the country.
Additionally, Jerome works in close association with F Chambers based in the Turks and Caicos Islands appearing and advising on behalf of their clients in the jurisdiction regularly.
Never shy to speak out against injustice or the failure of the State to act he has spoken publicly on a wide range of issues both in the UK and abroad. Most recently in Bermuda on over-zealous policing in the context of the right to pollical demonstrations and in Turks and Caicos on the failure of the Criminal Legal System. One thing is for sure – it’s never dull.
Legal work.
Having studied a BA (Hons) at the University of Central Lancashire, Jerome was called to the Bar in 1983 and took Silk in 2000. He became a much-respected bencher of Lincoln’s Inn 2008 and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Lancashire in 2011.
Besides practising crime, including murder, fraud, corruption, offences under the Companies and Financial Services Acts, money laundering and other white-collar offences, he has also advised and appeared in cases involving large planning applications, administrative law, regulatory offences and breaches of contracts and statutory duties.
A full list of legal authorities in which Jerome has appeared is available on request or via his chambers web-site.
He is the former head of chambers at Charter Chambers in London comprising eight silks, over 50 barristers and 10 staff.
Crime Cases
Fraud Cases
Corruption Cases
Murder Cases
Interesting cases
Jerome came to particular international attention having represented the first defendant in the “Grobbelaar Trial” (for those of you too young to remember he was Liverpool FC’s maverick goal keeper), concerning alleged match fixing/corruption, he went on to work on a number of important cases involving managers and footballers both in the courts and before the Football Association.
- The blackmail of a senior member of the Royal Family
- Defending the alleged “murder” of a burglar who broke into the defendant’s mother’s home
- Defending those charged with terrorism as with this Jamaican Muslim cleric
- In defence of Human Rights as here with demonstrators who protested over the building of an airport and police over-reaction or the Police’s alleged unlawful seizure of patient medical files from Doctors Surgery in Bermuda or the unlawful taking client privileged legal material from law-firms
- Defending those the subject of a Commission of Enquiry into alleged wrong-doing in a government office
- Representing Ministers around the Caribbean including BVI, TCI and in Bermuda
Media Work.
Jerome’s ability to effortlessly command a room translates well on camera, which has resulted in him starring in a two eight-part series for Channel 4 called ‘Nothing But The Truth’ – in which moral questions were set against a courtroom scene.
His work with Channel 4 extended to a series of eight programmes called ‘Crime Team’ where two celebrity investigators are set the task of solving real murders from the 19th and 20th Centuries.
He appeared as Judge Jerome on the People’s Court for ITV over a duration of some six months where he sat in judgement over various protagonists, deciding on their individual claims and awarding significant sums to the winners.
He recently made a significant contribution to Sky’s three-part documentary on Giovanni DeStephano called the Devil’s Advocate.
His magnetic charm in the courtroom has also resulted in a career as a media personality where he’s been involved in a number of TV shows for Channel 4 and ITV, whilst having contributed to the BBC, Sky and other broadcasters on matters of law as they arise. He has also been a regular contributor to Radio and appeared on TV in Bermuda.
When you add his stylish appearances on television to his panache in court what emerges is a man whose natural charisma is matched only by his intellect, and his ability to adapt and think on his feet both inside a courtroom and out.
Training.
Jerome has qualified as a trainer for Lincoln’s Inn and has been teaching for over 20 years. For the teaching of advocacy skills he uses the widely approved Hemple Method which has proved to be the most successful in the training not only of newly qualified barristers but those with a number years under their belts.
He has trained in London, Bermuda, Mauritius, Jamaica and Turks and Caicos and continues to provide training and mentoring to the young Bar in particular. He is particularly interested in teaching Ethics, Case Preparation and Advocacy.
He is readily available for training both the student advocate and the would be trainer.
Personal Life.
The son of a Swiss mother and Jamaican father, Jerome’s career, and indeed his life is nothing if not unconventional.
Though he began his career as a salesman selling everything from light bulbs and encyclopaedias to advertising space and insurance, in his mid 20’s he did an about-turn to study law.
Over the course of his career, Jerome been known to use bold, highly-effective and controversial means to win over juries. These include an instance where he famously rapped in court in a case he subsequently won defending a Jamaican man who was the victim of police harassment.
Jerome now spends his time jetting between London, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos, Miami and the Caribbean.
Now in his 60s, Jerome is well and truly in his professional stride , defending cases with the same infectious energy he has spent in abundance throughout his life.
His current interests include climbing (weakly), hiking (slowly), skiing (speedily), golf (badly) and wine (copiously).
Contact Jerome Lynch QC.
Cloisters
(London, UK)
+44 20 7827 4000
jl@cloisters.com
Trott & Duncan
(Bermuda)
+1 441 295 7444
jlynch@td.bm
F Chambers
(Turks & Caicos)
+1 649 339 6275
jlynch@td.bm
PROFESSIONAL FEES
I will always endeavour to agree a fixed fee wherever possible but that is not always achievable. If not then fees will be based on a brief fee and refreshers on a daily rate or alternatively on an hourly or daily rate as appropriate. In part this will be dependent on the territory and the nature of the work.
In general my rates are dependant on the country from which I have been instructed. As a guide in Bermuda my fees are between $650 and $850 per hour and in the UK between £500 and £750 per hour but ultimately as negotiated by my clerks.
My ability to provide any legal services requested, and the timescale for doing so, will depend on a number of factors which include, my availability, the availability of the client or relevant third parties, the complexity of the case, the jurisdiction, the amount of papers, the need for additional information or documents, the approach taken by the other side, the novelty of the case and Court dates.
CLIENT SATISFACTION
Either directly or through my various offices, I will always aim to provide an excellent level of service and representation. If at any time you have a complaint about the legal services or representation I have provided please raise the complaint with me in the first instance. If you feel unable to do so face to face or over the telephone you should put it in writing to an email address as provided.
If I am unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, or I have not dealt with your complaint within a reasonable time (normally no more than 8 weeks), you have the right to raise a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman in the UK or the Bar Council in either the UK or Bermuda or indeed in any jurisdiction in which I am engaged to carry out the legal services.. In the UK the complaint should be made within 6 years of the conduct complained of, or within 3 years of when you should reasonably have known that there are grounds for a complaint. The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ, email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or telephone 0300 555 0333.
For further details visit www.legalombudsman.org.uk, where you can also find data on final decisions made by the Legal Ombudsman.
In the UK I am regulated by the Bar Standards Board, who maintain a register of barristers holding a current practising certificate and any disciplinary findings against them: BSB Barristers’ Register
If your complaint involves an alleged breach of the professional code of conduct, the BSB can be contacted online or in writing (Bar Standards Board, 289 -293 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7HZ) or by phone (020 7611 1444).
In Bermuda you should address your complaint to: Annwen Stirling, Executive Secretary, F.Inst.Pa. Bermuda Bar Association
2nd floor, Swan Building, 26 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM 12, Bermuda. Tel: 441.295.4540 | Fax: 441.295.9880 Email: bdabar@logic.bm | Website: www.bermudabar.org