Specialising in criminal and regulatory law, Max is a persuasive and experienced advocate who is dauntless in pursuit of a successful outcome for clients.
He is ready to advise at any time, in person or in writing, on cases great or small, whether privately funded or legally aided.
Background and Experience
Max has been a tenant at 9BR since 2007. He maintains a mixed practice, defending and prosecuting a range of criminal offences. Having appeared in hundreds of trials, he has learnt from long experience the hard work and preparation that is required to win in court.
In 2018 he was seconded to CPS London in the Homicide Unit assuming responsibility for murder and fatal road traffic prosecutions, Max has a busy homicide practice including trials at the Central Criminal Court.
In 2015 he undertook a secondment with the Nursing & Midwifery Council presenting cases, providing advice and progressing investigations.
In 2014 he spent six months on secondment to the Financial Conduct Authority working on Operation Dovercourt, the multinational investigation into foreign exchange manipulation. Max has acquired an in-depth knowledge of this area of financial services.
In 2010 he was seconded to the fraud prosecution division of the CPS as a senior crown prosecutor. He assumed a serious and heavy caseload – providing pre-charge advice to investigators, making charging decisions, and drafting letters of request for international assistance.
Notable Cases
R v Trevor Hamilton, 2024
Cocaine & Firearms conspiracy at the Old Bailey arising from Encrochat use. The defendant admitted holding the Encro devices for another but denied that he was responsible for the recovered messaging indicative of Class A drugs supply and participation in a conspiracy to source firearms.
Central Criminal Court
DrugsDLC v J, 2022
Led by Steven Kay KC in private prosecution of a solicitor who was convicted of fraud in relation to millions of pounds of client money.
Southwark Crown Court
Read more here
R v B, 2019
Prosecuted a conwoman who posed as a carer to Sir Samuel Brittan, brother of the late Lord Brittan, former Home Secretary. She defrauded him of over £100,000.
Southwark Crown Court
News story here
Financial CrimeR v P, 2021
Prosecuted a shooting in which a 16 year old boy was found in a street in Borehamwood paralysed from a gunshot wound to his neck. The defendant was convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
St Albans Crown Court
News Story here
R v R and A, 2019
Drugs related shooting incident in Luton. Defendants, both represented by Silks, indicted with conspiracy to murder and resulted in conspiracy to cause s.18 convictions.
Luton Crown Court
Video of shooting in news story here
FirearmsR v C, F & U, 2021
Prosecuted three defendants for robbing two sex workers at a brothel in Hackney with two of the defendants also convicted of rape.
Wood Green Crown Court
News story here
R v B and A, 2019
Led Leena Lakhani in the successful prosecution of £1 million pound van and motorbike ringing operation using a breaker’s yard in London and remote farm location in Somerset.
Southwark Crown Court
News story here
R v P, 2018
Prosecuted arson and perverting the course of justice arising from the torching of a car used to commit a murder in Battersea. To date no convictions have been obtained for the murderers partly due to the destruction of the getaway vehicle.
Central Criminal Court
News story here
CrimeR v M, 2018
Client prosecuted for murder, attempted s.18 GBH and possession of an offensive weapon. Led by Edward Henry KC (QEB Hollis Whiteman). Client was acquitted of murder and attempted s.18 GBH.
Croydon Crown Court
News story here
Murder and ManslaughterR v M, 2023
Junior counsel in the appeal of Andrew Malkinson that led to Mr Malkinson’s appeal being quashed and the launching of an inquiry by the Ministry of Justice into the case.
Following a referral to the Court of Appeal by the CCRC Mr Malkinson’s 2004 conviction was quashed, he having wrongly spent 17 years in prison. Mr Malkinson was convicted on the basis of identification evidence given by the victim and two witnesses advanced by the prosecution as public-spirited bystanders. In fact, both witnesses had previous convictions which were not disclosed. DNA evidence from the victim’s clothing in a crime specific area was discovered to emanate from a man not known to the victim.
Read more here
R v Mukalazi, 2023
Attempted Rape & s.18 GBH at Old Bailey. The defendant had a previous rape conviction and had recently been released from a lengthy prison sentence. The victim, a stranger to him, was attacked in the street. A bystander sought to alert the police who prevented the defendant from continuing his attack. A life sentence was imposed.
Central Criminal Court
Read more on BBC News
R v S, 2022
Led Corinne Bramwell in prosecution of transgender man convicted of assault by penetration offences.
Snaresbrook Crown Court
Read more here
Rape and Sexual OffencesR v F and Others, 2018
Prosecution of 5 boys aged 14 and 15 years for the murder by stabbing of another 15 year old boy. The case was a true joint enterprise as the Crown could not prove who the stabber/stabbers were and the case involved piecing together large quantities of circumstantial and CCTV evidence. There were bad character applications re gang membership. Led by Jane Bickerstaff KC.
St Albans Crown Court
News story here
YouthsNews
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Achievements
- Trustee in charge of education for the Kalisher Trust.
- Involved in training and interviewing candidates for internships with Amicus.
- Gray’s Inn accredited advocacy trainer.
- Max has undertaken mentoring work through the Bar Council and Gray’s Inn.
- CBA (was for many years a Bar Council elected ex officio member of the executive committee)
- SEC
- Private Prosecutors’ Association
- Florida Bar Criminal Advocacy Program, 2008
- Member of England & Wales team at International Moot Court, 2009
- Chairman of Young Barristers' committee of Bar Council, 2014
- Pupil Supervisor
- CPS Panel (Grade 4)
- CPS Rape Panel (Grade 4)
- Serious Crime Panel (Grade 3)
- Fraud Panel (Grade 3)
- Counter Terrorism Panel (Grade 3)
- Frequent contributor to Counsel magazine
- Independent newspaper article: Read here
- Andrew Malkinson podcast: Listen here
- David Karmel Scholarship, Gray’s Inn
- Bedingfield Scholarship, Gray’s Inn
MA (Oxon), University of Oxford (Lady Margaret Hall)
CPE/GDL, City University
BVC, Inns of Court School of Law
- Legal consultant to Channel 4's 'The Trial - A murder in the family'
- Legal consultant to Nina Raine's 2017 National Theatre play, Consent
- Regular contributor on BBC radio and Talk Radio
- Legal blogger at counsel of perfection
- The Crown v Goldilocks