Mutual Legal Assistance

"The extradition team is highly skilled and offers a depth and breadth of counsel that ranks alongside any and all of the leading sets in this field."

Chambers UK 2024

“A pre-eminent set in the extradition space.”

Legal 500 2024

“Three Raymond Buildings stands out for its team of accomplished barristers who offer a dedicated service to police clients.”

Chambers UK 2024

“A set known for the consistent excellence of its members and has long been a major player in the extradition sphere.”

Chambers UK 2024

“A go-to chambers for extradition.”

Legal 500 2022

We are experts in mutual legal assistance, and are instructed regularly by individuals and companies affected by mutual legal assistance requests, including potential suspects and witnesses, and offer advice regarding their rights and possible grounds for challenging the process. Such requests may involve restraint of assets, requests for evidence, search warrants or production orders.

We also advise UK authorities, as well as foreign states, wishing to make requests to the UK to obtain evidence for their own domestic proceedings. We assist in drafting requests, and appear in any subsequent legal challenges brought by the subjects of such a request.

We have been instructed in most of the highest profile MLA cases that have come to court in the UK, including the Hinduja, David Mills, Silvio Berlusconi and Zlochevsky/Burisma cases, as well as, most recently, the ISIS ‘Beatles’ case in the Supreme Court.

Find the right barrister

To find the right mutual legal assistance barrister, and to discuss any possible instructions, please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7400 6400 or email clerks@3rblaw.com.

Bill Browder / Hermitage Capital

Politically motivated Russian requests.

El Gizouli v Secretary of State for the Home Department

ISIS 'Beatles'; death penalty case.

Ismail v Secretary of State for the Home Department

Supreme Court case on the application of Article 6 to MLA.

Unaenergy Group

Judicial review of overseas MLA

Italy v David Mills & Silvio Berlusconi

Italian mutual assistance request.

Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd v DPP

Restraint of assets; Nigerian Minister.

Montgomery v USA

Supreme Court case on the application of Article 6 to the registration of foreign judgments.

JP Morgan Chase Bank National Association v SFO

Leading mutual legal assistance request judicial review

Serious Fraud Office v Zlochevsky

The Burisma case; restraint of assets; Ukrainian Minister.

Terra Services v NCA, Secretary of State for the Home Department

Closed hearings in the MLA context.

“Three Raymond Buildings has enormous expertise in extradition.” Legal 500 2020

“Three Raymond Buildings has an acknowledged reputation in extradition and international crime matters, and more generally has an outstanding team which has a great depth of expertise and experience.”  Legal 500 2019

“Three Raymond Buildings has many barristers at all levels with extradition expertise.”  Legal 500 2019

Mutual Legal Assistance barristers

King's Counsel

James Lewis KC

Call: 1987 / Silk: 2002

Barrister - James Lewis KC

Hugo Keith KC

Call: 1989 / Silk: 2009

Barrister - Hugo Keith KC

Helen Malcolm KC

Call: 1986 / Silk: 2006

Barrister - Helen Malcolm KC

John Hardy KC

Call: 1988 / Silk: 2008

Barrister - John Hardy KC

James Hines KC

Call: 1982 / Silk: 2015

Barrister - James Hines KC

Matthew Butt KC

Call: 2002 / Silk: 2020

Barrister - Matthew Butt KC

Clair Dobbin KC

Call: 1999 / Silk: 2021

Barrister - Clair Dobbin KC

Ben Watson KC

Call: 2002 / Silk: 2021

Barrister - Ben Watson KC

Rachel Barnes KC

Call: 2004 / Silk: 2022

Barrister - Rachel Barnes KC

Saba Naqshbandi KC

Call: 1996

Barrister - Saba Naqshbandi KC
Junior Barristers

Ben Summers

Call: 1994

Barrister - Ben Summers

Nicholas Yeo

Call: 1999

Barrister - Nicholas Yeo

Rachel Scott

Call: 2004

Barrister - Rachel Scott

Bo-Eun Jung

Call: 2005

Barrister - Bo-Eun Jung

Patrick Hill

Call: 2010

Barrister - Patrick Hill

Reka Hollos

Call: 2014

Barrister - Reka Hollos

Rebecca Hadgett

Call: 2015

Barrister - Rebecca Hadgett

Charles McCombe

Call: 2017

Barrister - Charles McCombe

Stephen Bailey

Call: 2022

Barrister - Stephen Bailey

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