Nicholas has earned a top-class reputation during his two decades at the Bar; he was called in 1992. He specialises in complex high-profile litigation, especially public law challenges and major criminal cases, and has appeared before significant public inquiries.  He also has substantial expertise in professional disciplinary and regulatory work across a broad range of areas, as well as a niche practice in licensing law.

He has been involved in some of the most well-known and challenging proceedings of recent years, including the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry, the Bloody Sunday Inquiry and the Guantánamo Bay litigation. He acts for a range of organisations, individuals, public bodies and Government departments, overseeing teams of junior barristers or working alongside in-house Counsel.

Nicholas is also increasingly in demand to conduct discreet internal investigations for a range of corporate clients in situations where there are concerns over potential illegal or irregular activity or as part of a prevention strategy. His substantial experience in public inquiries and criminal matters means he is able to bring a wealth of expertise to bear in this area. He is used to handling extremely sensitive material and has considerable skills in the acquisition, preservation and analysis of complex evidence. Nicholas can advise at any or all stages of the process, from scoping the problem and setting terms of reference, right through to drafting reports and advising on associated matters such as legal professional privilege and data protection. He is happy to work either alone or alongside in-house teams.

Nicholas consistently rates very highly in the legal directories. Chambers and Partners has remarked that “for ten years or so now he has been in some of the major matters of the day” and confirmed that he is a “noted practitioner” in the field of public inquiries. Contributors to the directory also admire his professional demeanour and client-handling skills: “Always cool-headed, he’s excellent at managing small teams and taking responsibility.” He is also ranked in the Legal 500.

Numerous client testimonials over the years have praised his “informed yet straightforward approach”, noting that “he is a pleasure to work with”, “always superbly well-researched”, and that “refreshingly, he doesn’t have an ego; he just gets the job done.“

Notable cases

Public Inquiries
Representing Chief Constable Colin Port and other police officers in the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry
Representing senior officers and their soldiers in the Bloody Sunday Inquiry
Providing advice in relation to other inquiries and speaking at Butterworths Public Inquiries Conference 2011

Public Law litigation

The Guantánamo Bay litigation: representing the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service, the Home Office and other government departments in Al Rawi Others v The Security Service & Others, which was judge as “one of the largest cases the Treasury Solicitors have had to face by a substantial margin”. Nicholas’ responsibilities included oversight of the government disclosure exercise, which was unprecedented in its combination of scale, sensitivity and complexity. He directed the team of over 25 barristers reviewing the material.

Crime
Representing individuals, organisations and prosecuting authorities in cases of serious crime and fraud. Also advising the Crown Prosecution Service and police forces. He has worked with the police and other agencies in relation to lengthy, sensitive and high-profile investigations. He is security cleared to a high level.

Memberships

Bar Council Law Reform Committee
Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA)
Criminal Bar Association (CBA)
International Bar Association (IBA)
Franco-British Lawyers Association (FBLA)

Appointments

Nicholas is appointed to advocate panels used by government departments and bodies in both criminal and civil cases. He is on the Crown Prosecution Service Advocate Panel (at the highest level, 4) and on the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel (B).

Other

Assistant Commissioner, Boundary Commission for England. The BCE is an independent statutory body which reviews parliamentary constituency boundaries.
Contributor to Paterson’s Licensing Acts (LexisNexis/Butterworths) and Fraud: Law, Practice and Procedure (LexisNexis/Butterworths)