Abbas Lakha KC

Abbas Lakha KC is regarded as one of the most accomplished advocates of his age, having taken Silk at 40, and is experienced at the highest level of the Criminal Bar. He has a wide-ranging practice covering serious crime, regulatory work, asset forfeiture and money laundering. He increasingly appears in the High Court and Tax Tribunals. He is rated in Chambers UK and Legal 500 directories as a leader in the fields of international crime, murder, terrorism, financial crime and asset forfeiture and is noted for his detailed preparation, incisive examination and strong jury advocacy.

My work

Abbas Lakha KC is able to accept instructions in general and serious criminal cases, proceeds of crime and forfeiture proceedings, regulatory matters in the First and Upper Tier Tribunals and cases before Professional Disciplinary Tribunals. He is also regularly instructed to advise individuals and companies during the investigatory stages pre-charge with a view to avoiding formal criminal proceedings. 

About me

Abbas Lakha KC was called to the Bar in 1984. He completed his criminal pupillage in Michael Havers KC’s Chambers (the then Attorney General) at 5 KBW before being invited to join the Chambers of Jeffery Thomas KC at 3 Temple Gardens. He moved to the Chambers of Ann Rafferty at 4 Brick Court at 5 years call and has been a member of those Chambers for the last 23 years (now located in Gray’s Inn).

Abbas has spent his entire professional life practicing at the Criminal Bar with a wealth of experience in a wide variety of Criminal and quasi-Criminal cases. He uses his experience to further his clients’ interests in the cases he undertakes. He is a master tactician and is able to navigate through cases with skill and is often able to resolve cases before they reach the Court. Once in Court he is a ferocious cross examiner and dogged in his pursuit of victory for his clients. His attention to detail and the hard work he puts in to his cases is a hall mark of his practice. 

What my clients say

"It is my pleasure to write this testimonial for Mr. Abbas Lakha KC as I want to express my gratitude to him and his efforts for providing me with the highest level of professional legal counsel available. The outcome was everything I hoped for and everything he promised from day one of the process.
Not only is he the epitome of professionalism he is a compassionate person as I felt he cared about me as a person and not only as a client. All my questions were taken seriously and answered regardless of how trivial they were. I always felt I was in good hands.
I would recommend him wholeheartedly and would use his services again without a second thought, as my goal would have never been possible without his expertise, experience and kindness.

Thank you,"

"Mr Lakha was an absolute god-send, he offered a very professional friendly service, I really thank him for all his hard work and support with my case ,though time was so tight, he spared no effort to achieve best results, he worked day and night on my case and he was always doing his best to support me through each painstaking step of my case, he was always patient and he listened to me. I could not have asked for a better barrister. I highly recommend him and I assure you will be in good hands."

"My wife and I were very concerned, upset and worried with the upcoming litigation but from the first telephone conversation you were very helpful and honest about the weakness and strengths of our case putting everything into perspective which was very comforting and reassuring, thank you. During our conference it was clear you had read and assimilated all of the case details with clear direction, at no point did we feel rushed in fact the reverse. Your polite and gentle manner is appreciated most importantly you LISTENED to us without making us feel we are wasting your time and giving us clear instructions on which information you required.  We very much appreciate you keeping us informed and updating us at every juncture making us feel that we are in safe and capable hands of, we look forward to you representing us at the upcoming hearing."

"Mr. Lakha's diligence and thoroughness makes him an excellent barrister to have on your side.  In my matter, Mr. Lakha's organization and command of the facts, and methodically conveying those facts to the Court, resulted in a very favourable result.  Other barristers had a despondent view; during closing arguments, Mr. Lakha portrayed my case as one which was most deserving of a light sentence...which was granted and allowed me to move forward.  He genuinely advocates for his clients." -ZC

"I met Abbas Lakha KC on a day when I also met two other barristers, one of whom was also a KC. He stood out immediately with more hunger and determination to fight my corner. Throughout the whole process, he was as professional as could have been and I can highly recommend Abbas’ services to anybody who might unfortunately need him."

"I was referred to Mr. Abbas Lakha KC during an acrimonious business litigation. From the onset Mr. Lakha demonstrated a genuine concern and understanding of  my situation. With efficiency, diligence and thoroughness he guided me in a very calm and methodical manner. The manner in which he tackled the case, and the numerous issues which came up from the other side, demonstrated his true expertise and experience. He has this amazing ability of multilateral thinking various scenarios and his planning and advice is thus very sincere, efficient and pragmatic. Mr. Lakha is a barrister you really would want to have on your side and the respect he commands from both his peers and opponents at court was fascinating. He is a thorough gentleman and I have had no hesitation in recommending him to colleagues and friends over the years." - Merali - CIU

"Mr Lakha,

From our very first meeting with Mr Lakha it was clear that we were in expert hands. He is extremely competent and a consummate professional, but by far his greatest traits are his empathy and compassion. He guided us through the legal process and offered a tremendous amount of support but always maintained professionalism and provided an accurate picture of potential outcomes. Thanks to his expert help we were able to win our case and survive the most difficult period of our lives. We trust his judgement completely. No words can describe how immensely grateful we are to him." - YB & HB - Yorkshire.

“Abbas was invaluable in helping me through a difficult time.  After I was involved in an accident and found myself incorrectly charged for causing serious injury by dangerous driving. I didn’t know what to do, I was under a lot of stress, suffered PTSD because of the accident and our life was virtually on hold while being acutely aware of how a dangerous driving conviction can affect my professional and personal life.  Abbas walked me through the process and made it easy.  He answered my questions no matter how trivial and even during evenings.  He showed confidence that I was incorrectly charged and provided clear legal advise on how we can go about fighting this. He has supreme legal and negotiation skills, using which he was able to persuade CPS to swap the dangerous driving charge with a careless driving one.  I can safely say that without his help and guidance we would have struggled to get this positive outcome.  Many thanks to Abbas once again. Thanks G “

"Dear Abbas and David, Both Jay and myself wanted to say a big thank you! If it were not for your expertise, commitment, hard work and reassurances I do not think we would have got the outcome we did. We were in a very tight corner with not much time remaining before the trial date and you both helped us out enormously. In return, we have written reviews for you both which we hope you can use. Thank you, again. Kind regards,Jay/ Mr Samra

Mr Abbas Lakhar KC - Excellent advice received from start to finish from Mr Lakhar KC. Mr Lakhar KC did not have long to prepare the case, but he was very reassuring and right at the outset explained the technical points he would use to fight my son’s case. He also explained the importance of getting the case closed quickly so it favoured my son’s position. He was very thorough and presented the case excellently. The judge advised if had not been for the technical point argued by Mr Lakhar KC, which the previous defence lawyer did not consider, my son would not have received the positive outcome he did. So, thank you, Mr Lakhar KC. 

David Foreman, Senior Clerk - Excellent advice received from David prior to the engagement with Mr Lakhar KC. He was very reassuring, and his commitment was excellent, especially as much of the initial discussion and engagement was done over the weekend just prior to the trial date. He was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to answer all our questions. So, thank you, David. "

Dear Abbas and Dave 

Thank you very much for the handling of the criminal assault case involving my son. From the  initial phone call through to the court hearing you provided solid advice and reassurance. My  son was extremely nervous, especially since at the earlier magistrate’s court hearing, the  solicitors we had engaged had changed his representative at the last minute and it went badly. 

Dave, as senior clerk, was very accessible, explaining how the process would work and  immediately responding to any questions. When it came to the serious work of the KC’s  preparation of the case, Mr Lakha was extremely thorough. He made sure that he fully  understood not only the case but also all the circumstances relating to my son. We had a  thorough session going though all the issues together so that I was completely confident that  whatever course the case took, he was fully prepared. 

At the hearing itself we were faced with a judge who clearly had a negative attitude towards my  son but despite this Mr Lakha managed to ensure a good outcome. 

I hope that I never have to be involved in a criminal case again but I can certainly highly  recommend both of you to anybody who is in need of representation. 

Yours sincerely

Christopher Cooke

Professional & academic

What the Legal Directories say about me

Legal 500

Abbas has a collaborative and extremely effective leadership style which instils confidence in clients and brings out the best in the team. Client know that he understands their position and feel very well represented by Abbas. Abbas is a polished and effective advocate, and a tough negotiator. He masters complex materials quickly and pinpoints the essential factual and legal matters. Abbas stands out among leading silks as a clever, creative thinker, always with an eye on the big picture.

https://www.legal500.com/firms/9244-chambers-of-steven-kay-qc/9244-london-england/lawyers/487893-abbas-lakha-qc/

Chambers Guide UK

“Abbas Lakha KC is a well-respected silk with a notable practice in financial crime. He is experienced in matters concerning fraud, money laundering and corruption, and offers additional expertise in private prosecutions.
Strengths: "He is really good with both clients and solicitors and is able to cut through to the issues. He also has a fantastic court manner."

https://chambers.com/lawyer/abbas-lakha-qc-uk-bar-14:235939