Adrian Keeling KC is Joint Head of Chambers.
Adrian has a regulatory and criminal practice at the highest level. His practice has always combined an understanding of civil law with the polish of an established jury advocate. He both prosecutes and defends.
Adrian is often instructed in matters of high public interest including Plebgate, Operation Elveden prosecution of News International, and the actions of undercover police. He also represents the Police Federation, and a wide variety of specialist solicitors acting for professional clients or their commercial backers. He takes pride in his relations with his clients and his ability to build and lead a team.
Adrian has a criminal practice at the highest level both locally and nationally. He both prosecutes and defends. He specialises in the most important and difficult cases.
He has particular ability and experience in cases which are very complicated. These include ones that are complicated due to either their very nature or allegation, or the sheer volume of material; such as large-scale frauds, multi defendant murder cases, or extensive drug cases. He has the ability to digest and then marshal a huge volume of evidence. He has the strong ability to understand the complex, but also then explain it to others in clear, simple, and attractive terms. He has a very good understanding of the financial world and finds commercial concepts easy to understand and deal with.
He regularly undertakes criminal cases of the most serious nature – both in terms of the offence but also the consequences for the individual. He is regularly instructed by professionals in difficulty as he also has a very strong regulatory practice. He is described as having a “charming jury manner” along with “brilliant client care”. He prides himself on his relations with his client and further his ability to build and lead a team.
Adrian is sought out and instructed by specialist organisations for these skills, be it prosecuting for CPS Organised Crime, Specialist Fraud Division, CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, or defending for the Police Federation, the Prison Officers Association or specialist solicitors representing high net worth clients.
He has extensive appellate experience in the Court of Appeal.
Adrian has a very good understanding of the financial world. He understands the commercial marketplace, the concepts behind it and the reality of dealing within it. He finds it easy to identify the key to any financial transaction and then communicate to others. He has the strong ability to intellectually understand the complex, but further to then explain it in clear and simple terms.
At the junior bar he spent a period practising commercial work. He adds to that the advocacy skills of an established criminal and regulatory silk.
He has experience of the many varied types of cases involving fraud; from the lengthy and complex to the short and intricate. He has the ability to digest and then marshal a huge volume of evidence. He prides himself on his relations with his client and further his ability to build and lead a team.
He has extensive appellate experience in the Court of Appeal and the High Court.
Adrian is Joint Head of Chambers at No5. He has a regulatory practice at the highest level both locally and nationally. He specialises in the most important and challenging cases across a broad spectrum of regulatory work. He is equally at home giving advice and guidance, in case building and leading, in appearing at first instance, and also on Appeal if needed both in Judicial Review in the High Court and in the Court of Appeal.
Adrian is someone who can understand and convey the most intellectually complicated issues – such as complex regulatory offences, fraud, gross negligence, or misconduct in public office. He has the strong ability to understand the complex, and then convey it in clear and simple terms. He is sought out and instructed by specialist organisations for these skills, be it Local Authorities, or defending for specialist solicitors, or other regulatory bodies.
Adrian is also experienced in Health and Safety work and workplace fatalities. He practised in personal injury work at a very high level for many years whilst at the junior bar. His expertise extends from the Coroner’s Court to the Crown Court and the High Court. He adds to that knowledge that the interpersonal skills and robustness of an established silk.
Adrian has experience of all aspects of Consumer Protection work. This includes offences arising out of misleading price indications, trade description and Trademark and Copyright offences, and all offences of general dishonesty and fraud. To this technical expertise he adds the court craft of an established crown court silk.
Adrian has a very great deal of experience in representing professionals before their professional regulatory tribunals. He has represented company directors, teachers and professional international sportsmen. He is first choice counsel for the Police Federation and enjoys a national reputation that attracts some of their most high profile, complicated and delicate work.
He takes pride in his relations with his clients and his ability to build and lead a team.
Adrian undertakes direct access work.
Adrian is instructed in many high profile and contentious inquests. They have included cases that were delicate by their very nature or allegation, or complex in their detail. They have often lasted several weeks and involved the most sensitive of issues and information.
Adrian is instructed regularly where the issue is one of a systemic failure under Article 2. These often have involved the assimilation of the entire context of the death in its particular factual matrix.
He has particular expertise where the proceedings are before a jury. He brings to these proceedings his vast experience in the Regulatory field, as well as a thorough background in insurance, health and safety, and personal injury work. To this he adds the skills of a polished advocate who has been in silk since 2011.
Adrian has the background and legal expertise of a civil lawyer. He practised in personal injury, medical negligence and commercial law for many years whilst at the junior bar.
He is also regularly instructed where the issue is one of an operational failing. He is “first choice” counsel for the Police Federation for work of this nature.
He is also instructed by other professionals, including the medical profession, and increasingly by the family of the deceased.
He takes pride in his relations with his clients and his ability to build and lead a team.
Adrian undertakes direct access work.
Adrian is Head of Chambers at No5. He is one of the country’s experts in professional regulatory misconduct compliance. He is one of the few recognised nationally as a Leader in this Field by the legal directories.
He has represented professional people of all types; police officers from special constable to Deputy Chief Constable, solicitors, surveyors, doctors, teachers and University professionals, media professionals and financial professionals.
He is “first choice” leading counsel for the West Midlands Police Federation, and works for other Federations on almost all aspects of this work throughout the country. He has enormous experience in advising and representing officers at all levels. He represents officers in Misconduct Panels, and at all stages of the appeal process including the Police Appeals Tribunal, and Judicial Review.
He also regularly defends officers in the Crown Court, and in the Magistrates Court.
He is frequently instructed to represent professional people at both Inquest and Inquiries both with and without a jury. These include fatalities arising out of deaths in hospital, deaths in police custody, all manner of medical deaths, and even where an allegation of homicide has been made against the individual personally.
He has a particular expertise in misconduct in public office having represented reporters from News International in Operation Elveden, and prison officers in the leading case of Cosford. He has conducted numerous cases of MIPO where the allegation ranged from death in custody to the fabrication of evidence or on duty misfeasance. He represented officers is the “Plebgate” scandal and linked to the Investigation into Undercover Policing.
To these skills he adds the polished advocacy of an established Crown Court silk.
He takes pride in his relations with his client.
Adrian is Head of Chambers at No5. He is one of the country’s experts in professional regulatory misconduct compliance. He is one of the few recognised nationally as a Leader in this Field by the legal directories.
He has represented professional people of all types; police officers from special constable to Deputy Chief Constable, solicitors, surveyors, doctors, teachers and University professionals, media professionals and financial professionals.
He is “first choice” leading counsel for the West Midlands Police Federation, and works for other Federations on almost all aspects of this work throughout the country. He has enormous experience in advising and representing officers at all levels. He represents officers in Misconduct Panels, and at all stages of the appeal process including the Police Appeals Tribunal, and Judicial Review.
He also regularly defends officers in the Crown Court, and in the Magistrates Court.
He is frequently instructed to represent professional people at both Inquest and Inquiries both with and without a jury. These include fatalities arising out of deaths in hospital, deaths in police custody, all manner of medical deaths, and even where an allegation of homicide has been made against the individual personally.
He has a particular expertise in misconduct in public office having represented reporters from News International in Operation Elveden, and prison officers in the leading case of Cosford. He has conducted numerous cases of MIPO where the allegation ranged from death in custody to the fabrication of evidence or on duty misfeasance. He represented officers is the “Plebgate” scandal and linked to the Investigation into Undercover Policing.
To these skills he adds the polished advocacy of an established Crown Court silk.
He takes pride in his relations with his client.
No5 Barristers’ Chambers are pleased to announce that His Majesty the King has appointed Abid Mahmood to be a Judge of the Upper Tribunal, Immigration…
No5 are delighted to announce that we have moved into our new Birmingham office within the iconic 103 Colmore Row Building. Chambers will take over 19,000 sq. ft…
"Adrian can cut through volumes of material to break matters down to identify the key issues. He has a calm and unflappable manner with clients, opponents and panels."
"Adrian has a very personable and understanding approach when dealing with clients. He is a magnificent advocate."
"He is a magnificent advocate.”
"Adrian is an exceptionally gifted advocate with an innate ability to judge the right approach to any tribunal. His preparation for cases is always faultless and demonstrates the great thought given to cases."
"Adrian is a very able and forceful advocate." "Adrian is a rare combination of factors: a great communicator, excellent listener and adroit tactician. Add to this an outstanding advocate and you have the complete package."
"Adrian is sharp and thorough. He has an enviable ability to sift huge amounts of complex information and distill it quickly and simply, getting to the crux of the case with ease. He has common sense in abundance and is tactically brilliant, always knowing which points to take and how best to articulate them."
Ranked as a leading silk in Professional Disciplinary, Inquests and Inquiries and Crime
"He takes a tactical approach to cases and there is never a stone left unturned. His preparation and the tactics he deploys are second to none."
"He is fiercely bright and, whilst sensible, does not shy away from seeking results for clients that others may not dare to pursue. Always meticulously well prepared, he goes through the detail of his cases with a fine-tooth comb. "
"Adrian is an excellent all-round advocate. He is able to listen to the client and respond expertly to the needs of the case."
"He has an absolutely fantastic manner and he glides through a court case like a swan on water. He is a fantastic jury advocate." "A very good problem-solver." "Adrian is a first-class barrister, who has an innate sense for the right tactical approach to a case and a magical touch with juries."
"Recent work includes serious violent crime and fraud cases."
Ranked as a Tier 1 leading silk in Regulatory, Health and Safety and Licensing, Inquests and Inquiries, and Crime – " a great tactician".
Ranked in Professional Discipline and Crime - "Adrian is a first-class barrister, who has an innate sense for the right tactical approach to a case and a magical touch with juries and tribunals", "Charming to deal with and clearly knows his stuff", "A highly regarded silk"
No5 Barristers’ Chambers are pleased to announce that His Majesty the King has appointed Abid Mahmood to be a Judge of the Upper Tribunal, Immigration…
No5 are delighted to announce that we have moved into our new Birmingham office within the iconic 103 Colmore Row Building. Chambers will take over 19,000 sq. ft…
