Leading Barrister joins Birketts’ Corporate Criminal Defence team as a consultant

Leading East of England law firm Birketts LLP are pleased to announce that Matthew Gowen has joined the firm as a consultant within the firm’s Corporate Criminal Defence team.

Matthew is a practising barrister with 18 Red Lion Court, London, having been called to the Bar in 1992. He will continue with his practice in chambers in addition to working with the firm with immediate effect.

He appears frequently as a leading junior both for the defence and the Crown in serious criminal cases and has also advised on and appeared in cases of regulatory crime, including health & safety and environmental matters. He is a Grade 4 Advocate (the highest rank) for the Crown Prosecution Service.

On his appointment, Matthew said: “I am delighted to be joining Birketts LLP as a consultant. The firm’s sharp strategic focus and its commitment to building and developing its high-quality Corporate Criminal Defence team provides an appealing mix of challenge and opportunity at this stage of my career. I am looking forward to working with the team to develop the firm’s presence and capabilities.”

Laura Thomas, head of the Corporate Criminal Defence team at Birketts, added “We are delighted Matthew will be working with us. Matthew brings over 20 years of experience to the firm and a barrister of his calibre and reputation will help us to continue building and developing our Corporate Criminal Defence practice. His knowledge and experience on a wide range of criminal and regulatory cases will support our significant work in this market. Matthew’s engagement follows our recent appointment of Frank Sykes, ex-HSE Principal Inspector who joined the team as a consultant in May and is already significantly benefitting both existing and new clients with his expertise. There are exciting times ahead for the team!”