Lincoln’s Inn
'Charles Row’s ‘preparatory work is excellent and his skill as an advocate incomparable’. - Legal 500 2011
"is an excellent junior with a great reputation who shines in fraud cases." - Chambers and Partners (2010)
"has a criminal practice that encompasses fraud and business crime-related cases, as well as serious violence and drugs matters." - Chambers and Partners (2009)
Charles Row was called to the Bar in 1993 by Lincoln's Inn and moved to Bristol from Western Circuit Chambers in London. He became involved in Serious Fraud Office cases including the defence of R v Robinson. The case lasted over a year and from there he moved on to other fraud cases including Money Laundering, Theft from Employer and General Business related crime.
Charles accepts instructions to both Prosecute and Defend. His involvement with large, long-running and complex fraud cases demands careful attention to detail. He is well used to dealing with voluminous sets of papers and can readily identify core issues and apply complex legal arguments to an equally complicated factual matrix.
Charles’ business background supports an ability to understand accounts. He appreciates the need for an efficient, pro-active service with quick turnaround times for written and advice work generally. Cost saving is important and timely, prompt, thorough preparation avoids wasted effort and costs in case management. Although in court daily, it is possible through our modern networked system to be in a position to respond promptly to e-mail correspondence and telephone messages. Whilst the bulk of his practice is in Bristol he is available for work all over the Western Circuit making regular visits to Exeter, Swindon and Gloucester.
Qualifications:
Undergraduate Degree
Business Studies B.A. Hons. (First Class)
Post-graduate Qualifications
Common Professional Exam
Grade 3 Prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service
Areas of Practice:
Pyramid fraud
Mortgage fraud
Conspiracy to Defraud
Benefit fraud
Money Laundering
Notable Cases:
R v S and others: On-going “pyramid fraud” prosecuted by the Office of Fair Trading under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Terms Regulations 2006.
R v P (Southwark Crown Court) – Mortgage Fraud involving several commercial and residential properties with values running into the 10s of millions of pounds.
R v M and others (Southwark Crown Court) - Conspiracy to defraud the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of travel to work and travel in work payments, support worker payments and equipment at work payments, under the access to work scheme.
Benefit fraud - numerous cases prosecuted by the Department of Work and Pensions to include one large multi-agency prosecution involving issues surrounding housing and disability.
Proceeds of Crime Act applications: numerous, high value and complex.
Additional areas of law:
· Serious Crime
· Conspiracy
· Mental Health
· Youth Offending
Quotations from directories:
"is an excellent junior with a great reputation who shines in fraud cases." - Chambers and Partners (2010)
"has a criminal practice that encompasses fraud and business crime-related cases, as well as serious violence and drugs matters." - Chambers and Partners (2009)
"has conducted the defence in several high-value SFO prosecutions." - Legal 500 (2008)
"is an excellent choice for fraud defence" - Legal 500 (2007)
"is a gifted junior who combines fraud with a heavyweight general commercial practice" - Chambers and Partners 2007
Professional Memberships:
Criminal Bar Association
