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Philip Kazantzis

Barrister (Independent Bar)

Philip Kazantzis qualified as a Solicitor in 1998; obtained his Higher Rights of Audience in 2001 and thereafter was called to the Bar in 2004.

When Philip first practised as a Criminal Defence Solicitor he worked his way up to partnership level at a specialist Criminal Defence Solicitor’s firm where headed the Complex Fraud department. He cross-qualified as a barrister in 2004 so that he could focus on advocacy rather than managing a legal practice.

Philip now works in a dual capacity as an employed barrister with Wells Burcombe LLP, whilst being regularly instructed through other firms as a sole practitioner through The Chambers of Philip Kazantzis. This means Philip is able to conduct litigation through Wells Burcombe LLP whilst also conducting advocacy on an independent basis through his own chambers.

Philip Kazantzis now focuses his practice in the areas of Crime and the Regulatory sector, where he has gained experience conducting both complex and heavyweight proceedings. He is regularly instructed in criminal cases alleging complex fraud, false imprisonment, possession of firearms, murder, robbery, rape, drugs supply, importation and serious assaults, such as section 18 Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) and attempted murder. He has also acted as both leading and led junior advocate in a number of complex frauds, large-scale drug conspiracies and murder cases. He has acted on behalf of a number of high-profile individuals whose cases have been the subject of extensive international media coverage. He is a strong team leader who is capable of providing the requisite analysis of a case, which often gives rise to successful submissions being put before the court both in writing and orally.

Qualifications

  • Called to the Bar 2004
  • Qualified as solicitor 1998 (Higher Rights of Audience 2001)
  • College of Law Guildford – Legal Practice Course 1996
  • Brunel University – LLB (Hons) 1995

Languages

  • Greek - Fluent spoken

Professional Memberships

  • The London Criminal Courts Solicitors' Association
  • Criminal Bar Association

Selected Cases

  • R. v. Michael Williams [2012] EWCA Crim 2664 Reduction in sentence for what was described by the Court as a “massive scale importation” of class A drugs. The case also considered the impact of the aggregate sentence to be served by the defendant due to a similar conviction in Holland prior to his extradition back to England.
  • R. v. Naeem AKHTAR [2006] EWCA Crim 3281 Reduction in sentence due to circumstances and in particular the disability and the difficulties which that created for the applicant in coping with the prison environment, the sentence of nine months imprisonment was excessive and the appropriate sentence ought to have been four months.
  • R. v. PL – The Central Criminal Court – 2016 Philip represented the first of six defendants as junior counsel alone in a re-trial lasting some seven weeks. His client faced three allegations of false imprisonment in addition to counts of Kidnap, Robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence. His client was found not guilty of the firearm offence whilst the jury were unable to decide on the remaining verdicts. The Crown decided it was not in the public interest to proceed to a third trial and so offered no evidence on all the remaining charges.
  • R. v. DP – The Crown Court at Croydon – 2015 – Philip was led by Jonathan Higgs QC of 5 King’s Bench Walk in what was a very difficult gang related double attempted murder case. Complex issues relating to Gun Shot Residue, DNA and phone analysis had to be carefully scrutinised and tested at trial. After four days of deliberations, the jury acquitted their client of all charges faced by him.
  • R. v. RS - The Crown Court at Southwark – 2015 – This was the Crown Currency Exchange trial which lasted 46 days. Before the Company’s collapse in October 2010 it was one of the country’s largest personal currency exchange businesses.
  • R. v. MM – Central Criminal Court – 2013 – Philip was the leading junior advocate where he led Steve Garratt, another independent solicitor advocate in this trial, which lasted just short of seven weeks. Throughout the proceedings, the indictment had contained counts of Murder, Manslaughter, Kidnapping, False Imprisonment, Preventing a Lawful and Decent Burial of a Body, Blackmail and Handling Stolen Goods. Philip’s client was unanimously acquitted of all the charges he faced.