Hugo Keith KC is recognised as one of the legal profession’s leading KC’s. He was named as one of the UK’s ‘Stars at the Bar’ in the Chambers and Partners 2015 Guide to the UK Bar, and is currently top ranked in no less than seven practice areas by the professional directories to the Bar. He is Joint Head of Chambers at Three Raymond Buildings.
He was a member of the ‘A’ Panel of civil Treasury Counsel for 8 years, during which time he regularly appeared on matters of public and criminal law both on behalf of Government departments and as amicus curiae before the High Court, Court of Appeal and House of Lords. He has appeared in 15 cases before the House of Lords/Supreme Court. He won the Chambers and Partners award for criminal barrister of the year 2008, and took silk in 2009.
As well as his regular appearances in the High Court and Supreme Court, he has been instructed in some of the most high profile cases of recent years. He represented Princess Anne when she was prosecuted, and represented The Queen in the Inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. He appeared on behalf of Malcolm Calvert in the Cazenove inside dealing case. He was appointed leading Counsel to the Inquests into the London Bombings of 7 July 2005 and, subsequently, appeared in the Leveson Inquiry on behalf of Rebekah Brooks. He appeared in the Mark Duggan, Alexander Litvinenko and Westminster inquests, and represented the Home Secretary in the El-Gizouli judicial review (concerning one of the ‘Jihadi Beatles‘) and the Electoral Commission in its proceedings against Leave.EU. He appeared on behalf of Airbus in the largest Deferred Prosecution Agreement yet concluded, and advised Chelsea FC in relation to aspects of its sale in May 2022.
Hugo is instructed by companies, high net-worth individuals, and politically exposed persons relating to all aspects of extradition (including advising on Interpol and on international restraint), international criminal/corporate liability, and criminal judicial review. His extradition and MLA cases include the leading cases of Berezovsky, US v Bermingham (the Natwest Three), Abu Hamza, Gary McKinnon, Shrien Dewani and Hamdi Ipek. He has successfully defended clients in every extradition case in which he has been instructed against the Russian State.
He is also a recognised specialist on sanctions law, and particularly since February 2022, has been consulted by many of London’s leading law firms and by a significant number of global businessmen, industrialists and corporations in relation to their sanctions exposure. He is acting on behalf of a number of sanctioned individuals in connection with their challenges to the UK Government.
In the field of financial and international crime, he advised on the UK’s first Deferred Prosecution Agreement (Standard Bank Plc) and appeared in two of the most recent DPAs (Guralp Systems Limited and Airbus). He has been involved on behalf of individuals or corporate bodies in a large number of the SFO’s highest profile investigations of recent years: LIBOR, EURIBOR, FOREX, Alstom, Autonomy, Rolls Royce, Tesco, Unaoil, ENRC and Glencore.
He is an expert on search and seizure, restraint and confiscation, and appeared in the leading cases of Rawlinson & Hunter Trustees and Others (search warrants), Golfrate (search warrant), and Malabu Oil and Gas (international MLA restraint). He is also a renowned appellate advocate, and has appeared in a significant number of leading criminal cases in the UK higher courts. He has appeared twice in the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, including in the appeal concerning the former Chief Secretary of Hong Kong.
He is currently Lead Counsel to the UK Public Inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic.
