UK Enterprise Awards 2018

132 SME NEWS / UK Enterprise Awards 2018 , UKE18119 Direct Access Lawyer of the Year 2018 Quentin Hunt is a direct access Barrister offering services in all aspect of the criminal law to a wide range of clients. We profile him and explore the work he undertakes at 2 Bedford Row Chambers. of criminal convictions and advice on appeal. Currently, Quentin’s work is varied, as the criminal law space is an area in flux. The changes to the Legal Aid scheme have led to a cut in fees and in a concentration in firms and individuals upon the turnover of wok as opposed to quality. This has led to a lot of clients abandoning legal aid representation and moving towards a more accessible and value for money alternative to the traditional Solicitor- Barrister model. Direct public access works very well by giving the client access to the actual Barrister who will be representing them in Court- enabling them to build a relationship with that individual and allowing the Barrister to have a thorough knowledge of the case and of the client. This is not suitable for all cases but in the vast majority of cases it can provide a very effective method of representation. Additionally, the British legal market has always been very strong and the British Court system used to be seen as a world leader in strong and independent defence work. This has been significantly undermined by large cuts to the legal aid budget and the Court system. A result is that a large body of individuals have emerged as leaders in providing a strong alternative to legal aid representation giving their clients a more comprehensive and client focussed representation. To support his clients in this constantly evolving space, unlike other Barristers, Quentin has gained a litigation qualification enabling him to perform nearly all the functions of a case that a Solicitor would be able to do. He believes that there is a strong future in direct public access for Barristers who are able to perform such work and thinks that eventually this will lead to a fundamental change in the makeup of the legal market with Barristers competing directly with solicitors for work and being able to form worthwhile and lucrative working partnerships as equals. 2 Bedford Row, Quentin’s award-winning chambers, are at the forefront of the changing legal market embracing digital working and paperless tech as well as offering clients a focussed and personal service. As the legal market inevitably changes in the near future Quentin feels that he and 2 Bedford Row offer the flexibility and dynamism to make a real difference in the marketplace. Drawing on his vast expertise in the criminal law market, today Quentin Hunt is known as a leading specialist in criminal law with a reputation for fearless representation and an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law. Areas of crossover criminal law work such as data security, planning enforcement and health and safety have come to form a large portion of Quentin’s practice as well as more ‘traditional’ aspect of the Criminal Law. He has also carved out a specialist niche in the reviewing Quentin Hunt, Barrister at 2 Bedford Row Chambers Company: Quentin Hunt, Barrister at 2 Bedford Row Chambers Contact: Quentin Hunt Address: 2 Bedford Row Chambers, London, WC1R 4BU, UK Phone: 020 70603825 Web Address: www.bestcriminaldefencebarrister.co.uk