Syam Soni

Profile

A dedicated criminal defence specialist with a nationwide practice and reputation for consistently delivering excellence. Syam has represented those accused of some of the most serious offences, as well as leading business professionals, CEOs and even nobility.

Principal areas of expertise include:

  • Defence Crime: conspiracy to murder, multi-handed violence/disorder, serious sexual offences, weapons, drugs supply/conspiracy etc.
  • Business Crime: multi-handed, multi-million Pound fraud, bribery, contested POCA proceedings etc.
  • Civil Litigation: inquests, commercial/contractual litigation and injunctive relief

Syam had a successful career in the banking industry prior to the Bar and brings experience of corporate/business awareness and practice to his instructions. He also volunteered on Death Row in Houston, Texas.

Syam is multilingual- fluent in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi- and authorised to accept instructions from members of the public.

Expertise

Defence Crime

Serious Violence/Disorder:

  • Operation Settlement (Central Criminal Court, 2022): landmark case which drew national media attention and became known as the ‘James Bond’ murder plot. Led junior representing the 2nd Defendant upon a 14-count indictment alleging conspiracy to murder and possession of firearms with intent to endanger life
  • R v SG (Kingston CC, 2023): acquittal in serious aggravated burglary involving attack upon the home of a severely disabled man where the defendant’s DNA was found on the entry point (window)
  • R v MB & Another (Wolverhampton CC, 2023): s.18 where D said to have stabbed victim with a large, ‘rambo’ knife
  • R v AW & Another (Isleworth CC, 2022): acquittal in s.18 case involving life-changing injuries
  • R v S (Luton CC, 2021): acquittal involving 6 allegations of violence- including against emergency workers- and damage
  • R v S (Basildon CC, 2021): acquittal of vulnerable man with severe mental and physical health issues
  • R v B (Kingston CC, 2021): s.18- defended woman with complex mental health difficulties accused of throwing boiling water into the face of a care assistant
  • R v K & Others (Leeds CC, 2019): s.18- case involved multiple, complex, legal arguments (LPP, PII, hearsay, disclosure, bad character etc.)
  • R v G (Central Criminal Court, 2019): secured bail for murder accused

Weapons:

  • R v S (Norwich CC, 2021): acquittal in case involving possession of blades where a conviction would have resulted in serious reputational harm to D
  • R v S (Isleworth CC, 2021): acquittal in serious violent disorder (later affray) involving 25 people armed with swords in a residential neighbourhood
  • R v G (Brighton CC, 2020): acquittal where D charged with having bladed articles and had numerous convictions for the same offence
  • R v L (Wood Green CC, 2019): defended youth charged with armed robberies involving an imitation firearm

Sexual Offences (view the Sexual offences tab)

Drugs:

  • R v KK (Birmingham CC, ongoing): representing client charged with conspiracy to supply over 30kg of Class A drugs
  • Operation Angora (Snaresbrook CC, ongoing): multi-handed conspiracy to supply large quantities of Class A drugs in/around London
  • Operation Millwright (Birmingham CC, 2023): multi-handed conspiracy to supply nearly 35kg of Class A drugs worth millions of Pounds
  • Operation Maestro (Manchester Minshull Street CC, 2022): defended man who assisted in the importation of industrial quantities of Class A and B drugs throughout Europe. The estimated street value of the combined drugs was £4.3 million
  • R v M (Snaresbrook CC, 2021): secured suspended sentence for PWITS Class A where the expectation was that D would receive a sentence of immediate custody of significant length
  • R v DG (Bradford CC, ongoing): rape allegation where D is said to have made admissions in interview
  • Operation Doteridge (Leeds CC, ongoing): D accused of child sexual offences in extensive investigation involving INTERPOL and Australian authorities
  • R v DB (Bradford CC, ongoing): D accused of possessing nearly 100,000 indecent images of children with elements of distribution
  • R v C (York CC, ongoing): rape allegation where D said to have made a confession
  • R v IH (Bradford CC, 2022): acquittal where D accused of possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography
  • R v LB (Bradford CC, 2022): defended man accused of serious sexual allegations involving children
  • R v WG (Leeds CC, 2022): defended man said to have been caught by online ‘paedophile hunters’, Crown offered no evidence in respect of the most serious allegations
  • R v C (Basildon CC, 2021): represented defendant charged with possessing indecent and extreme images. Avoided Newton Hearing and secured community order where custody otherwise inevitable
  • R v P (Isleworth CC, 2021): instructed in case involving online ‘paedophile hunters’
  • Operation Millie (Leeds CC, ongoing): defending man accused of money-laundering arising out of complex, multi-million Pound fraud
  • Operation Dublin (Teeside CC, ongoing): led junior in led junior in a multi-handed conspiracy to defraud particularly elderly and vulnerable consumers worth hundreds of thousands of Pounds
  • R v JB & Others (Stoke-on-Trent CC, ongoing): defending in 13-handed complex fraud prosecuted by the Environment Agency
  • Operation Birdseed (Basildon CC, 2023): defended client charged with document falsification fraud and achieved financial penalty despite strong evidence against client

Syam has a growing quasi-criminal/civil practice to include:

  • Inquest representation: currently instructed on behalf of an interested party in inquest proceedings in the aftermath of a lengthy Police investigation and pending Domestic Homicide Review (DHR)
  • Contested applications for injunctive relief. Recent instructions include:
    • B v B (2021): application for non-molestation order whilst resisting a cross-application
    • R v R (2021): advice re: resisting application for injunctive relief, limiting future financial liability and safeguarding assets
  • Contractual/commercial litigation: instructed on behalf of CEOs/foreign business leaders in contractual and commercial disputes. Recent instructions include:
      • E v W (2022): advising on contractual dispute concerning multi-million Pound development
      • In the matter of F LTD (2021): advised company re: discharge of liabilities
      • S v S (2021): advised client in circumstances where there was prima facie overlap of civil/criminal liability and potential POCA issues
      • H v C (2019): instructed to advise re: commercial dispute valued at circa £500,000 where there was an overlap of civil/criminal liability

 

Appointments/Memberships

  • Honourable Society of Lincolns Inn
  • Criminal Bar Association (CBA)
  • Society of Asian Lawyers
  • Mentor at Queer Lawyers of Tomorrow
  • Amicus ALJ
Instruct SyamTo instruct Syam please contact our clerks by phone on +44 (0) 20 7036 0200 or email us at clerks@libertaschambers.com