Barristers

Gordon Ross

Call 1986

‘Gordon is a fearless and tenacious advocate who has the ability to quickly recognise his most strongest arguments and points in a case. He approaches matters, no matter how difficult, in a calm and sensible manner that reassures clients and also ensures he, as instructed counsel, remains level-headed and in control.'

Gordon Ross is a highly successful criminal law specialist with an extensive criminal law practice. An experienced and skilled trial lawyer, he regularly appears in Crown Courts in the south of England, where he is a well-known and respected advocate.

He has substantial experience as a leading junior and regularly co-defends in multi-handed cases. He is ranked in The Legal 500 as a Leading Junior (fraud) and has a wide experience of financial crime. This includes VAT and tax frauds, land banking fraud, carbon credit fraud, film tax fraud, mortgage and DSS fraud, PONZI schemes, vehicle fraud and money laundering. Gordon is additionally ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (crime). He is frequently instructed in rape and other serious sexual offence cases, large-scale drug importations, people trafficking, offences of violence including murder and manslaughter, and serious driving cases including death by dangerous driving.

He is accredited by the Bar Council to provide Public Access Services.

Expertise

Gordon is instructed in POCA proceedings flowing from drugs and fraud trials and is ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (fraud).

Featured Confiscation and asset recovery cases


Operation Cotton

Successfully contested proceedings including hidden asset claim by prosecuting authorities.

Gordon is regularly instructed as a leading junior in complex fraud and money laundering cases and is ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (fraud).

Featured Fraud and money laundering cases


R v M and others

Successfully defended as a leading junior in Operation Balaban, a ‘boiler room’ conspiracy involving the alleged mis-selling of carbon credits and diamonds at Southwark Crown Court. The prosecution case collapsed after four weeks after the Defence exposed major failings in the prosecution disclosure and the unsuitability of the prosecution carbon credits expert.


R v A

He secured the acquittal of a charity Chief Executive Officer in a £1.5 million Department of Health fraud following an eight-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.


'Operation Cotton'

Instructed as a leading junior in complex multi-handed land banking fraud.

Gordon is regularly instructed in varying levels of sophisticated fraud and money laundering cases and is ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (fraud).

Featured Crime - Fraud cases


R v R

Successfully defended male charged with money laundering when large amounts of cash were found in his vehicle.


R v M

Successfully defended male charged with evading £900k of excise duty.


R v ML

Successfully defended Metropolitan Police interpreter charged with multiple counts of fraud.

Gordon is regularly instructed in murder and manslaughter cases, including attempted murders and is ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (crime).

Featured Murder and Manslaughter cases


R v H

A one-punch manslaughter. A person was killed by a motor vehicle after being punched to the ground and left unconscious in the road. Following two trials, the prosecution offered no further evidence and the defendant was acquitted.


R v R and others

Revenge murder involving drugs gangs.

Gordon is instructed in a large number of cases involving Serious Organised Crime, especially Organised Crime Groups involved in people trafficking and drug importations and supply, including EncroChat cases. Gordon is ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (crime).

Featured Organised crime cases


Operation Elite

Instructed in ongoing large-scale OCG multi-kilo drugs importation case.


R v T

Successfully defended a lorry driver charged with £9.8m drugs importation.


R v J

Successfully defended in ‘people smuggling’ case following the discovery by Border Force officers of three illegal immigrants in a hidden compartment in the defendant’s vehicle.


R v W

Lorry driver accused of being part of a multi-million pound alcohol smuggling operation. Found not guilty following a six-week trial.


R v M

Defendant acquitted of facilitating the entry of 10 illegal immigrants into the UK. The defendant had denied knowledge of the presence of the immigrants.


R v R

Defendant acquitted of facilitating the entry of 28 illegal immigrants into the UK. The jury found the defendant not guilty having deliberated for less than 30 minutes.

Gordon is instructed in serious road traffic injury cases, including death by dangerous and careless driving, and dangerous driving causing injury and is ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (crime).

Featured Road traffic and motoring offences cases


R v A

Vehicle driver who hit a young child on a zebra crossing. Acquitted of dangerous driving following trial.


R v G

Successfully defended driver for causing death by careless driving.

Gordon is instructed in a large number of rape and serious sexual offences cases involving both recent and historic allegations, including child sex cases and indecent image cases. As well as defending in such cases, he is also a RASSO specialist prosecutor, has conducted many successful prosecutions and provides charging Advice. Gordon is ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (crime).

Featured Serious Sexual Offences cases


R v H

Defendant acquitted of rapes of a six-year-old girl following trial, with the jury deliberating for less than an hour.


R v A

Mini-cab driver acquitted of raping a passenger.


R v B

Doctor acquitted of raping a patient.


R v E

Male accused of historic rape allegation. Acquitted following trial.

Gordon undertakes a wide range of cases involving serious allegations of violence, such as grievous bodily harm, violent disorder and other public order offences (including at football matches), and armed robberies. Gordon is ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (crime).

Featured Violence cases


R v J

Successfully defended male charged with GBH in an incident in a pub.


R v  H

Armed robbery of a beauty salon. Acquitted of possession of firearm.


R v A

Football supporter acquitted of public order offending following trial.

Gordon is ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (crime).

Featured General Crime cases


R v R

Defendant acquitted of holding a family member in slavery and servitude following a 3-week trial.

Recent articles

Chambers and members ranked in Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500

Chambers have again been ranked in the new edition of both Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500. We are also pleased that Adam Davis KC, John Femi-Ola KC, Jeremy Wainwright KC, Gordon Ross,…

Adam Davis KC

John Femi-Ola KC

Jeremy Wainwright KC

Gordon Ross

Christopher Bertham

Tim Forte

Gordon Ross secures acquittal in 3-week slavery trial

Gordon Ross represented a defendant who was alleged to be part of a family group who brought a family member over from eastern Europe and held her in slavery and servitude, forcing her to work, claim unentitled…

Gordon Ross

View all

Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)

Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please click here.

‘Gordon is a fearless and tenacious advocate who has the ability to quickly recognise his most strongest arguments and points in a case. He approaches matters, no matter how difficult, in a calm and sensible manner that reassures clients and also ensures he, as instructed counsel, remains level-headed and in control.'


The Legal 500 (2024)

‘Gordon is an excellent barrister, and impresses with his commitment, diligent preparation, client skills and communication.’


The Legal 500 2023

'An eloquent barrister. Juries appreciate his calm but commanding style.’


The Legal 500 2023 (Fraud: Crime)

  • LLB (Hons)
  • Bar vocational

  • Inner Temple
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • South-eastern circuit
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