Stephen Parkinson

Stephen is the head of the Criminal Litigation practice area, undertaking white collar crime, regulatory litigation and also extensive public law work.  He is a highly versatile lawyer with rankings in the leading directories in respect of crime; fraud; administrative and public law and professional discipline.

Stephen has been rated as one of the most influential lawyers in the country, joining The Times Law 100 for 2012.

Stephen frequently represents high profile individuals caught up in criminal or regulatory investigations. His background, working at the highest levels of government, makes him particularly well placed to advise in cases which need good political antennae and sensitive handling. 

He has extensive experience handling public inquiry work, having payed a leading role in 10 major inquiries in recent years, including the Hutton inquiry and the BSE inquiry.

In his varied career Stephen has been a prosecutor in the CPS, the Legal Adviser to the Companies Investigation Branches of the DTI and has had responsibility for all the Government's chancery and regulatory litigation.  Between 1999 and 2003 he was the Deputy Head of the Attorney General's Office, with responsibility for advising the Law Officers on all their responsibilities for criminal issues.  Stephen then joined Kingsley Napley on secondment from the Government Legal Service.

Stephen was called to the Bar in 1980 and requalified as a solicitor in 2005. He became a partner of Kingsley Napley in 2005 and the head of the Criminal and Regulatory Practice Area in 2006.  He is also admitted to the Bar of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

What is said about Stephen:

• "Highly recommended", (Legal 500, 2012)
• "Calm, considered and all-encompassing approach" (Chambers and Partners, 2012)
• Stephen is "cool and calm in a crisis" and has an ability "to sift through material and find the bits that matter."" (Chambers and Partners, 2011)
• "Clients value his ability to "see the problems and the issues immediately, and understand the easiest way to make progress."" (Chambers and Partners, 2011)
• Impressed clients describe him as 'an anchor in the middle of a storm.'" (Chambers and Partners UK, 2010)
• "He is commended for his extensive knowledge and ability to explain complex information clearly" (Chambers and Partners UK, 2010)
• "Master tactician" (Legal 500, 2009)
• "Stephen Parkinson's background in Government has given a very good department its final piece" (Legal 500, 2009)
• "An intelligent practitioner who has an acute awareness of political sensitivities" (Chambers, 2009)
• "Outstanding track record" (Legal Business)

Selected matters in which Stephen has acted:

• Operations Weeting and Elveden (phone hacking and police corruption), Leveson Inquiry
• Advised the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and all the No 10 and Cabinet Office witnesses in the Hutton Inquiry
• Advised former Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major and former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine in the BSE Inquiry
• Advised a key witness in the Iraq Inquiry
• Represents developers in corruption investigation/prosecution in Turks and Caicos Islands.
• Represented Sir Ian Blair and other officers in the IPCC investigations arising out of the shooting of the Jean Charles de Menezes
• Represented Sir Ian Blair in the Flanagan investigation for the MPA.
• Represented clients in the loans-for-peerages investigation.
• Represented clients in the BAE/ Saudi corruption investigation. 

Publications

Books:

• Author, with David Corker, Disclosure in Criminal Proceedings, published 2009
• Contributor to Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2012. 

Articles and comment:

• The Times, Ministers defy their experts to kill Serious Fraud Office and Standalone agency crucial in the fight against corruption, April 2011
• The Telegraph, The Bribery Act is a case of 'right idea, wrong time' for the the Government, February 2011
• Times online, CPS role in extradition cases, January 2011
• Lawyer of the Week, The Times, July 2010
• The Lawyer, Ruling on acquitted defendants will speak volumes, June 2010
• New Law Journal, Reimbursing acquitted defendants, June 2010
• The Company Lawyer, "The cartel offence under the Enterprise Act 2002"
• The Times, "When privilege is not a right"
• New Law Journal, "Testing the PII template" co-author along with Michael Caplan QC
• The Times, "Secrecy in the courtroom"
• The Times, "On your marks...Stop "
• New Law Journal, "Fairness and public interest immunity: inconsistent concepts?"
• New Law Journal "Exposing the informer and other secrets of the prosecution"
• The Times, "A message to FSA reviewers: one size does not fit all cases
• The Times, "What is the future for the AG?" 
• Stephen is a member of the Times Law Panel and of the Advisory Board of the Centre of Criminal Law, University College, London.