Henry Grunwald OBE KC.

  • Barrister
  • Call: 1972 - KC 1999
What others say:

  • "Henry really knows his stuff, and is well respected and very personable."  Chambers & Partners - Crime, Leading Silks 2025
  • 'Enormously experienced and a reassuring presence in court' Chambers & Partners - Crime, Leading Silks 2023
  • Legal 500 - Crime, Leading Silks 2023
  • ‘A silk known for his meticulous preparation and extremely calm manner. He is a persuasive jury advocate.’  Legal 500 - Crime, Leading Silks 2022
  • "Likeable, calming and dependable, he's a real jury man." Chambers & Partners - Crime, Leading Silks 2022
  • ‘Impressive and has a lovely way with juries and clients. He is just a class act.’ Chambers & Partners - Crime, Leading Silks 2021
  • ‘He is reassuring under pressure and provides excellent client care’ Legal 500 - Crime, Leading Silks - 2021 
  • ‘He’s very good to work with and is an excellent advocate – he’s very calm, assured and extremely thorough’Chambers & Partners – Crime, Leading Silks – 2020
  • ‘A calm and reassuring advocate who commands the respect of the court’Legal 500 - Crime, Leading Silks 2018
  • ‘A veteran of serious cases’Crime – Leading Silks (Legal 500 – 2017)

Practice Profile:

Henry is a long-established King’s Counsel and dedicated advocate with forty-eight solid years of experience in high-level criminal work. Rightly renowned for his unflappable nature in court, he is extremely hard-working, always well-prepared and determined to doing his best for his clients. His many years in practice have seen him defend in very high-profile cases right across the spectrum of offences – from serious frauds to serial killings.

Described by those who work with him as extremely reliable and hard-working, he has a flair for accurate and meaningful presentations both in court and in conference. Anyone instructing him can have real confidence in their choice.

He recently successfully defended the former managing director of an engineering company in a major SFO bribery and corruption trial at Southwark following a Deferred Prosecution Agreement between the company – Sarclad Ltd – and the SFO. In the trial, he obtained the first directed acquittal at the close of the Prosecution case in a count under the 2010 Bribery Act. He was also recently at the Old Bailey, his client was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter in a very nasty knife crime case. Henry was also recently instructed in an alleged terrorist-related attempted murder of a prison officer. 



Professional memberships:
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • South Eastern Circuit
Appointments:
  • OBE
  • Bencher, Gray’s Inn
  • Honorary Fellow, University College London
  • President World Jewish Relief
  • Chairman, the National Holocaust Centre and Museum
  • Vice-President, Council of Christians and Jews 
Henry is qualified to accept instructions from clients through the Direct Access scheme.

Notable cases:

Notable cases

R -v- Bikubi 

The “witchcraft” murder  of a young boy and the assault and torture of his siblings.

The honour killing of his daughter by a member of the Kurdish community.

One of the largest-ever drug importations, in which he led the Head of Crucible, Neil Hawes (now but not then) KC, in a trial lasting over 15 months. 

Henry Grunwald OBE KC news.

Henry Grunwald KC and Claire Robinson's client acquitted of murder.

Henry Grunwald OBE KC

20/06/2024

Defendants acquitted of serious firearm conspiracy following six week trial.

Henry Grunwald OBE KC

27/11/2023

Henry Grunwald OBE KC Ranked in Chambers and Partners.

Henry Grunwald OBE KC

21/10/2022

Henry Grunwald QC and Roderick James secure acquittal in Frank Lampard burglary trial.

Henry Grunwald OBE KC

05/01/2021

Crucible barristers act in £26m burglary trial

Read the full news story

Henry Grunwald QC and Roderick James defending one of the alleged conspirators accused of burglaries targeting celebrities.

Henry Grunwald OBE KC

16/11/2020