Leila Gaskin.
What others say:
"Leila is very intelligent, can handle the big ticket work and is not scared of voluminous cases. She's a fierce advocate and fills everyone with confidence."
"Leila's advocacy is extremely elegant and she doesn't waste a word; she picks good points and makes them brilliantly. She is a fabulous lawyer and advocate."
"She is extremely calm and methodical. A thorough and safe pair of hands, Leila is always fully prepared." Leading Junior Financial Crime - Chambers & Partners 2025
"Leila is amazingly bright and hard-working. She looks after her clients beautifully and has excellent advocacy."
"She is fantastic. Meticulous and very speedy, she has the ability to put clients at ease including the most vulnerable and young clients."
"Leila is very clever, thorough and has a fabulous set of people skills which puts the client at ease. She is a good advocate and her drafting is second to none." Leading Junior Crime - Chambers & Partners 2025
'Leila provides robust advice and is not afraid of voluminous evidence. She identifies key issues at an early stage. She is a passionate advocate who is incredibly confident and brave, and displays a calm manner that is well liked by the judiciary.' Fraud: Crime Legal 500 2025, Tier 2
'Leila Gaskin is the perfect brief and stands out as an advocate in multi-handed trials. Her advocacy is elegant and she does not waste a single word. She has a brilliant handle on the facts and the law, excellent judgement and is thoroughly professional in and out of court. She will walk in to silk seamlessly.' Crime Legal 500 2025, Tier 2
"She is calm, unflappable and doesn't put a foot wrong."
"Leila Gaskin is a brilliant, elegant advocate with a really calm manner. Nothing is ever too much for her."
"Because of her preparation and meticulous planning, she is able to deal with tricky situations beautifully."
"Her advocacy is super sophisticated: really concise and she fights the best points."
"The judiciary love her, clients love her and she is great with vulnerable clients too." Leading Junior Financial Crime - Chambers & Partners 2024
"Leila is a brilliant, elegant advocate."
"She was impeccable in all she did. Her written work, her legal submissions and her advocacy style in court all reeked of class."
"Her content is first rate and she is forensic in her analysis. She is a stand out defence lawyer."
"A barrister whose advocacy is super sophisticated and mesmerising. Her written work is also always laid out beautifully." Leading Junior Crime - Chambers & Partners 2024
- 'She is truly a class act. She is hard-working and tenacious but utterly charming, elegant and amusing. Her advocacy is elegant and compelling in equal measure.' Crime Legal 500 2024, Tier 2
- 'A methodical and highly focused junior.' Fraud: Crime Legal 500 2024, Tier 2
- 'Leila is an exceptional advocate who is a joy to listen to and a pleasure to work with. She never loses focus and brings formidable intelligence and insight to every case' - Chambers & Partners 2023
- Leading Junior - Crime - Legal 500 2023, Tier 2
- Leading Junior - Fraud: Crime - Legal 500 2023
- Leading Junior – Crime – Chambers and Partners, 2022.
- 'Has the ability to home in on the root of the issue.' Chambers and Partners, 2022
- Leading Junior – Crime and Fraud: Crime – Legal 500, 2022.
- 'Leila is a hugely impressive advocate. She combines a sharp analytical mind with a balanced approach. Her case preparation is exemplary - she is thorough and utterly devoted to the case she is instructed in. ’ - Legal 500, 2022
- ‘Leila is an impressive performer in court where she exudes confidence and professionalism. She has a commendable work ethic. ’ - Legal 500, 2022
- Leading Junior – Crime and Financial Crime – Legal 500, 2021.
- ‘A model professional, a steadfast and diplomatic barrister with … the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with clients in difficult situations’ – Legal 500, 2021.
- Junior of the Year (crime) – Legal 500, 2020.
- Leading Junior – Crime and Financial Crime – Legal 500, 2020.
- ‘A charming practitioner unafraid to stand up for what is right’ – Legal 500, 2020.
Practice profile:
Leila Gaskin is a leading barrister in her field. She appears as both leader and junior in the most serious and complex criminal cases.
She specialises in, and is recognised for, her work both in crime and fraud and was awarded junior barrister of the year by the Legal 500 directory in 2020.
She conducts complex and lengthy cases on behalf of solicitors, managing cases from the outset and on through the various stages of court proceedings and often through to the Court of Appeal.
She is known for her hard work, meticulous approach and dedication to each and every case.
Present and recent instructions:
- R v K Instructed as leading counsel in a £3 million fraud involving allegations of abuse of position and perverting the course of justice. A voluminous and complicated case due to be tried in 2025.
- R v AR Instructed as counsel for the first defendant in a complicated £1.2 million boiler room fraud.
- R v C Instructed in a case involving a large fraud perpetrated within the MOD. In addition the allegations include a number of money laundering offences. The case involves many defendants, some with senior positions. This is due to be tried in 2024.
- R v B Instructed to represent an employee of a company involved in allegations of tax fraud on a very large scale.
- R v G Instructed to represent a man charged with defrauding the CITB through a variety of methods.
- R v M Instructed to represent a man charged with one-punch manslaughter.
- R v H Instructed in a case of attempt murder involving complicated issues concerning the defendant’s mental health.
Professional memberships:
- Criminal Bar Association
- South Eastern Circuit
- Public Access Bar Association
Practice Areas:
Leila has many years of experience in this field. Homicide cases invariably require two separate approaches: on the one hand there must be a meticulous analysis of the evidence, and on the other a sensitive touch in dealing with witnesses and defendants. Leila’s success in this field is attributed not only to these aspects of her approach, but also to the care and commitment she gives each case.
For the last twenty years Leila has been instructed in large scale drug importations and conspiracies. She has been involved in cases investigated by the then NCS, SOCA and these days, NCA. She has a huge amount of experience in representing parties involved in these cases and has developed an expertise relating to issues of disclosure. The evidence in cases of this kind is often multifaceted. The case is often made up of evidence from surveillance, telecommunications, covert recordings and the like. The preparation of these cases therefore requires a measured, studied approach and an understanding of the wider picture. Given her experience in cases involving large volumes of material and data, and her experience in cases involving complicated areas of disclosure, Leila is well placed to conduct cases of this kind and is frequently instructed to do so.
With the recent consolidation and expansion of legislation relating to human slavery and trafficking, investigations and prosecutions for these matters are on the rise. These cases are often complex both evidentially and practically. Witnesses are often reluctant and vulnerable and defendants are often keen to be understood. Leila brings a rational and measured approach to cases of this kind, focusing both on the evidence as presented and on the individuals concerned in the case.
Cybercrime covers a wide array of criminal activity that takes place via digital means. It can range from the use of the internet to commit fraud to phishing scams; identity theft to online bullying and so on. Given her expertise in fraud and financial crime as well as her experience in serious and organised crime, Leila is very well place to deal with cases of this kind. She has the forensic acumen required to analyse and present the evidence in simple form and also the human touch required to help the parties direct and conduct the case through the various stages of the proceedings.
Over the last twenty years Leila has prosecuted and defended fraud cases of considerable length and complexity. Instructed by the Serious Fraud Division of the CPS on behalf of the MHRA, NHS, HMRC and other authorities she is known for her meticulous preparation and attention to detail. In addition, she has represented clients across the range of fraudulent offences and is known for her calm reassuring manner and tenacious approach in court.
Notable cases:
R v Dhal (2023)
Leading counsel. Defendant charged with international money laundering (£40 million) and human trafficking on a large scale. The trial lasted 4 months. Links to press: https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/police-name-west-london-suspects-17300042
R v Khan (2023)
Firearm offences. Exceptional circumstances for young defendant on sentence.
R v Kwakye (2022)
Junior counsel. Defendant charged with murder. Tried together with a number of co-defendants. Two trials lasting a few months. Links to press: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11356995/Man-convicted-murdering-street-gangster-victim-came-swinging-machete-turf-war.html
R v Haynes (2022)
Defendant with MS charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Link to press: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/speeding-driver-jailed-after-killing-25673144
R v Bennett (2021)
Junior counsel. Young defendant charged with a number of co-defendants with murder. Links to press: https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/three-teenagers-jailed-murder-camberwell-19733067
R v B & others [2020]
R v B [2020]
Causing death by dangerous driving. Chelmsford Crown Court.
R v C & others [2020]
Large scale drug conspiracy. Croydon Crown Court.
R v Al Rawe (2022)
Junior counsel. Large boiler room fraud. Three month trial. Appeal against conviction pending.
R v Ermis (2022)
Suspended sentence for money laundering as part of a rental diversion fraud.
R v Wallace (2022)
Leading counsel. Fraud and money laundering (£3 million). Defendant acquitted of fraud after trial. Links to press: https://international-adviser.com/husband-and-wife-duo-found-guilty-of-2-7m-investment-scam/
R v Groves (2022)
Boiler room fraud. Link to press: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/8859632/gary-cahill-conned-crooked-investor/
R v MZP [2020]
Fraudulent trading in the pharmaceutical industry. SFD & MHRA. Southwark Crown Court.
R v Patel [2020]
Cheating the public revenue (£2.5 million). SFD & HMRC. Southwark Crown Court.
R v E & others [2020]
Fraud and money laundering. Southwark Crown Court.
R v M & others [2020]
Large scale insurance fraud. Inner London Crown Court.
Policies:
Leila Gaskin news.
Leila Gaskin on the criminalisation of best-selling music
