10 King's Bench Walk loses top barristers to rival chambers...

10 King's Bench Walk is losing two senior commercial fraud barristers to rival 2 Bedford Row.

Michael Wolkind QC and Trevor Burke, both highly-rated as heavyweight criminal and commercial fraud practitioners, joined the set last week.

This follows the news, revealed exclusively in The Lawyer (1 May), that Ronald Thwaites QC is leading a breakaway team of civil practitioners to establish a new set.

Burke has previously successfully defended John Fashanu in the football corruption trial, Sol Campbell on an alleged assault and Nigel Benn on a serious assault.

He also represented Gary Glitter.

Wolkind, who took silk in 1999, specialises in acting for lawyers, bankers and accountants in fraud cases and has also led in many heavyweight criminal cases.

He is acting for the accused in the London nail bombing case and has led in Turkish and Libyan terrorist cases as well as advising on the Lockerbie bombing.

The acquisition of Wolkind and Burke is the second major coup for 2 Bedford Row this year.

Formerly known as 3 Hare Court, the set recently moved out of the Inns, purchasing its own premises in Bedford Row.

Then, in January, it boosted its contingent with the signing of four new tenants, including two silks, and welcomed back to practice the former Attorney-General Sir John Morris QC.