Serena Gates

Year of Call: 2001

Serena has developed a successful criminal practice both prosecuting and defending with a particular emphasis on fraud, drug importations and sexual offences. Her general practice also encompasses an element of civil work.

Serena has been on the Attorney General's 'C' list of prosecuting counsel since 2005 and is an approved counsel for the Central fraud Group, Proceeds of Crime Unit, the CPS and the DWP.

Cases in which Serena has been instructed, as a led junior and alone, have included large scale frauds (both prosecuting and defending), large-scale drug and cigarette importations, money laundering and benefit fraud. As part of her wider criminal practice, Serena is also frequently instructed in cases involving violent and sexual offences. In 2011, she successfully prosecuted a historical rape and sexual assault case involving multiple victims with allegations dating back over 20 years. Serena has also represented defendants at Courts Martial hearings.

Many of the cases in which Serena has been instructed have involved complex sensitive material issues and Serena has developed a wealth of experience relating to issues of disclosure and public interest immunity.

Serena's civil practice encompasses the civil law aspects of asset forfeiture and enforcement. She is frequently instructed in cash forfeiture applications by the Metropolitan Police, SOCA and Customs and Excise and has appeared in the High Court resisting applications for Certificates of Inadequacy.

Serena's civil practice also includes contract and commercial law. She has frequently advised claimants in personal injury cases and has appeared alone in fast track trials and multi track trials across the country. Serena has also been instructed in bankruptcy proceedings, for example resisting applications by trustees in bankruptcy.

Serena is also accredited as a deployable civilian expert specializing in security and justice matters for the UK Stabilisaton Unit (made up of representatives of FCO, MOD and DFID.)

Professional Memberships

South Eastern Circuit

Languages

Spanish Basic Arabic

Specialist Practice Areas

• Crime
• Fraud
• Asset Forfeiture & Confiscation
• Sexual Offences
• Road Traffic Law
• Civil Practice
• Direct Access Representation
• Direct Access - How to Proceed

Cases of Note

• R v McNeil (Crown Court)
  Serena was instructed to prosecute an incestuous rape and sexual assault case involving multiple victims with offences dating back over 20 years.
• Operation Tangelo II (Crown Court)
  Member of the disclosure team devising strategy and reviewing material in relation to a multi-million pound Excise and VAT Fraud.
• R v Farzand Naseem (Crown Court)
  Junior defence counsel in £8.25 million fraud. The defendant was accused of defrauding a variety of corporate institutions by assuming the identity of different corporate clients. Extensive expert evidence was called relating to the defendant's psychiatric condition.
• R v Smith, Lawton, Watkinson, Smith and Smith (Crown Court)
  Junior prosecuting counsel in large scale cigarette importation case involving counterfeit cigarettes shipped from China to the United States and then on to the UK. Serena was also instructed by the Asset Forfeiture Division in the ongoing confiscation proceedings relating to this case.
• R v Briah, Briah, Briah and Briah (Crown Court)
  Junior prosecuting counsel in multi handed case where the defendants faced charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and threats to kill. The case involved complex disclosure issues. What next?