Overview
Sophia has a strong practice in criminal, extradition and regulatory law. Sophia's experience extends to cases brought by private prosecutors involving financial, trademark and environmental offences. She has experience of professional discipline and regulatory cases. Sophia also accepts instructions in family law.
Sophia is recognised in The Legal 500 for her work in Extradition Law.
Additional information
Before starting pupillage, Sophia worked at Kingsley Napley LLP as a criminal litigation paralegal. She worked on a number of significant cases involving corporate fraud, extradition and private prosecutions. Alongside this she wrote her LLM thesis on the corporate criminal liability of UK companies for violent human rights abuses overseas.
Prior to this Sophia worked for three years as a Human Rights Observer with Peace Brigades International (PBI) in Colombia and continues to be a Trustee for PBI UK. She also interned at NATO, where she coordinated the drafting of multinational policy papers to facilitate requests of international assistance. These documents continue to be used today.
Languages
- Spanish & English: Native speaker.
- French: Working level.
Professional Appointments and Memberships
- CPS External Advocates Panel: General Crime (Grade 3).
- CPS Specialist Advocates Panel: Fraud (Grade 2).
- CPS Specialist Advocates Panel: Serious Crime (Grade 2).
- Government Legal Department 'Junior Junior' Scheme Member.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council Authorised Case Presenter.
Education
- LLM (Distinction) Professional Legal Skills including BPTC, City University.
- Graduate Diploma in Law, City University.
- MPhil Latin American Studies, University of Oxford.
- MA (Hons) International Relations & Spanish, University of St Andrews.
Criminal Defence
Sophia regularly defends clients facing criminal proceedings at all stages, including on appeal. She has experience of a wide range of offences including drugs, fraud, sexual and violent offences. Her focus is on organised and financial crime, particularly where there are international dynamics. Sophia has experience of challenging unlawful searches and arrests by police, as well as opposing applications for court orders including criminal behaviour orders, cash forfeiture and confiscation orders.
Sophia is qualified to deali with young and vulnerable defendants and witnesses including the use of intermediaries. She has completed specialist training in youth court advocacy and vulnerable witness training.
Criminal Prosecutions - Private & Public
Sophia is a CPS Grade 3 prosecutor, and has prosecuted a full range of trials at the Crown Court as led and main counsel. . She has experience of prosecuting multi-handed trials and has been led in a number of complex and high-profile fraud trials.
- Sophia is also on the CPS Specialist Advocates Panel: for Fraud (Grade 2), and for Serious Crime (Grade 2).
Business Crime & Financial Regulation
Sophia has experience of prosecuting and defending in criminal fraud and financial crime cases. She is regularly instructed in cases brought by the Insolvency Service and confiscation or cash forfeiture cases brought by agencies including the NCA.
- Sophia is on the CPS Specialist Advocates Panel for Fraud (Grade 2).
Extradition & International
Sophia has a strong defence extradition practise, instructed to act on behalf of clients facing extradition to a number of countries both inside and outside Europe. Her experience extends from case preparation and management to final hearings and appeals to the High Court. She successfully argued against the extradition of clients to countries including Poland, Portugal and Romania.
- Sophia is recognised in the Legal 500, Tier 3 for Extradition.
She has a keen interest in international criminal matters and has been instructed to advise or consult on matters going before the European Court of Human Rights and bringing criminal proceedings in the UK for offending overseas.
Professional Discipline & Regulatory
Sophia has been instructed to represent regulators and registrants in cases before numerous regulatory bodies, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, General Dental Council, Social Work England, Health and Care Professions Council, the Taxation Disciplinary Board and the UK Council for Psychotherapy.
She has been instructed all stages of the proceedings and in cases of varying degrees of complexity.
Family & Children
Sophia accepts instructions in family law. She has represented applicants and respondents in non-molestation order proceedings and public law care proceedings.
Inquests & Inquiries
Sophia accepts instructions in relation to Public Inquiries and Inquests.
Professional Memberships
- Criminal Bar Association (CBA).
- Young Fraud Lawyers Association (YFLA).
- The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn (Lord Denning Scholar).
Cases of Note
Paiva v Tribunal Da Comarca De Setubal [2024] EWHC 980 (Admin)
An appeal based on section 20 Extradition Act, arguing that the appellant had not been notified about the time and place of his trial and therefore could not be said to have deliberately absented himself. It is one of the first cases to implement the Supreme Court case of Bertino.
