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 several 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 firearms, 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 deal 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 several complex and high-profile fraud trials involving issues such as international money laundering and ponzi-schemes on a global scale.
Sophia is also on the CPS Specialist Advocates Panel: for Fraud (Grade 2), and for Serious Crime (Grade 2).
Sophia is currently instructed to prosecute on several fraud cases on behalf of the Insolvency Service.
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.
She is currently instructed to prosecute cases that involve issues such as executive fraud against companies and harassment involving abuse of corporate structures.
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 various 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.
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
Romania v P (2025)
Instructed defence counsel in extradition case requiring legal expert evidence to highlight that the extradition warrant was deficient and provided the requested person with no opportunity for a retrial where he was not deliberately or voluntarily absent . The warrant was withdrawn. The warrant was later re-issued to seek to remedy those issues, but judge ruled that the same problems persisted and that the requested person be discharged.
R v B (2025)
Junior defence trial counsel, representing a mother accused of murdering her young son.
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.
R v C (2025)
Defence trial counsel for man accused of raping a woman at a hotel whilst on a work trip, resulting in acquittal by the jury.
R v RH (2025)
Junior defence counsel in trial involving accusations of multiple sexual assaults against strangers.
R v TH (2025)
Defence trial counsel for vulnerable defendant accused of intentional GBH and carrying an offensive weapon resulting in jury acquittal.
R v Lester (2024-2025)
Junior prosecution counsel in two-month trial about Cruise-miles Ponzi scheme resulting in significant custodial sentence. (link to article)
R v Duncalf-Massey & Ors (2021-2025)
Junior prosecution counsel over various trials against individuals involved in laundering funds from an international business email compromise fraud conspiracy. The funds were laundered through various international accounts, including the UK. After all defendants were convicted, there were additional Confiscation and Serious Crime Prevention Order proceedings.
