Kerrie Ann Rowan

Barrister

Kerrie practises in all areas of criminal defence including murder, violence, robbery, drug offences and dishonesty offences. She has broad experience in serious and complex cases, including in the Court of Appeal.

Kerrie has particular experience in white-collar crime and investigations. In 2017-2018 Kerrie was part of the team representing a former FOREX trader who was prosecuted by the US Department of Justice for conspiracy to fix prices in the FOREX market. The trial ended in an acquittal in the Southern District of New York in 2018. Kerrie was also part of the defence team representing an executive of G4S, prosecuted by the SFO for fraud. The allegations related to Electronic Monitoring contracts with the Ministry of Justice. The SFO ultimately offered no evidence in the case. Prior to joining 25 Bedford Row, Kerrie worked as a legal assistant with the white-collar criminal defence team at Arnold & Porter LLP. During that time, the team advised on the SFO investigation into GlaxoSmithKline; provided representation for News UK in respect of allegations of telephone voicemail interception and corruption of public officials; advised on an international investigation into a multi-billion dollar accountancy fraud and provided advice on financial regulatory matters.

Kerrie also has a strong interest in human rights and international criminal law. For almost two years, Kerrie served as case manager and legal assistant on the Haradinaj defence team at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). During this time she also worked as a research assistant at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In 2018, Kerrie received the Inner Temple Pegasus Scholarship to complete a fellowship with the Global Legal Program of the Centre for Reproductive Rights in New York, where her research focused on international human rights law and policy. Further, she was awarded the Inner Temple Internship Award in 2015 for her work as research assistant with the Capital Sentencing Institute at St. Louis University, Missouri.

Kerrie has also worked as a law clerk to Justice Arbel at the Supreme Court of Israel, where her research focused on comparative international and domestic human rights law. Whilst studying for her LLM, Kerrie volunteered with Innocence McGill and served as a fellow with the One Justice Project.

Kerrie is able to accept instructions via Direct Access.

Qualifications

Barrister, England and Wales (2015)
Attorney at Law (2013, New York, USA)

Education

Certificate in International Human Rights Law and Practice, London School of Economics and Political Science (2014)
McGill/Hebrew University Summer Program in Human Rights (full scholarship) (2013)
LLM, McGill University (2013)
BCL (First Class), Law with French Law, University College Dublin (2011)

Awards

Inner Temple Pegasus Scholarship (2018)
Inner Temple Internship Award (2015)
Inner Temple Ede & Ravenscroft Prize (2015)
McGill University Graduate Excellence Award (2013)
University College Dublin Entrance Exhibition Award (2011)

Memberships

London Irish Lawyers Association
Criminal Bar Association
Young Fraud Lawyers Association
Human Rights Lawyers Association
Women in Criminal Law
Female Fraud Forum

Reported Cases

R v Omar [2023] EWCA Crim 341 - Re s76A PACE
R v Ward [2022] EWCA Crim 867- Re Sch.21, para 4(2) of the Sentencing Act 2020
R v Jauvel [2018] EWCA Crim 787 – Re judicial intervention and jury questions.
Re Steven Yaxley-Lennon [2018] EWCA Crim 1856 - Re procedural rules governing summary contempt of court proceedings.

General Crime

R v B - Instructed as led junior in a multi-handed ‘honey trap’ murder (St Albans Crown Court).
R v M - Instructed in relation to an allegation of possession of a firearm (Inner London Crown Court).
R v A - Instructed with regards to a multi-handed conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, related to the investigation of an attempted murder (Harrow Crown Court).
R v C - Instructed in relation to conspiracy to supply over 10kg of Class A drugs, through the use of EncroChat (Oxford Crown Court).
R v S - Instructed in relation to a multi-handed conspiracy to rob, relating to multiple knife point robberies on the London tube (Inner London Crown Court).
R v G - Instructed as led junior in a multi-handed joint enterprise murder (Nottingham Crown Court).
R v C - Instructed as led junior in a murder involving an alleged assault with a weapon (Leicester Crown Court).
R v W - instructed as led junior in a murder involving an assault at a public house (Reading Crown Court).
R v P - instructed as led junior in a multi-handed trial for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, involving the use of “Encro” phones (Bolton Crown Court).
R v O - Instructed as led junior in a multi-handed murder involving use of a firearm (Woolwich Crown Court).
R v I - Instructed as led junior in a multi-handed conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to keep a brothel for prostitution (Wood Green Crown Court).
R v B - Instructed as led junior in a double kidnap, possession of firearms, blackmail, s.18 GBH and false imprisonment (Manchester Crown Court).
R v C – Instructed in relation to a multi-handed conspiracy to burgle high value items from a retail premises (Kingston Crown Court).
R v H - Instructed in relation to charges of s20 wounding (Peterborough Crown Court).
R v M - Instructed in relation to charges of possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin (Central Criminal Court).
R v W - Instructed in relation to charges of perverting the course of justice (Blackfriars Crown Court).
R v O - Instructed in relation to charges of possession with intent to supply class B drugs into a detention centre (Leicester Crown Court)
R v F - Secured a community order for a defendant convicted of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs at a music festival (Winchester Crown Court)
R v R - Instructed in a multi handed blackmail matter (Ipswich Crown Court)
R v P - Instructed in a s.18 GBH matter concerning allegations of a stabbing (Wood Green Crown Court)
R v R - Instructed in relation to a s18 GBH matter concerning allegations of a group attack with a weapon (Chelmsford Crown Court)

Inquiries

Junior counsel to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry (Module 4), investigating the response of Category 1 and 2 responders and central government in the immediate aftermath of the fire.

Licensing

Premises A - Represented premises A at local council licensing review hearing, following ongoing complaints of anti-social behaviour and violence at and near the premises.
Premises B - Represented premises B at closed local council hearing, following an interim revocation of license due to class A drugs, false ID documents and a firearm being found on the premises.

White Collar Crime & Investigations

SFO v Jardine - Executive of G4S prosecuted by the SFO for fraud. Allegations related to Electronic Monitoring contracts with the Ministry of Justice. The SFO ultimately offered no evidence in the case.
USA v Usher - Foreign exchange trader prosecuted by the US Department of Justice for criminal cartel offences relating to an alleged conspiracy to fix prices in the $5 trillion-per-day global foreign exchange market.
Bank X - Internal investigation at a bank in relation to allegations of potential Wrongdoing.
SFO investigation into GlaxoSmithKline*.
International investigation into a multi-billion dollar corporate accountancy fraud*.
Representation of News UK in respect of allegations of telephone voicemail interception and corruption of public officials*.
* Matters worked on prior to joining 25 Bedford Row

Other Notable Fraud

R v S - Instructed as led junior in a multi-handed £10 million conspiracy to defraud, prosecuted by Trading Standards. The allegations concerned the targeted miss-selling of home improvement products to elderly and vulnerable customers.
R v K - Instructed as led junior in a multi-handed money laundering matter concerning the proceeds of a multi-million pound pension fraud (Southwark Crown Court).
R v B - Instructed as led junior in a matter involving multiple counts of fraud, theft and wilful neglect against a husband and wife who worked as carers for a number of vulnerable individuals (Salisbury Crown Court).
R v H - Instructed in a multi-handed money laundering matter arising out of rogue trading offences (Swindon Crown Court).
R v J - Instructed in relation to multiple charges of fraud by false representation (Woolwich Crown Court).