Ian McLoughlin KC

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“Ian is always very well prepared. He looks for he best points to take to advance his case and undermine that of his opponent. He is a persuasive advocate with a calm and measured approach which appeals to juries and judges.”
Legal 500 (2025)
“Ian is versatile across the spectrum of offences. He gains the trust of clients with a compelling mix of authority and humility. He is on top of his brief and presents powerful argument.”
Legal 500 (2023)
“I am always impressed by the ease with which he handles all comers and obstacles. He is an extremely smooth advocate and his arguments are always well founded and principled. He never takes a bad point and when prosecuting you know you have a redoubtable opponent but always principled and fair one.”
Legal 500 (2021)

Personal profile

Ian McLoughlin has been described in Legal 500 as having “compelling mix of authority and humility” and as a “redoubtable opponent” who is an “an extremely charming advocate who juries love.”

Directories note that Ian is “persuasive advocate with a calm and measured approach which appeals to juries and judges.”

Legal 500 states that Ian is as “a very safe pair of hands” who is “able to pick up… serious trials at short notice with ease.”

Ian is a specialist Crime practitioner who both prosecutes and defends in a broad range matters, including high profile Murder, Manslaughter and Sexual Offences cases.

He has particular expertise in cases involving modern slavery and Human Trafficking offences, including s1 slavery cases and trafficking for economic and sexual exploitation. These cases frequently have an international dimension and Ian is well versed in dealing with multi-jurisdictional issues.

Ian has great experience in the most serious drug offences, often involving substantial importations by international organised crime groups.

Ian is frequently asked to advise on pre-charge representations and applications to dismiss, and has had cases stopped at an early stage.

Ian also advises over a wide range of Regulatory & Professional Disciplinary and Business Crime & Fraud matters.

Recommendations

Ian is always very well prepared. He looks for he best points to take to advance his case and undermine that of his opponent. He is a persuasive advocate with a calm and measured approach which appeals to juries and judges.

― Legal 500 (2025)

Ian is versatile across the spectrum of offences. He gains the trust of clients with a compelling mix of authority and humility. He is on top of his brief and presents powerful argument.

― Legal 500 (2023)

Ian is a very safe pair of hands and able to pick up work and serious trials in particular at short notice with ease.

― Legal 500 (2022) Ranked: Tier 2

I am always impressed by the ease with which he handles all comers and obstacles. He is an extremely smooth advocate and his arguments are always well founded and principled. He never takes a bad point and when prosecuting you know you have a redoubtable opponent but always principled and fair one.

― Legal 500 (2021)

An extremely charming advocate whom juries love.

― Legal 500 (2020)

Business Crime & Fraud

Featured cases

Op. Slipstream- Instructed to lead for the first of seventeen defendants facing fraud and immigration allegations.
Op. Zamba- Instructed to prosecute substantial money laundering allegations stemming from frauds said to have been committed in over a dozen countries.
Op. Galahad- Successful prosecution as leading junior (CPS Specialist Fraud Division) of complex VAT and Gift Aid fraud, with multiple businesses and the use of two UK registered charities to falsely reclaim Gift Aid. The case involved a significant international element, and evidence was given from Pakistan during the trial.
Op. Gomozia- Instructed to defend money laundering and the conversion of £57m into Euros via the defendant’s money exchange bureau. The resulting confiscation involved alleged hidden assets and foreign property. The final benefit figure was reduced by £56m.

Human Trafficking

Ian is an expert in cases involving modern slavery and Human Trafficking offences, including s1 slavery cases and trafficking for economic and sexual exploitation.

These cases often involve an international dimension and Ian is experienced in investigations which have been conducted in foreign jurisdictions.

Featured cases

Op Motley – Led for defendant charged with trafficking for sexual exploitation and controlling prostitution for gain. Significant disclosure failures identified led to a climb-down by the Crown who did not pursue the most serious allegations.
Op.Solomon – Instructed to lead for the prosecution in a seven-handed conspiracy to traffic Romanian nationals to the UK with a view to exploitation within the construction industry.
Op.Cardinas – Instructed to lead for the prosecution in a case which involved forced/compulsory labour and the trafficking of workers from Romania to the UK. This case was the focus of a report issued by the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, entitled Operation Cardinas and beyond which described it as ‘one of the UK’s largest modern slavery investigations’.
Op.Carmelo – Instructed to lead for the prosecution in a trial involving the trafficking of women (largely from Hungary) to the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation, by a husband and wife, one of whom was a Special Constable. This case generated much national news coverage.
R v E and O – Instructed to prosecute two defendants who trafficked fellow Hungarians to the UK with a view to exploiting them.
Op Flanderau – Instructed as lead prosecution in two linked trials of five defendants of an organised criminal gang, conspiring to traffic women from Thailand to London to work as prostitutes. One of the first successful Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Sexual Offences

In addition to his broad Crime practice Ian is particularly experienced in cases involving historic Sexual Offences.

Featured cases

Op Pavarotti – Successfully resisted AG reference in Court of Appeal (Crim Div).
Op Pavarotti – Defended young man alleged to have been part of a grooming gang.
Op.Carmelo – Instructed to lead for the prosecution in a trial involving trafficking of women (largely from Hungary) to the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation by a husband and wife, one of whom was a Special Constable. This case generated much national news coverage.
Op Winthorpe – Instructed to prosecute a series of cases against teachers at St Paul’s School in West London, resulting in the conviction and imprisonment of four former teachers.
R v HM – Successful defence of a man charged with a violent stranger rape.
Op Flanderau- Instructed as leading prosecution in two linked trials of five defendants of an organised criminal gang, conspiring to traffic women from Thailand to London to work as prostitutes. One of the first successful Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
R v M – Successful defence of a man charged with rape at Central Criminal Court.
R v Cowen – Successful prosecution of a defendant charged with sexual offences committed against children resident in a West London care home in the early 1970s.

Murder & Manslaughter

Featured cases

R v CJ – Instructed to defend an 18-year-old charged with two murders, set against a background of drug gang rivalry.
R v ZC – Successful defence of a man charged with a one-punch manslaughter.
R v NH – Successfully appealed a murder conviction with manslaughter substituted.

Regulatory & Professional Disciplinary

Ian is frequently instructed to act for police officers facing misconduct proceedings. He has conducted many cases both at the first instance and also in successful appeals to the Police Appeals Tribunal.

Featured cases

In the matter of PC C – Instructed to defend an officer facing a gross misconduct allegation after failing to administer first aid to an unresponsive man in the street.
In the matter of PC J – Instructed to conduct an appeal to the Police Appeals Tribunal following a dismissal for gross misconduct for assaulting a member of the public, having been acquitted at the Magistrates’ Court of the same incident. Successfully argued that the misconduct proceedings should not have been brought following the acquittal and the officer was reinstated.

Drugs Offences

Featured Cases

R v TZ – Leading for defendant alleged to have imported 1400kgs of cocaine which had been jettisoned from a cargo vessel in the English Channel.
R v ES – Leading for defendant in 7-month trial involving multiple international conspiracies to import cocaine to the UK and other countries.
R v AS and others – Successful prosecution of organisers of 100kg+ class A drug line.
Op Buster – 3-month trial defending one of six defendants said to have been a national distributor of tens of kilos of cocaine.

Serious & Organised Crime

Featured Cases

Op Pancetta– Led the successful prosecution of 8 gang members who conspired to possess multiple firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
Op Faroe– Successful defence of young man alleged to have burgled premises whilst armed and intending to torture, kill and dismember the occupants. Defendant had admitted simple burglary but was acquitted of all contested counts after trial. Case generated both national and international press interest.