Michael Epstein

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“Excellent criminal set with a justifiable reputation as a market leader.”
Legal 500, 2022

Personal profile

Over the last few years Michael Epstein has focused on heavy Crime defence work, particularly cases involving Fraud, large-scale Drugs Offences and all other forms of Serious & Organised Crime.

Michael also specialises in Road Traffic Offences and has successfully represented many high-profile clients from the worlds of sports and entertainment.

Michael has conducted many serious criminal cases both prosecuting and defending.

Road Traffic Offences

Michael specialises in road traffic law and has successfully represented many high-profile clients from the worlds of sports and entertainment.

Featured cases

R v S – Instructed to represent a lorry driver charged with causing death by dangerous driving following a collision with a stationary vehicle on a dual carriageway.
R v A – Instructed to represent a young man charged with causing death by dangerous driving after motorway collision resulting in death of his passenger.

Serious Violence

Michael has conducted many serious criminal cases both prosecuting and defending.

Featured cases

R v K – Allegations of false imprisonment and torture of a drama student following rehearsals in a film studio, committed by fellow actors.
R v D & W – Armed robbery of an Essex supermarket perpetrated with active involvement of a shop employee.
R v L & V – Aggravated burglary and rape case. Three defendants, armed with guns and knives, targeted two young women who had been followed to their home with cash takings from a beauty salon.
R v G – Instructed to represent the defendant in the “Frank Lampard” burglary case.
R v SF – Instructed to defend a young man charged with others in brutal Essex kidnap and torture case.
R v D – Instructed to represent one of the inmates in the Lincoln Prison riot of 2002, charged with prison mutiny and violent assaults.

Drugs Offences

Michael defended four people supplying cocaine.

Featured cases

R v M and others – Instructed for the prosecution of four defendants charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine on a large scale.

Fraud

Michael has successfully represented many cases of Fraud.

Featured cases

R v S – Instructed to represent a businessman charged with conspiracy to evade duty upon tobacco amounting to £13m.
R v Y – Building industry revenue fraud involving allegations of evasion of income tax, corporation tax and VAT.
R v C – Instructed as leading counsel in this corruption and conspiracy to defraud by Inland Revenue employees and bailiffs working in the Watford Tax Collection office.
R v S & Others – Bank fraud where insiders had corrupted computer systems to facilitate attacks on customer accounts.
R v G – Money laundering on a large scale through various bureaux de change in central London.
R v M – Represented one of nine defendants charged with conspiracy to fraudulently divert onto the UK retail market, alcohol in respect of which £10m of duty had not been paid.
R v F – Fraud on shareholders by the chief executive of a plc. The prosecution was brought by the SFO and the trial lasted six months.

Health & Safety

Michael has successfully represented many Health & Safety cases.

Featured cases

HSE v South Downs NHS Trust – Instructed in this prosecution following the fatality of a patient in hospital care who fell from a hoist whilst being transferred from a wheelchair to his bed.
HSE v C – Instructed in this prosecution of a landlord of property for breaches of Gas Safety (installation and use) Regulations 1994/8 arising out of the death of a 12-year-old girl from carbon monoxide poisoning.
HSE v I – Instructed in this prosecution under the Health & Safety at work etc. Act 1974. Represented a gym instructor whose client had sustained serious injury following a fall from the roof of a sports club whilst working out.
HSE v B – Instructed in this prosecution under Health & Safety at work etc. Act 1974. Fatality of student diver. The defendant was a diving instructor who was tutoring the deceased and others on an open water diving course off the south coast. The case involved complex matters of fact specific to scuba diving.

Murder & Manslaughter

Michael has successfully represented many Murder & Manslaughter cases.

Featured cases

R v R – Perverting the course of justice case. Instructed to represent the sister of a man charged with the murder of their father after she had allegedly provided a false account to police.
R v V – The defendant was prosecuted for manslaughter following a single punch in street brawl.
R v P – The defendant and three others were charged with murder on North London housing estate.
R v D – Murder of the defendant’s ex-wife following a child custody battle.
R v T – Conspiracy to murder a youth by others in a gang related incident on South London housing estate.
R v B – Instructed to represent a youth as one of three defendants charged with the murder of a vagrant outside a public house.
R v B & Others – Contract killing after the victim had disrespected a fellow member of the Colombian community in South London.