“Gerard is a brilliant junior barrister and has an ease with clients that assures them while fighting their corner.” Crime – Chambers & Partners 2025

“Gerard Doran is a junior highly commended for his expertise in financial crime. He offers notable experience in cases concerning banking fraud, money laundering and fraudulent investment schemes.”  Tier 1 – Financial Crime – Chambers and Partners 2024

“His advocacy in court is excellent.”  Tier 1 – Financial Crime – Chambers and Partners 2024

Recommended in Legal 500, 2024 – Crime (General and Fraud)

“Gerard’s client care is excellent.” – Chambers & Partners, 2023

“Gerard is very approachable and friendly and clients quickly feel at ease with him and as a barrister who they quickly trust and rely upon. He has an eye for detail and will ensure that any defences are properly and thoroughly explored. Ged is always available to speak with whether that be for a quick call to check a legal point or for instructions or guidance.” – Legal 500, 2023

“A fantastic jury advocate.” – Chambers & Partners, 2022

“He is a very friendly advocate and clients love him. He is a very safe pair of hands.” “Very persuasive and well organised.” – Chambers & Partners, 2021

“He constantly impresses with his advocacy.” – Legal 500, 2020 and 2021

“An outstanding junior counsel for heavyweight matters” – Legal 500, 2019

“He is brilliant in court; clients warm to him.” –  Legal 500, 2018

Gerard is an extremely popular and sought after senior junior who specialises in criminal defence, regulatory and professional disciplinary work. As is suggested by his regular endorsements by leading legal directories, Gerard’s popularity and success in practice stems both from his reputation of being a superb jury advocate and his client care skills which many consider to be second to none. Gerard is a down to earth people person who is able to get the most from his clients. His enthusiasm for their case is evident from the first meeting and he is able to put the most anxious of clients at ease by his calm and unflustered, yet determined approach.

Following his call to the bar, in 1993, Gerard practiced at the London Bar before returning to the North West. During his years spent on the South Eastern Circuit, Gerard developed a strong practice often regarded to be “beyond his call”.
In 2005, with a healthy practice and requests to represent those involved in the most serious cases, across the United Kingdom, Gerard decided to return to the North West of the country. Since then, his practice has gone from strength-to-strength with a portfolio of high level work which is often nationally reported.

Gerard’s crime related work covers the full spectrum of criminal offences but he is particularly popular for the most serious criminal offences which frequently include terrorism, drug trafficking, firearms, fraud & money laundering, homicide & serious violence and sexual offences.

Although Gerard will act as junior counsel in appropriate cases, the vast majority of the work undertaken involves him taking the leading role whether that be as a leading junior or a junior alone.

Gerard is often instructed for the Appellant in the Court of Appeal.

Gerard’s caseload is mainly built of complex conspiracies with high page counts. Gerard is able to effectively manage high volumes of complex evidence and is extremely experienced in managing information in many different electronic forms.

In his professional disciplinary practice Gerard is a member of Lincoln House Chambers GMC team and regularly represents the GMC at IOT, Review & FTP hearings. Gerard also accepts instructions to defend medical practitioners before other regulators.

Terrorism

Gerard has developed his practice in terms of terrorism cases. He has been involved in two trials of Far Right Terrorist involving plots to kill a Serving MP and Police Officer.

R v Helm – Central Criminal Court – Defending in a prosecution of National Action, a proscribed Far Right Terror Group.

R v Renshaw – Central Criminal Court – Defending in National Action prosecution including plot to Murder a Member of Parliament and a serving Police Officer.

Drugs

Serious and complex drug importations and distribution have for a long time featured in Gerard’s practice. He has for many years been involved in cases involving large scale and sophisticated enterprises concerning the movement of drugs into and around the United Kingdom.

– Bolton Crown Court – Acquittal secured for defendant in complex conspiracy which spanned almost a decade. At the start of the conspiracy GH would have been just 8 years old.  Law in relation to conspiracy explored extensively in the case and legal arguments were conducted surrounding the extent to which it could be shown that the defendants were in fact party to the same agreement. GH was the only defendant to be acquitted (of 10) following 7 week trial.

R v Holland – Bolton Crown Court – Acquittal of a man accused of Drug Supply from his home when he had, in fact, been “cuckooed”.

R v Uljarevic – Kingston Crown Court – large scale supply of Class A Drugs including in excess of 100kg of Cocaine

R v Downs – Hull Crown Court – “County Lines” drug trafficking from Manchester to Hull. The case involved voluminous quantities of electronic evidence.

R v Hussain – Stafford Crown Court – Drugs Supply – Successful Telephone Attribution Argument R v Duffy – Liverpool Crown Court – Nationwide Drugs Supply. Defendants moving drugs from Merseyside to the North East of the country.

R v Khan – Manchester Crown Court – Drugs Supply – Manchester to Bradford – “County Lines “ case involving Class A drugs being moved from Manchester to Bradford.

R v Faulder – Carlisle Crown Court – The case involved the discovery of a large scale Cannabis Farm.

R v Ullah Khan – Bolton Crown Court – Drugs supply – “Crime Family” supply Class A Drug using the family business

R v Dolan – Birmingham Crown Court – Drugs supply between Liverpool and London

R v Page – Newcastle Crown Court – Drugs Supply – Trafficking between Liverpool and North East of UK

R v Bloch – Liverpool Crown Court – International Drugs and Firearms Importation. The case involved a network of Drugs Mules tasked with trafficking large amounts of Class A drugs and Firearms.

R v Thompson – Liverpool Crown Court – £166m Drugs Importation. The case involved the large scale importation of Cocaine from South America via Amsterdam.

Fraud & Money Laundering

Fraud and Money Laundering is an area of the law in which Gerard has always held a strong hand. He has been instructed both a Junior and Leading Counsel in VAT Carousel Fraud and computer based Banking Fraud as well as Frauds Against Copyright.
Gerard has recently completed a multi-handed, large scale multi million pound money laundering case. The case involved a money exchange and transfers business that provided the opportunity for organised criminal to transfer large quantities of cash from the UK.

R v Smith – Large scale theft and fraudulent sale of high-value Plant Machinery and Motor Vehicle

R v Choudhry – Manchester Crown Court – Multi Million Pound Money Laundering operation conducted from a Money Transfer/Exchange business.

R v Lagan “Operation Bayweek” – Large scale VAT diversion Fraud (Alcohol and Tobacco)

R v Virmani – Banking Fraud , Money Laundering, Businessman Defendant duped by fraudsters.

R v Parry – Money Laundering allegations. Involving arguments on admissibility of Mas Spec evidence.

R v Hibbert – Fraud committed against Astra Zenica

R v Bennetto – Internet based Fraud – Counterfeit Software was supplied on a huge scale using internet based sales agents. Volumes of electronic evidence relating to the purchase, marketing and sale of the software.

R v Eccles – Property Fraud – Advance Investment Fraud. Pensioners conned into investing assets into a fraudulent property investment scam

R v Wilson-Gill – Construction Industry Pay Roll Fraud. Complex payroll fraud involving multi-millions of pounds.

R v Cottam – Construction Industry Fraud and Money Laundering. Large scale fraud against Lancashire County Council.

R v MK – High Value Fraud case with a value of £1.1m involving defendants allegedly involved in ‘Ponzi-Scheme’.

R v GW & others – High Value Conspiracy to Import Drugs & Money Laundering case.

Dishonesty

R v Maughan – Planned Raids of Commercial Units R v Flint – Metal Cable Theft

R v Adams – Lorry Hijacking. Sophisticated and well organised

Sexual Offences

R v PS – Multiple allegations of sexual offences against step daughters. Extremely difficult circumstances and significant press attention requiring very careful case handling.

R v MS – Uber driver charged with rape of passenger he picked up in early hours of the morning. Complainant was 17 years at the time. Jury acquitted in under 1 hour.

R v M – Grooming, Rape and Sexual assault involving several children the youngest being 8 years old

Rochdale Sex Abuse Case – The first prosecution of Asian men charged with sexual offence committed against young teenage girls in Rochdale

R v Taheri – Grooming of Afghani refugee

R v Johns – Historic Sexual and Violence allegations

Professional Discipline

Gerard regularly deals with many cases appearing before the General Medical Council including many IOTs, reviews and high court applications
As well as the above areas of law, Gerard has extensive experience dealing with a wide range of cases such as violence, regulatory matters, and inquests.

Professional Client Testimonial

“I have represented client’s in a number of serious cases over the years in which Mr. Doran has represented co-defendants and have always observed from afar a barrister of tremendous skill, experience and judgment quietly go about his business. Finally, the opportunity arose to instruct Mr. Doran on a serious sexual case representing a family man of good character for whom the impact of conviction would have been life destroying. I was not disappointed. Mr. Doran’s approach was calming, effective and reassuring. His judgement and strategy was perfect. His authority in court was evident and perfectly underplayed. His client care skills excellent. The result was an acquittal in a case where the outcome was by no means certain.” Leading Criminal Defence Solicitor- 2022