A compendium of lawyers used so far by the McCanns - At least 16 so far...and how much have they cost?

By Tony Bennett: 15th November 2012

1. EDWARD SMETHURST (Freemason) from Rochdale (also holidays at Praia da Luz every year) -McCanns' co-ordinating lawyer AND Director of 'Find Madeleine Fund' -

Est. Value of services rendered so far at say £300 per hour, say 1,500 hours: £450,000

2. BATES, WELLS & BRAITHWAITE (do much work for Freemasons), lawyers for the Find Madeleine Fund -

See Find Madeleine Fund annual accounts, approx. £300,000 so far

3. & 4. ADAM TUDOR & ISOBEL MARTORELL from Carter-Ruck -

Several threats of libel actions, libel letters and libel claim

Estimated value of services rendered so far: £600,000

Costs recouped (from libel claim against media): £300,000

Damages gained: £550,000

PLUS: Over £200,000 for trying to send Tony Bennett to prison [added by Admin 2 Feb 2013]

5. ANGUS McBRIDE, solicitor from Kingsley Napley who took McCanns down to Kingsley Napley on 14.9.07 - advised on the McCanns' arguido status: criminal lawayer

Estimated value of services rendered so far at say £500 per hour: 200 hours =£100,000

6. MICHAEL CAPLAN Q.C., top extradition barrister -

Estimated value of services rendered so far at say £1,000 per hour: 60 hours = £60,000

7. ISOBEL DUARTE, acts for McCanns in Portugal against Dr Amaral -

Estimated fees so far, for running libel claim for 3.5 years against Dr Amaral and several hearings: say £300,000

PLUS Costs of paying Dr Amaral's costs at the McCanns' two unsuccessful appeals in Portuguese Appeal and Supreme Courts against the banning of Dr Amaral's book, 'The Truth about a Lie' say £50,000

8. CARLOS PINTO DE ABREU, Gerry's main Portuguese lawyer -

Estimated value of services rendered so far at say £300 per hour: 500 hours = £1,500,000

9. ROGERIO ALVES, Portuguese lawyer for Kate -

Estimated value of services rendered so far at say £300 per hour: 100 hours = £300,000

10. INTERNATIONAL FAMILY LAW GROUP - helped McCanns apply for Madeleine to be made a Ward of Court May 2007 -

Value of help rendered in applying for Madeleine McCann to be made Ward of Court and further applications in the High Court, say a minumum of £30,000

11. JACOB DEAN, McCanns' libel barrister -

Fees to date say £50,000

12. MARCOS ARAGAO CORREIA, strange Madeira lawyer who acted for McCanns in criminal proceedings brought by murderess-of-her-own-daughter Leonor Cipriano against Dr Amaral...

Paid via Metodo 3, estimate: £50,000 to £100,000

13. GEOFFREY ROBINSON QC, Human rights lawyer, made a declaration regarding the E.U. 'Child Rescue Alert'

Value not known, say £10,000

14. HOWES PERCIVAL, commercial law from from Milton Keynes with 6 offices, unclear precisely what work he did for the McCanns

Value not known, say £10,000

15. STEPHENSON HARWOOD, London EC4, an international firm, not clear what work they did for the McCanns

Value not known, say £10,000

16. TIMOTHY SCOTT QC, Family lawyer, London WC1, advised the McCanns in 2008...

Value not known, say £10,000

17. ADRIENNE PAGE Q.C., 5 RAYMOND BUILDINGS, top libel barrister sent in to help crush Tony Bennett at contempt of court trial (added by Admin, 2 Feb 2013)

Value: £32,000 for 2 days' work




TOTAL ESTIMATED COSTS TO DATE: £4,112,000

In the UK:

The International Family Law Group
May 9, 2007 -
London specialist lawyers in child abduction and international family law, hired to set up and maintain Madeleine's Fund, as well as receive non-Internet donations by mail on behalf of the McCanns. "We regularly act for the Central Authority of the UK government. We have a specialist contact with the Legal Services Commission."


This firm was responsible for the early press releases on the fund, including the all-important one announcing the formation of Madeleine's Fund at the football match in Leicester. Their lawyers include:

Ann Thomas
Ann Thomas, Managing Partner of The International Family Law Group, flew to Portugal in early May 2007 to meet with the McCanns and set up Madeleine's Fund. She is also a member of the lawyers network of Reunite, the leading UK charity specialising in international parental child abduction, which is partly funded by the Department for Constitutional Affairs, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and the Home Office.

Previously, Thomas had set up The International Family Law Practice Group, while at Ross & Craig, Solicitors, before starting her own firm. The aims of that group were:

ÔÇó To establish a network of law firms in Europe having a specialist family practice.
ÔÇó To be able to offer professional expertise to fellow members of LawNet (UK) and Eurojuris firms on a reciprocal basis.
ÔÇó To locate specialist mirror professionals in family law in other jurisdictions to act on an agency basis as and when required.
ÔÇó To be of assistance to fellow professionals with cross border issues in the field of family law.
ÔÇó To establish a Database of enquiry agents, notaries, process servers and Counsel.
ÔÇó To exchange information and advise fellow practitioners in respect of family law and enforcement in other jurisdictions.
ÔÇó To meet on at least two occasions each year (one being at the Eurojuris Congress).
ÔÇó To arrange specialist speakers to give seminars on topics relevant to family law practitioners.
ÔÇó To raise awareness of family law issues common to family practitioners within Europe.
ÔÇó To advise practitioners in other jurisdictions, as required, of the procedural requirements in respect family law cases.
ÔÇó To be of mutual benefit to family lawyers in our respective jurisdictions.


David Hodson
Consultant at The International Family Law Group and a family practitioner with a top-class reputation, who is also a deputy district judge at the Principal Registry. He was responsible for drafting the press releases on the founding of Madeleine's Fund.

Lubna Shah
Partner and specialist in abduction cases at The International Family Law Group.

In addition, The International Family Law Group was accompanied on the visit to Portugal by:

Michael Nicholls, QC
Early-May 2007
A Queen's Counsel and family lawyer in the Official Solicitor's Office with chambers at 1 Hare Court, Temple; Head of Lord Chancellor's Child Abduction Unit 1983-1998; Member of the Family Justice Council's International Family Law Committee; Consultant to the Council of Europe's Family Law Committee; Chairman of Appeals Panels of the Specialist Training Authority of the Medical Royal Colleges (1997-2001); legal adviser to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's advisory group leading to "Withholding or Withdrawing Life-Saving treatment in Children - A Framework for Practice" (September, 1997).


Bates Wells & Braithwaite
Early-May 2007
London law firm, who filed the original trademark application for Madeleine's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned with the UK's Intellectual Property Office for the McCanns in mid-May 2007. Later, along with Christopher McCall, QC, the firm advised the Board of Directors on whether the legal costs of the defence of Gerry and Kate McCann should come from the fund (see also Christopher McCall, QC, below).

Amongst its specialties is its Charity Department, which is recognised as one of the two leading charity law practices in the country. It acts for many household names and international charities. It has particular expertise in obtaining charitable status for innovative organisations and for initiatives within the charity sector. The team provides extensive training on a variety of topics and has been responsible through the years for many books, articles, and other publications. Particularly noted within the last year has been the department's leading edge advice on social enterprise; and its close liaison with the DTI, its creation of the idea behind community interest company and its leading role in helping community sports organisations become charities.

Another department used for the trademarking of Madeleine's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned would have been The IP/IT & Information Law Department, which has significant experience in advising clients on branding, domain name and internet issues, particularly in the context of electronic publishing and website services. The FindMadeleine website is now hosted by Fasthosts and no longer by Infohost.


Christopher McCall, QC
A Queen's Counsel in the Maitland Chambers in London and a former junior counsel to the Attorney-General on charity matters, who, along with Bates Wells & Braithwaite, was asked to advise the Board of Directors on Madeleine's Fund on whether it would be legally permissible to pay the costs of Gerry and Kate McCann's legal defence from the fund. They advised in the affirmative, but that these costs would be subject to conditions of repayment in the event of a guilty conviction. With that advice, the Board then decided against paying these costs.

Legal directories rate Christopher McCall in the front rank in the fields of private client work, traditional Chancery and charity. On charities, Chambers rates him as "one of the sharpest minds in the country"; "... engages his superior technical knowledge of the subject." (2008); "very much ahead of most at the charities Bar." "His "encyclopaedic knowledge of charity law", particularly in tax-related matters, complemented by his "elegant and learned style," earns him a reputation for being a true leader in this field."


Kingsley Napley
September 10, 2007 -
A prestigious London-based UK law firm, retained by the McCanns for their defence. Ranked in Tier 1 of the Crime section of Chambers Commentary. This is a team which is "approachable and confidence-inspiring," according to clients. Kingsley Napley enjoys a reputation as one of the top white-collar crime firms, defending mostly private individuals against a range of criminal allegations. "Professional, reassuring and expensive - good advice does not come cheap," was the conclusion of one client. "They keep you well informed about what's going on," said another. The firm's senior partner John Harding covers the gamut of criminal offences from general crime and police station advice to serious fraud and business crime, often defending individuals against allegations of wrongdoing by government bodies. Christopher Murray has the sort of pedigree that makes a Crufts champion seem a mongrel: the current chairman of the Criminal Law Committee, he has particular expertise in white-collar crime and matters with an international element, such as mutual assistance. Angus McBride has particular expertise in dealing with the media and reputation management for high-profile individuals.


Their lawyers include:

Michael Caplan, QC
Partner of Kingsley Napley; best known for defending Chile's ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet and avoiding his extradition to Spain. Caplan visited the McCanns at their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, unrecognized by the press shortly after their return from Portugal. He and partner Angus McBride flew to Northern Ireland in mid-September to meet with Kevin R. Winters, Solicitors, a Belfast-based firm, who successfully defended the Omagh bomber suspect Sean Hoey during his lengthy trial at the Old Bailey. The legal team from Kingsley Napley is anxious to gain that firm's expert knowledge of LCN DNA, obviously with the goal of having the DNA evidence found in the Renault Scenic and Apartment 5A also thrown out of court, should the McCann Case go to trial.

It will be interesting to see how Caplan and his colleagues will respond to the report of a recent UK government-commissioned study on LCN DNA, since they were planning on using the Omagh bombing case to dispute the PJ/FSS's LCN DNA evidence from Apartment 5A and the tailgate-well of the Renault Scenic in the McCann Case. Now Professor Brian and his team report that the techniques used in low-copy DNA analysis were "scientifically robust and appropriate for use in investigations." See the full article published on the BBC website on page 8 of this thread or click on the following link:


At the same time, the legal team contacted a US-based law firm, Hurley, Burish & Stanton, Attorneys at Law, of Madison, Wisconsin, over "sniffer dog" evidence in the Zapata murder case. Their defence team has already sent Kingsley Napley their files from that case.

Angus McBride
A partner at Kingsley Napley; a $1,200-an-hour lawyer, specialising in high-profile cases; represented the former Clash guitarist Mick Jones over allegations arising from the Kate Moss cocaine affair; was also involved in the John Terry and Chris Langham cases.

In mid-September 2007, as the Kingsley Napley media expert, McBride toured many national newspaper offices with Justine McGuinness, and, although he has not made any public statements, he is believed to have been behind the challenge to the sniffer dog 'evidence' and for having reports on DNA evidence suppressed in the media.

Christopher Murray
Current chairman of the Criminal Law Committee, he has particular expertise in white-collar crime and matters with an international element, such as mutual assistance. With his expertise in the latter area, was probably used by the McCanns to delay the submission of the PJ's rogatory letters to the Leicestershire Police.


Carter-Ruck
March 2008 -
London law firm specialising in defamation cases. Ranked in Band 1 of the Defamation/Reputation Management in Chambers Commentary. According to market commentators, "some of the toughest and brightest experts for defamation and libel are housed in this firm." Interviewees note that this "group of geniuses" provides "top-notch advice" on defamation, reputation management and privacy, predominantly acting for claimants. Interviewees also praise the team's "incredible panache" concerning work on behalf of regulatory bodies and governments. The firm has observed a steady increase in the volume of high-quality, fee paying and CFA defamation work....

The firm also advised former world heavyweight champion Frank Bruno and Yvonne Clydesdale in their successful libel complaint against the publishers of The People newspaper, and succeeded in obtaining a privacy injunction against The Sun; the firm continues to represent Bruno in further actions concerning privacy and libel. Additional clients include Kent Messenger; Penguin Books; Boris Berezovsky; Elton John; numerous solicitors and Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens).


Their lawyers include:

Adam Tudor
Partner at Carter-Ruck, specialising in defamation and media cases, as well as commercial litigation, representing both corporate and individual clients. He worked on the successful McCann settlement against Express Newspapers in March 2007.


Geoffrey Robertson, QC
Geoffrey Robertson is founder and head of Doughty Street Chambers, the UK's leading human rights practice, which comprises some 80 barristers and 30 staff. He is a Bencher of the Middle Temple; and a Recorder (part-time judge) in London; an executive Member of Justice, and a trustee of the Capital Cases Trust. He is visiting Professor in Human Rights at Queen Mary College, University of London.

A Queen's Counsel, he has been active in many landmark cases in constitutional, criminal and media law in the courts of Britain and the Commonwealth, and he makes frequent appearances in the Privy Council and the European Court of Human Rights. He helped the McCanns to draft their declaration, calling for an alert system which tells border authorities, customs, police and law enforcement agencies, as well as media outlets, when a child goes missing, for the European Commission. Included in the alert is the identity of the child, a photograph, information about potential abductors and a general telephone hotline for people to contact. It also calls for greater cooperation between countries and the creation of a central European body to provide assistance and training about missing children to the different member states.

Mr. Robertson was present with Gerry and Kate McCann, when they made their presentation at the European Parliament on April 15, 2008. The declaration has been backed by five MEPs - Edward McMillan-Scott MEP (England), Diana Wallis MEP (England), Roberta Angelilli MEP (Italy), Glenys Kinnock MEP (Wales) and Evelyne Gebhardt MEP (Germany). MEPs will be able to sign the declaration at the next plenary session in Strasbourg, where it will remain open for three months. A majority of 785 MEPs are needed for the document to be adopted by parliament.



In Portugal:

Rogerio Alves
September 11, 2007 -
President of the Portuguese Bar Association in Lisbon, when he took on the McCann case, Alves has worked on some of country's most high profile cases. He is now the Immediate Past-President of the Portuguese Bar Association.


Carlos Pinto de Abreu
August 2007 -
A Portuguese lawyer, involved in high-profile cases, including the defence of leaders of the UGT in a fraud case with Fundo Social Europeu; presides over the Human Rights Commission of the Lawyer's Order. He filed the first libel lawsuit on behalf of the McCanns against the now defunct Portuguese weekly Tal & Qual; said he would provide his legal services free-of-charge. He was present, when Kate McCann was interviewed for the second time by the PJ in Portimão in September 2007.

Pinto de Abreu conveniently is now based in London and, after a brilliant academic career, is one of Portugal's most celebrated legal men, with a direct line to the country's Attorney General by virtue of their work together on human rights issues. Mr De Abreu's services have been put at £200 an hour.


Coordinator for all of the above law services for the McCanns:

Edward Smethurst
September 10, 2007 -
A highly respected commercial lawyer, Smethurst works as the legal director for entrepreneur Brian Kennedy with his Latium Group. Kennedy is the main backer of Kate and Gerry McCann in the fight to find their daughter Madeleine. As the family's legal coordinator, Smethurst played a pivotal role in securing £550,000 in libel damages from Express Newspapers. Besides directing the legal teams in the UK and Portugal, he runs the Metodo3 team of private investigators, searching for Madeleine.

An entrepreneur as well as a lawyer, Smethurst has dabbled successfully in property development. Prior to working for the Latium Group, he worked for British Nuclear Fuels Ltd and the Clitheroe-based conservatory-maker, Ultraframe. When the latter firm was bought out by Kennedy in a £58m deal, he was the only one of 13 directors to be kept on by the glazing tycoon.

Smethurst was appointed to the Board of Madeleine's Fund in January 2008. In addition to being the legal coordinator for the McCanns, he currently serves as an Ambassador for Cancer Research in northwestern England and is also the UK representative for the European Company Lawyers Association.


Consultants in Northern Ireland:

Kevin R. Winters & Co, Solicitors
Mid-September 2007
A Belfast-based firm, Kevin R. Winters & Co., Solicitors, is in the Band 2 category of the Crime section of Chambers Commentaries. This firm remains one of the largest contenders in the Belfast marketplace. It is said to have the strength and depth to handle the most complex of criminal matters brought to its door, including heavyweight crime cases such as robbery, rape and murder. Kevin Winters retains his standing in the marketplace as a safe pair of hands.


This distinguished Belfast firm was consulted in Northern Ireland by the legal team from Kingsley Napley. The McCanns' team wanted to learn more about their expert knowledge of LCN DNA testing. This firm successfully defended Omagh bomb suspect Sean Hoey at the Old Bailey.


Consultants in the United States:

Hurley, Burish & Stanton, Attorneys at Law
Mid-September 2007
Law firm in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The UK lawyers of Gerry and Kate McCann consulted with the legal team for Eugene Zapata at Hurley, Burish & Stanton, Attorneys at Law, over "sniffer dog" evidence. Zapata is accused of murdering his estranged wife Jeanette in 1976. He was charged with murder in 2006 after dogs indicated that they sniffed human remains in the basement of the former family home in Madison, Wisconsin. But a judge ruled in August 2007 that the evidence was no more reliable than "the flip of a coin" and could not be put before a jury.

"The court papers, giving the legal submissions, are on their way to the McCann team for consideration," said the source close to the McCanns' solicitors. The McCanns are already preparing their defence in case they are charged with Madeleine's death.

The US attorneys, consulting with the UK legal team of the McCanns, were:

Stephen P. Hurley
With more than 35 years of practice provides clients with the background necessary to litigate complex cases, Hurley is highly regarded in Wisconsin for his expertise in criminal defense. His persuasive presentation in the courtroom and knowledge of the law make him an effective litigator for civil cases as well. He was nominated and elected by his peers to the American College of Trial lawyers.

Education:
University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, Illinois, J.D.
Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, B.A.

Bar Admissions:
Illinois
Wisconsin
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court

Dean Strang
Defending people accused of crimes in state and federal courts, Strang also has a broad appellate practice. Before joining the firm, he was the first Federal Defender in Wisconsin. He established and supervised offices in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Madison. Prior to that experience as a public defender in federal court, he practiced for 15 years in Milwaukee.

In addition, Strang has offered oral argument in more than 20 appeals, including in the United States Supreme Court, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and three other federal circuits. He has briefed many more cases on appeal in both state and federal courts. In his second appearance in the United States Supreme Court, he was co-counsel and co-author of the respondent's brief in United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005), the landmark decision that declared unconstitutional mandatory federal sentencing guidelines.

Strang is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Marquette University Law School. He has authored three law review articles and several shorter published articles. He was one of the founders of the Wisconsin Coalition Against the Death Penalty in 1994, and for well over a decade actively has opposed reinstatement of capital punishment in Wisconsin. In 2004, he was elected to the American Law Institute.

Education:
University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, Virginia, J.D.
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, A.B., cum laude

Bar Admissions:
Wisconsin
Minnesota (inactive non-resident)
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court Southern District of Iowa
U.S. District Court District of Arizona
U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court



PORTUGUESE LAWYERS/INSTRUCTION JUDGES FOR THE PROSECUTION


Luis Bilro Verão
Portugal's Public Prosecutor, who oversees the investigation of the Madeleine McCann Case along with Jose Cunha de Magalhaes e Meneses.

As lead prosecutor, he said back in September 2007 that the police had failed to produce new evidence against the couple during the 13 days since they were made official suspects in the death of their daughter. In his first official statement, he said that the McCanns remained arguidos, or official suspects, and that the investigation against them continued.

Since that time, there has been sufficient evidence to warrant the sending of the rogatory letters to the UK to request requestioning of the Tapas 9.


Jose Cunha de Magalhaes e Meneses
Meneses is the Public Prosecutor of the Portimão Court, who was assigned the unenviable task of reviewing the ten boxes of evidence (all 400,000 pages) in the Madeleine McCann Case.

Meneses will be reviewing the latest evidence with Paulo Rebelo on his return from this week's interrogations of the Tapas 7. The meeting is expected to be crucial in determining whether the McCanns remain official police suspects.


Pedro Daniel dos Anjos Frias
A criminal instruction judge (juiz de instrução criminal) in Portugal, Frias has been assigned to the Madeleine McCann Case.

It was he who was asked to approve the new interviews and searches requested by the PolÍcia Judiciária, when detectives wanted to re-interview Gerry and Kate McCann after they refused to answer 40 key questions. Although the rogatory letters eventually were approved in March, the PJ made a decision not to re-interview the McCanns during the week of April 6, 2008, when they would be interrogating the Tapas 7 friends along with their Leicestershire counterparts in Enderby. The PJ have since requested that the Gerry and Kate McCann return to Portugal for a reconstruction of the "abduction."

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If you know of any other law firms involved with the case, please let me know, and I will add them to the list. A Leicestershire law firm flew out to Portugal in the early days of the case, but the name of the firm is not known. There is also one other known lawyer working on the case, but he is using his own money and does not appear to be working for the McCanns. He is:

Marcos Teixeira Aragão Correia
1st Phase, from late-January to early-February 2008; 2nd Phase, March 10, 2008 -
A Madeira-based lawyer, who received a tip from the underworld that Madeleine's body had been thrown into the Barragem do Arade Reservoir. He funded the initial search of the reservoir and is now funding 50% of the current diving operation searching the Barragem do Arade Reservoir and Dam for Madeleine's body, along with SPEC, Lda of Portimão, who is funding the remaining 50%. At first, the McCanns were delighted with this news, but then later were said to be "furious" when they learned that divers were now requesting permission from the National Water Authority to search for "body parts" in channels near the dam.


Added In the UK and new sections: Consultants in Ireland for the firm of Kevin R. Winters, Solicitors; Consultants in the United States for the firm of Hurley, Burish & Stanton, Attorneys at Law, and their lawyers consulting with Kingsley Napley. Lawyers Marcos Teixeira Aragão Correia and Christopher Murray under Kingsley Napley, have been added to the list. Have corrected and added material under Angus McBride and have added additional material in the sections under In Portugal, Carlos Pinto de Abreu ; and under In the UK, Ann Thomas, Managing Partner of The International Family Law Group[/b]; Carter-Ruck; and Kingsley Napley. More updates to Michael Caplan and Angus McBride. Changed the title of the thread on 11/4/08, now that an entirely new section has been added to accommodate the Portuguese prosecutors

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