A compendium of lawyers used so far by the McCanns

by **Tony Bennett** Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:18 pm

This list may not be complete:

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

...I feel sure I've missed at least one more out somewhere...

by **sharonl** Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:18 pm

Hundreds of thousands of pounds spent on lawyers, why?

Whether this has come from the find Madeleine Fund or not, what was the purpose of appointing these lawyers in the first place?

What exactly can a lawyer do to assist the search for a missing child?

Can the McCanns justify these costs?

The only one there who may be of any assistance would be Ed Smethurst, since he has taken long annual holidays in Praia Da Luz for 13 years before Madeleine disappeared and he obviously knows the area and some of the locals very well, even better if he was on his hols in April/May 2007 or on a golfing trip. We know that GMP were there a little earlier, Steve Heywood was up for a golfing award in the spring of 2007. What use the others would be, I dont know.

by aiyoyo Fri Nov 16, 2012 4:15 am

An impressive list for a pair who claimed they are innocent.
Some were hired literally from the outset, so they'd the financing planned out also from the word GO.
Strange way to demonstrate one's innocence!

by **tigger** Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:04 am

Kingsley Napley
EC1
Michael Caplan, Angus McBride
Criminal lawyers
Advice on arguido status

Geoffrey Robinson QC
London WC1
Human rights lawyer
Declaration re EU child rescue alert

Howes Percival
Milton Keynes
Unclear (as to work done and why)
Commercial law firm – 6 offices

Stephenson Harwood
London EC4
Unclear (as to work done and why)
International firm

Timothy Scott QC
London WC1
Family law
Advised McCanns in 2008

See also - right at the end of Ms.O'Dowd's report the list of lawyers and PR consultants. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The information on the expensive auditing firm is very interesting too, as is the fact that it wasn't mentioned in the book.

by Bob Southgate Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:54 am

Very interesting that the limited company Madelaines Fund was set up a mere 11 days after her disappearance. What's also interesting is the quote from the book by KM on page 296 where she states her initial thought was that Maddie had been taken by a paedophile and murdered. Haven't they been pushing the line that Maddie was abducted for the last few years? And why set up a fund to search for Maddie if it was KM's belief that she was dead?

The barrister who flew out and advised them that their parenting had not been unreasonable was not named. Given that uncle Tom Cobbley and all has been named elsewhere it seems an odd omission not to name the barrister who made such a statement.

by **tigger** Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:48 am

Bob Southgate wrote:Very interesting that the limited company Madelaines Fund was set up a mere 11 days after her disappearance. What's also interesting is the quote from the book by KM on page 296 where she states her initial thought was that Maddie had been taken by a paedophile and murdered. Haven't they been pushing the line that Maddie was abducted for the last few years? And why set up a fund to search for Maddie if it was KM's belief that she was dead?

The barrister who flew out and advised them that their parenting had not been unreasonable was not named. Given that uncle Tom Cobbley and all has been named elsewhere it seems an odd omission not to name the barrister who made such a statement.

You could have a look on the topic on IFLG and PACT. There was a Leicester-based lawyer Nick .... who was with the IFLG for only a matter of months, but I believe he was the one who flew out to PdL. IFLG was set up only weeks before 3/5 , end of March 07 I believe.

by Guest Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:58 am

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The topic mentioned above by Tigger.

I wonder if the family of any other missing person has ever felt it necessary to use the services of so many legal personnel.

by Bob Southgate Fri Nov 16, 2012 12:41 pm

The plot certainly did thicken very quickly!!

by **tigger** Fri Nov 16, 2012 2:08 pm

Bob Southgate wrote:The plot certainly did thicken very quickly!!

You might also look at the Swansea connections: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Full of uncanny coincidences, well they're psychics but the husband of one of them is a lawyer and they too, were on the spot very soon after 3/5.

by **tigger** Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:49 am

I'm adding the PR consultants - although I expect there are many more.
For one there is the PR connected to Freud who had something to do with Kate or Kate's book being nominated for a prize last year.

Here are the early ones:

Sheree Dodd
Foreign office arranged for this independent PR consultant to come in PDL on May 16, 2007

Justine McGuinness
From June 22 2007 to mid Sept 2007

Alex Woolfall - very early I believe, 4th/5th May 07.
Mark Warner Group (I believe he is from Bell Pottinger)

Hanover
Crisis Management Sept-Nov 2007
Per Daily Star 6/12/07 charged £30,000 for 2 months work, one third of normal fee

Clarence Mitchell ( although he was seconded to the FO very soon after 3/5 and I believe was already 'helping' at an earlier date).
Started May 23, 2007 for 3 weeks. Returned later and still spokesman
Apparently paid by Brian Kennedy