There’s an old joke that the best criminal defence lawyer is the one who can make you feel good about a terrible situation. Gary Bloxsome has an actual nickname for doing exactly that: “Good News Gary.”
Right now, he could probably use some of that optimism himself.
Bloxsome, a partner at Blackfords near the Old Bailey, is now leading the defence of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor alongside colleague Jennifer Richardson and Clare Montgomery KC (pictured) of Matrix Chambers, a barrister LawFuel has previously identified as one of the top criminal barristers (and earners) in Britain.
Described as “absolutely brilliant” and “sharp as a blade,” Bloxsome has been a partner at Blackfords for more than 40 years.
It’s the kind of instruction that makes your peers both envious and relieved it isn’t them.
From Epstein to Arrest: The Longest Running Legal Drama on British Soil
Bloxsome didn’t just show up when the police did. He’s been advising Mountbatten-Windsor since 2020, when U.S. authorities were trying to get the former royal to cooperate with the Epstein investigation.
The cooperation never materialised. Bloxsome spent that period writing letters to the U.S. Justice Department asking them to stop publicly contradicting his client. There are easier jobs, no question.
Then the Epstein files dropped. Emails emerged suggesting Mountbatten-Windsor had forwarded confidential trade mission briefings to Epstein, including material flagged as a “confidential brief.” And suddenly, a criminal arrest became very much on the table.
All happening on his 66th birthday. Of all days.
The Charge That’s Older Than the Firm on the Brief
Misconduct in public office is one of those charges that sounds like it came from a dusty statute book — because it basically did. The offence is one of English law’s oldest charges. It is also one of its least defined. The charge is currently under parliamentary review, and if convicted, Mountbatten-Windsor faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
It’s a common law offence with roots going back centuries. It’s also so broad that it’s currently under parliamentary review, and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Think of it as the legal equivalent of “we know something went wrong, we’re just working out exactly how to frame it.” That vagueness cuts both ways in court and creates a somewhat nebulous charge that Bloxsome will negotiate with typical strategic skill.
The Team You Want When Things Get Serious
Bloxsome has been at Blackfords for more than 40 years. He’s defended British troops against war crime allegations and handled major fraud and money laundering cases. Montgomery KC previously represented Bernie Ecclestone in his tax fraud trial. This is not a team assembled in a hurry.
The Palace has confirmed the taxpayer won’t be footing the bill. Now To Love Given the likely hourly rates involved, that’s probably cold comfort for whoever is.
The Bigger Picture
This case sits at the crossroads of legal professional privilege, international cooperation, and a charge so vague that even the Law Commission thinks it needs a rewrite. For anyone in criminal defence or public law, it’s a masterclass in watching high-stakes strategy play out in real time.
Bloxsome has delivered good news before. Whether he can manage it again — against this backdrop, with these files, and with the whole country watching — is, to put it mildly, a harder brief than most.
Still, if anyone’s going to find the upside, it’s “Good News Gary.”
