Described in Chambers and Partners as "exceptionally bright and extremely easy to work with", Alison has a wide ranging civil and criminal practice, in both domestic and international courts and tribunals. She has been named as one of the 'future stars of the Bar' by Times Online.
Alison is recommended in the leading directories in five areas (1) administrative and public law; (2) civil liberties; (3) public international law; (4) crime, and (5) police law (mainly claimant).
Public law and human rights
Alison has a broad public law and human rights practice. She has particular expertise in public law issues arising out of the criminal justice system, and cases with an international dimension. She acts for individuals, NGOs, commercial organisations and governments. Her clients include: MPs and other victims of phone hacking by the tabloid press; families of those who have died in controversial circumstances; journalists prevented from reporting at the G20 protests; anti-war protestors; disabled prisoners; and NGOs such as INQUEST, Liberty, JUSTICE, the Howard League for Penal Reform, Corner House Research, and Compassion in World Farming. As well as her judicial review work, Alison is regularly instructed in Strasbourg applications, damages claims against the police, prison service and other State agencies, and inquests into controversial deaths. She has extensive civil litigation experience, and is currently instructed in a number of complex damages claims on behalf of clients left severely injured after suicide attempts in detention. In the police law context, she has a particular interest in discrimination and data protection, as well as the established torts, and has acted in a number of cases involving police retention of personal information.
Crime
Alison’s domestic criminal practice ranges from terrorism to fraud to death row appeals. She has appeared in criminal cases at all levels, from the Crown Court to the House of Lords, Supreme Court, Privy Council and Strasbourg. She regularly appears in cases which combine public law and criminal aspects, including judicial reviews of decisions not to prosecute. Her international criminal work includes corruption, war crimes, aggression, and issues of state immunity. She is expert at electronic case management and the preparation of large and complex cases. Recent and ongoing criminal work includes: advising on international law and mutual assistance matters in a Jersey money-laundering case; advising a multinational company charged with corruption; advising the CPS on the duties owed to victims of crime; advising solicitors’ firms on the scope of legal professional privilege in the context of SFO investigations into their clients; and advising on the interaction between company directors’ fiduciary duties and the criminal law. In 2012, Alison was appointed to the CPS Advocate Panel at Level 3.
Other work
Alison has acted in a number of media and sports law-related matters, including: representing West Ham United in FA/FAPL arbitrations brought by Fulham FC and the players of Sheffield United arising out of the Carlos Tevez affair; advising the FA on a legal challenge to the BBC’s decision to broadcast a Panorama documentary criticising FIFA on the eve of FIFA’s decision on the England 2018 World Cup bid; representing Boy George in his judicial review challenge to the refusal of the Probation Service to allow him to appear on Celebrity Big Brother; and advising journalists on police conduct in public order situations, and on witness summonses and production orders.
Public international law and international arbitration
Alison has extensive international arbitration experience, including both advocacy and advisory work. She is instructed as counsel in a number of ongoing ICSID arbitrations and annulment proceedings, and has advised companies, individuals and governments on arbitration, environmental and trade law matters. She was author, with Rabinder Singh QC, of a published opinion on the legality of the use of force against Iraq, and remains involved with the legal issues arising out of the Iraq conflict. Recent advisory work includes advising a foreign State-owned corporation on whether an arbitral award against the State could be enforced against its assets in England, and advising on post-award remedies arising out of an ICSID arbitration. Current public international law work includes acting for Mauritius in an arbitration relating to the UK’s decision to establish a Marine Protected Area around the Chagos Islands.