Red Lion Chambers has hired Harbour Litigation Funding’s former director of legal finance and sales Maurice MacSweeney in a new role as client and business development director.
MacSweeney spent more than five years at Harbour Litigation Funding, leaving in October 2024 to take a career break and pursue personal interests.
During his time at Harbour, it managed more than $1.5bn invested in commercial litigation, where he helped source investment opportunities and developed financing solutions for law firms.
He brings a specialist combination of legal, commercial and strategic experience to the role, having studied and practised law, spending four years at Bark & Co, a London solicitors’ firm which specialised in white‑collar crime.
He then moved into senior business development and strategy roles at 2 Hare Court, where the highly respected criminal silk Jonathan Laidlaw KC is head of chambers, spending five years there.
Following that he spent five years at Doughty Street Chambers, raising the set’s profile in key areas including public international law, human rights and criminal law. Both Sir Keir Starmer KC, the Prime Minister, and Lord Hermer KC, the current Attorney General, were once members at Doughty Street. Kirsty Brimelow KC, the current chair of the Bar, is also a tenant.
MacSweeney’s arrival at Red Lion Chambers brings a deep understanding of the pressures and opportunities facing clients across the criminal, regulatory and the commercial litigation landscape, including investigations.
He said: “I’m looking forward to meeting clients, understanding their priorities and learning how I can support both them and members of chambers as we navigate the opportunities and challenges of the market on both sides of the profession.”
MacSweeney joins at a time of continued growth for Red Lion Chambers, which has premises in London and Chelmsford, and is home to more than 100 barristers including 25 King’s Counsel and more than 19 Crown Court Recorders.
The set welcomed the appointment of two female barristers, Felicia Davy and Serena Gates, to silk in the 2025 round last week, while door tenant, professor Susan Edwards, was appointed as an honorary KC.
While historically recognised for excellence in general crime, the set has expanded into serious fraud, financial crime, corporate investigations, professional discipline, inquests and inquiries, and advisory work for corporates, regulators and government bodies, both expanding its public sector profile and widening its business crime ambit.
MacSweeney will work closely with practice director and senior clerk Mark Bennett and deputy practice director and lead regulatory clerk Nick Parkinson, as well as the set’s joint heads of chambers Gillian Jones KC and Tom Forster KC.
Jones and Forster said: “Maurice stood out in a highly competitive field, impressing us with his exceptional experience and leadership and we are delighted to give him a warm welcome to chambers.
“A key focus for him will be strengthening chambers’ client engagement strategy ensuring that RLC continues to listen closely to the needs of our clients raising the bar on service delivery across all practice areas.”
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