Alex Stein
- Recorder 2023 (SSO ticket)
- Deputy District Judge (Magistrates’ Court) 2021
- List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates in Health and Safety and Environmental Law (List A)
- CPS Grade 4 (RASSO)
- Criminal Bar Association
- Fraud Lawyers Association
- Health & Safety Lawyers Association (Management Committee Member)
- Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
- “Alex is an authoritative advocate who immediately commands respect so people listen to him. He gets to grips extremely quickly with the facts and demonstrates great judgement as well as an ability to work efficiently.” Legal 500 2025 (Crime)
- “Alex is an impressive advocate, who clearly knows his tribunal well and is measured yet determined in his submissions.” Legal 500 2025 (Health and Safety)
- “Alexander is a very safe pair of hands.” Chambers and Partners 2025 (Health and Safety)
- “He is so down to earth, very good at recognising the stresses and strains of a matter, and is very collaborative in his working style.” Chambers & Partners 2024 (Health & Safety)
- “Alex is excellent, providing thorough and extremely helpful advice not only in a calm and measured way but also in terms readily understandable by the client.” Legal 500 2024
- “Alex is one of the leading juniors in the field. He is known for his eye for detail and his ability to consider the long-term strategy of any case.” Legal 500 2023 (Health and Safety)
- “He is always responsive and approachable.” “A real details man and an effective cross-examiner.” “He has real gravitas in court and has a thorough command of his cases.” Chambers & Partners 2022
- “Alex is a fantastic health and safety lawyer. He is able to discuss at length the intricacies of any case based on his knowledge of the relevant legislation and case law” Legal 500 2022
- “A very bright and a great regulatory crime lawyer.” Legal 500 2021
- “A force to be reckoned with who displays excellent attention to detail.” Legal 500 2017 (Regulatory Law)
- “Specialist in Criminal Fraud and Financial Cases.” Legal 500 2017 (Crime)
- “Recommended for inquest and regulatory work.” Legal 500 2016
- “He is quite simply a wonder to behold, with a fantastic feel for contested litigation.” Legal 500 2015
Instructing Alex Stein
To instruct Alex or for any further information please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7440 8888 or clerks@2br.co.uk.
Alex Stein has a nationwide practice focused on regulatory law and is on the list of Specialist Regulatory Advocates in Health & Safety and Environmental Law [List A]. He is a CPS Grade 4 prosecutor and sits as a Deputy District Judge (Crime) and Recorder (Crime and Serious Sexual Offences).
He prosecutes work related deaths cases on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities, and linked manslaughter (Corporate and Gross Negligent Manslaughter) cases on behalf of the CPS. He has considerable experience in mechanical and transportation fatalities.
Alex also regularly prosecutes on behalf of the Environment Agency and the Pensions Regulator (including the well-publicised case arising out of the collapse of British Home Stores).
Alex defends health and safety, environmental and food safety cases on behalf of individuals and corporates with insurer funding and regularly defends drivers charged with fatal road traffic offences. He is on the approved panel for all the major insurers.
In R v Pace [2014] 1 Cr.App.R 34 he successfully represented the appellant in the landmark POCA ruling and he has substantial experience in all aspects of proceeds of crime.
Alex attends inquests on behalf of the HSE and corporates in work related deaths. Throughout 2014 and 2015 he was the sole advocate instructed on behalf of the Fire Service at the Hillsborough Inquests. From 2019 through to 2020 he represented a number of ex-paratroopers at the Ballymurphy Massacre Inquests in Belfast.
Practice Areas
Alex has a nationwide Health and Safety practice. He has been on the list of approved advocates to prosecute for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency since 2012 [List A 2019] and is listed in Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for Health and Safety.
He regularly prosecutes workplace death cases for both the HSE and for Local Authorities and defends such cases on behalf of individuals and corporates with insurer funding. He often provides pre-charge advice either before or after inquest and has recently been advising an American corporate in relation to a crane fatality in the UK and a director of a company linked to Grenfell tower.
Through his experience in road traffic prosecutions Alex has an excellent understanding of collision investigator expert evidence, driver perception and response and collision dynamics. He is often instructed in cases involving workplace vehicle collisions and vehicle/pedestrian segregation with regulatory rather than Police enforcement.
He lectures on Health and Safety Law, Environmental and Coronial Law and sits on the committee of the Health and Safety Lawyers Association. He chairs the 2BR Health and Safety Group.
Notable health & safety cases
HSE v E Ltd [2025]
Defending a subcontractor prosecuted following an electrocution on site. Prosecution offered no evidence following service of the defence statement.
HSE v B Ltd [2024]
Prosecution following a fatality during a lifting operation. £1.6m fine.
HSE v AHL [2024]
Prosecution of a building company following a fatal fall from height. Defendant pleaded guilty on day 3 of the trial.
HSE v DMG [2023]
Prosecution of company for failings in a design review and inspections for a fair ground ride following a serious injury to a passenger. Trial to be fixed.
HSE v CA Ltd [2023]
Defending corporate charged with guarding failings at a facility in South Wales. Trial September 2023.
HSE V M & Z [2023]
Prosecution of F1 team and insurer inspection company following fatal fall from height. Leading Chris Saad.
HSE v FF9 Ltd [2023]
Prosecution of the production company for the film Fast and Furious 9 following a serious brain injury accident to a stunt actor during production. Sentence November 2023.
R v Alutrade Ltd [2022]
Prosecution of a waste processing company for corporate manslaughter. Company and directors convicted and HCJ accepted prosecution submissions of level A culpability for CM. (Led by Christine Agnew QC).
HSE v PGMS, EES and LS [2021]
Prosecution of 3 corporates following a life changing brain injury at a building site. Successful application to exclude a defence expert as inadmissible at trial. All 3 defendants convicted.
WBC v FRC [2021]
Leading Junior in defence of corporate charged with HSWA offences involving a workplace death after the DP chased after a runaway RCV. Successful legal argument on the jurisdictional limit of local authority enforcement.
Alex prosecutes and defends heavy fraud, money laundering, proceeds of crime and corruption cases as both junior and leading junior counsel. He prosecutes on behalf of the Pensions Regulator (TPR) and has an excellent understanding of pensions law. He has also been instructed to defend in several Serious Fraud Office prosecutions. He is often instructed pre-charge to advise in relation to liability under regulatory law.
Alex has been instructed in a number of cases involving internet fraud, hacking, copyright and illegal file sharing. He represented the owner and operator of the oink.cd website in the first criminal trial emanating from a bittorrent website in the UK. The case at Teesside Crown Court attracted considerable press attention when the defendant was unanimously acquitted.
Alex has an excellent understanding of the Proceeds of Crime Act and related forfeiture proceedings
Notable fraud cases
Operation Cardinal [2022]
Leading Junior in TPR prosecution of a £13.7m pensions liberation fraud. Both defendants extradited from Spain under European Arrest Warrants and sentenced to substantial prison terms in April 22. Ongoing POCA.
R v MH (2021)
Prosecution of RBS employee charged with theft of £790,000 in cash by manipulating the internal bank computer systems. 5 year prison sentence and ongoing POCA.
Operation Avocet [2019]
Successful TPR fraud prosecution against the Trustees of a scheme where funds were liberated and used for personal gain. 5 year prison sentence and successful POCA application.
TPR v DC [2018]
Well publicized TPR prosecution of the British Homes Stores owner arising from events following the collapse into administration.
Operation Angle [2017]
5 month education fraud trial prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office with over 250,000 pages of used evidence.
TPR v Ashley Wilson LLP [2016-2017]
First prosecution brought by the Pensions Regulator in relation to a failure to respond to section 72 Pensions Act 2004 notices.
R v Pace [2014] 1 Cr.App.R 34
The leading case in relation to the required mens rea in criminal attempts. Alex successfully appealed a conviction for an attempted offence under section 327 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Alex undertakes a wide range of Regulatory Work. He is often instructed in Fire Safety, Food Safety, Environment Agency [List A] and Care Quality Commission (CQC) cases.
He sits as a legal advisor on disciplinary tribunals and represents professionals at medical and financial tribunals. He is regularly instructed by the Police Federation in Police disciplinary proceedings.
He is instructed to appear at Public Inquiries before the Traffic Commissioner on behalf of Corporates, Operator Licence holders and Transport Managers and has provided training to VOSA prosecutors.
He is available for pre-charge advice and often accepts instructions on a direct basis for such work.
Notable regulatory cases
EA v M [2025]
Prosecution of 3 individuals for regulation 12 EPR 2016 breaches. Guilty pleas and ongoing proceeds of crime.
RE- PC KB [2025]
Police Disciplinary for Essex PC originally accused of rape and then sexual gross misconduct. Finding of misconduct only.
RE- PC B [2024]
Police Disciplinary for Norfolk PC accused of sexual misconduct. Final written warning despite finding of gross misconduct.
RE- PC S [2023]
Police disciplinary for Essex PC accused of gross misconduct following operational duty failings.
HMRC v PM Ltd (2022)
Advice and first tier representation in Border Force bullion seizure.
CPFSI v S Ltd [2021]
Successful appeal of an enforcement notice served by the Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate in relation to automatic fire detection in a privately run HM prison.
LBWF v Stonegate Group [2020]
Plea and mitigation on behalf of major pub chain following rodent infestation in Waltham Forest. Successfully limited the fine to a local failing on the basis of primary authority control.
VOSA v CT Ltd [2020]
Successful public inquiry where the TC allowed an operator to maintain their OL after numerous construction and use breaches.
LCC v Stonegate Group [2019]
Pub chain prosecuted following a rodent infestation at the Liverpool branch. The sentencing court accepted that the breaches were limited and that the Company had responded in a responsible fashion. Limited fine imposed.
EA v BKP Waste & Recycling Limited [2018]
Company prosecuted by the Environment Agency following a large oil spill in Christchurch. BKP were prosecuted for a breach of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. Limited fine of £10,200.
Alex has extensive experience in death by driving cases having been instructed by insurers in over 100 cases during his career so far. He is also regularly instructed in driving cases involving serious injury with underlying civil litigation. He is on the approved panel for all the major insurers and is known personally to most of the collision investigator experts in this field.
He also accepts private instructions in all forms of motoring offences either directly or by referral.
Alex is a grade 4 CPS prosecutor and is on on the CPS’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) list). He prosecutes and defends in heavy criminal cases including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and drugs. He is regularly instructed on a private basis in cases involving sexual or violence offences.
He has undertaken a number of cases involving defendants with mental health difficulties including diseases such as dementia as well as schizophrenia and psychosis. He is fully conversant with fitness to plead, intermediary and insanity defence issues. He also represents youth defendants.
Notable crime cases
R v JM [2025]
Representing a Police Constable charged with sexual assault in a nightclub. Trial 2025.
R v K [2025]
Prosecution of a young mother for gross negligence manslaughter following the death of an infant in a road traffic collision when the baby seat had not been properly secured. Trial 2025.
R v AK [2024]
Representing a farmer charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving when his load of bails fell during transportation. The case involved expert HSE and collision investigation evidence. Following a hung jury the prosecution accepted a plea to the alternative causing serious injury by careless driving.
R v CM [2024]
Defending a bus driver charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Successfully dismissed the charge following cross examination of the prosecution expert at a dismissal hearing. HHJ found the prosecution expert unreliable.
R v CN [2024]
Prosecution for s18 OAPA where victim left in a coma. Circumstantial case. Since the defendant’s conviction the victim has died. Ongoing murder prosecution.
R v D’Wit [2024]
Prosecution of the double murderer. LDW stood trial for poisoning a married couple with fentanyl. The case involved complex analysis of numerous electronic devices and complex toxicology evidence. Led by Tracy Ayling KC.
R v EB [2024]
Defending an HGV driver charged with 4 death by dangerous and 4 serious injury by dangerous charges following a collision on the M25. Following a review of the CCTV the prosecution expert changed opinion on day 2 of the trial. Prosecution accepted pleas to lesser offences.
R v SS [2023]
Causing death by careless driving. Uber driver charged after being t-boned by a speeding driver in Fulham causing a death and a serious injury. Prosecution offered no evidence after a joint conference with the prosecution expert collision investigator.
R v VB [2023]
Prosecution of defendant with severe psychosis for attempted murder of Police Officer. Insanity defence rejected.
R v JW [2023]
Causing death by careless driving- Defendant, 17yo, driving too fast for conditions rolled and killed a passenger 1 month after passing his test. Community order.
R v GB [2023]
Defending in high profile murder trial. Defendant hid body of deceased in Wat Tyler park Basildon. Led by Christine Agnew KC.
R v SW [2023]
Appeal following conviction with different representation in relation to offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. CAO accepted the crown court direction was wrong in law. Leading Rhys Rosser. Judgment- [2023] 3 WLUK 516
R v CP [2022]
Prosecution of 15 year old defendant for attempted murder. Self-defence rejected.
Alex is regularly instructed from an early pre-inquest and inquest stage on behalf of insurers in motoring cases and both individuals and employers in workplace death inquests.
He is also instructed on behalf of medical professionals.
He is fully familiar with the Coroner reforms and the 2013 rules. He regularly lectures on Coronial and Health and Safety Law.
Notable coroner's inquests cases
Re WF [2023]
Instructed on behalf of a locum doctor following a mesothelioma death.
Re JB [2022]
Instructed on behalf of a local authority and their employees after a cyclist was killed by a rubbish truck.
Re JLB (2022)
Instructed on behalf of a probation employee following a drugs death at a probation hostel immediately following licence release from prison.
Re JL [2022]
Instructed on behalf of a security company following the restraint of an individual suffering an episode at the Excel Centre.
Re SA [2021]
Representing a fight promoter following fatal injuries to a fighter at a kick boxing event.
Re MTS [2020]
Instructed by an American corporate in relation to a workplace fatality in Birmingham.
Re KF [2020]
Instructed in behalf of a driver previously acquitted of causing death by careless driving.
Ballymurphy [2019-2021]
Representation on behalf of a number of ex-military witnesses at the Ballymurphy Massacre Inquests in Belfast.
Re ALJ [2018]
Instructed on behalf of the HSE following an explosion at a titanium processing plant. The case involved complex expert evidence in relation to the mechanics of the failure.
Hillsborough Inquests
Alex was the sole advocate instructed on behalf of the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service throughout the 2014-2016 inquest. The FS required specific advice and representation in relation to the role of SYFRS in approving the stadium safety in the years preceding the disaster.
