Leila is an international barrister practising in the United Kingdom and Canada, with expertise spanning public, regulatory, and international law. Recognized for her commanding court presence and depth of expertise in complex legal matters, she routinely acts in large‑scale, high‑profile cases of national significance, providing legal advice and representation at the highest levels.
She is consistently ranked by major legal directories as a leading barrister and has been appointed to the UK Attorney General’s Civil Panel of Counsel, the Attorney General’s Panel of Specialist Regulatory Advocates, the Attorney General’s Public International Law Panel, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel of Counsel.
Leila has an outstanding reputation in public inquiries and inquests. She is currently Counsel to the UK Government’s Cabinet Office and No. 10 Downing Street in the UK Covid‑19 Inquiry and recently acted as Counsel to Canada’s Foreign Interference Inquiry. Previous appointments include the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive Inquiry, the Gosport Independent Panel Inquiry, and the Hillsborough Inquests.
She has a significant public law and regulatory practice. With two decades of experience, Leila routinely acts for government departments, corporate entities, individuals and a variety of public and private organisations before courts, tribunals, and constitutional panels in complex public law cases. She also regularly acts in complex investigations and prosecutions involving enforcement and administrative regulatory proceedings. Her experience includes the UK’s largest trading standards prosecution against a group of energy companies and directors.
Leila’s international practice includes European law, public international law, and international human rights. Her work has concerned proceedings before the International Court of Justice, universal jurisdiction matters, and atrocity crimes. She has served as Senior Legal Advisor to an international NGO and undertook an externship at UN Women New York, working on peace and security issues before the Security Council.
- International arbitration
- Government and regulatory
- White collar crime
- Public law
- Public inquiries and inquests
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Government and public policy
- Ontario, 2020
- England & Wales, 2010