Dave Fendem

Bare-knuckle barrister and author of the outrageous ‘Dirty Briefs’

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“From top to bottom – a shocking and hilarious journey through the legal profession unlike anything seen before. Straight from the bowels of back street police stations, locked psychiatric wards and the criminal courts, these are the brazen tales of a bare-knuckle barrister.”
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Mardle Books

Famed on the legal circuit for his ferocious ‘street fighter’ style legal battles and smooth talking, if Dave Fendem`s misspent youth left him with nothing else, it was an incredible nose for dodginess and mastery in the power of persuasion. With over two decades of practise in the field, he is the archetypal cage fighter of the courtroom, the asset stripper of the criminal case - pulling off results in highly publicised criminal cases and winning enemies as he goes.

The Author

  • The Sun

    A wonderfully entertaining and strangely poignant insight into what it is like having to deal with society’s criminal underbelly.

  • Waterstones

    This is a quick and easy read which features a cooks tour of the criminal justice system as experienced by an experienced and very irreverent barrister.

    This is no "Secret Barrister or indeed "Secret Magistrate" - which were serious, sharp yet amusing critiques of life in court, but instead it is a relentless series of stories of life at the sharp end in the crown and magistrates' court systems.

    Some are funny indeed and the author is sharp and perceptive in his memories.

  • The Bookseller

    "I sincerely hope I never need a good lawyer, but if I do I’m calling ’Dave’," said Sollis. "Even if I lose it will have been an event. His memoir is such an eye-opener into the real workings of the court system—both terrifying and hilarious.”

  • NetGalley

    I can’t recommend it highly enough! It’s hilarious and so interesting. I’ve learnt new things about how the criminal justice system worked that I never knew before, and I was laughing out loud at some of the cases he dealt with, and how he dealt with them, some of them beg belief. 10/10 would recommend to all.

  • Moosegog

    This book is absolutely hilarious. A particular part that jumps to mind is when Fendem learns that in Crown Court, if you aren’t dressed properly the judge will feign deafness. His internal monologue upon learning this – quite rightly – was wanting to say “Can you hear me now you miserable old ****?”. If you dislike swearing this probably isn’t one for you but if you want to see horse shit called horse shit then this is something you’d probably quite like.

    Fendem does not pull punches on the failings of the justice system, and does so in a way that’s accessible, informative, and still funny as hell.

  • Amazon

    Hilarious and eye-opening. I absolutely loved this book. It’s rude and incredibly funny. I can't believe the state that criminal barristers and other participants in the criminal justice system find themselves in, including defendants. This is beautifully written and a very easy read. It is refreshingly non-political and written in a far more relatable way than other books of its type. Not for the faint hearted or easily offended. I couldn't put it down. 10/10

  • Solicitors Journal

    Fendem’s honesty strikes a sharp blow, a raucous read that sails remarkably close to the wind.

    This is no ‘Secret Barrister’.

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