In his profile on the website of 2HareCourt, the law firm with which he is currently practising, Laidlaw is described as “an exceptional silk who provides superlative client care and commands the authority of the court with his formidable advocacy”.
It also says Laidlaw, 62, was made Queen’s Counsel (QC) in 2008.
The senior lawyer recently represented former tennis player Boris Becker in the latter’s bankruptcy case. Becker was made bankrupt after failing to meet payments on a £3 million-plus loan on his Spanish estate. The former Wimbledon champion was sentenced in April to two-and-a-half years’ jail for hiding £2.5m worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.
Besides Becker, Laidlaw represented former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks in a 2014 phone hacking case. She was acquitted on charges of conspiring to hack phones, bribe officials and obstruct police.
Laidlaw also appeared for the English Football Association, or FA, in its inquiry into former footballer John Terry for allegedly making racist remarks. Terry was subsequently slapped with a four-match ban and a £220,000 (about RM1.2 million) fine.
Besides that, Laidlaw had appeared as a treasury counsel on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Services in serious crime cases.
The lawyer has filed a petition for ad hoc admission before the Kuala Lumpur High Court to get its permission to argue Najib’s SRC International case at the Federal Court.
In his petition, Laidlaw said SRC International involved “serious, complex, and novel issues related to several branches of criminal and civil laws. For the purpose of the appeal, the applicant (Laidlaw) possesses special qualifications, experience and expertise which is not available among the lawyers here”.
The Federal Court is scheduled to hear Najib’s appeal for 10 days from Aug 15 to 26.
The former prime minister was convicted on seven charges of power abuse, criminal breach of trust and money laundering over RM42 million belonging to SRC International that entered his bank accounts.
The court also sentenced Najib to a 12-year jail sentence and a RM210 million fine. He is out on bail pending his Federal Court hearing.