Top London barristers’ clerk caught on camera referring to lawyers as ‘poxy little firm up North’
Michael Cross stars in new BBC ‘Swim the Channel’ documentary

A top London barristers’ clerk has been caught on camera referring to what appears to be a group of unnamed lawyers as a “poxy little firm up North.”
Michael Cross — who stars in a new BBC documentary ‘Swim the Channel’ — made the cheeky comment while he was a clerk at London criminal set 4 Breams Buildings.
The footage (embedded below), which aired on the Beeb on Monday evening, shows Cross at work speaking to what appears to be a barrister on his office phone.
Unfazed by the TV crew filming his every move, Essex-born Cross — who moved to 9 Bedford Row chambers in October 2014 — can be heard saying:
It’s for a poxy little firm up North, that you’re never going to work for again. So don’t worry about it.
A keen swimmer, Cross was being filmed as he prepared to swim from England to France for a fifth time after a five year hiatus.
Cross declined to comment. 4 Breams Buildings did not respond to Legal Cheek’s request for comment.
87 Comments
Shirley
When you have aged debt consisting of unpaid Nicole & dime jobs, you can understand what the clerk is talking about
mdg
Nicole & Dime is actually the name of the poxy little firm up North.
Anonymous
Its *nickel and dime. American currency. Good to see that being outside London equates to not being able to pay debts, despite London firms often being the most over-leveraged.
Shirley
“Nickle”
Anonymous
This post has been removed because it breached Legal Cheek’s comments policy.
Anonymous
Shirley you’re not for real…….
Anonymous
“Nickel”
Top Commentator
Oh FFS – how is he a “top” clerk, exactly?
Anonymous
*Bite*
Ann
Please re read- it states ‘A top London barristers’ clerk ‘ NOT ‘A top clerk from A London barristers’.
boom
I can tell you he is……more than you will ever be.
Anonymous
Oh dear, Ann.
A N other B Clerk
Top London Barristers clerk? He is vanarama, johnstone paint trophy, vauxhall conference standard at best!
Anonymous
Looks more like Beazer Homes League, Zenith Data Systems Cup or Rumbelows Cup to me
Anonymous
Possibly even the much missed Blue Square North
Anonymous
To the average clerk, Colchester is “up North”.
Anonymouse
He doesn’t look like a keen swimmer.
Anonymous
He looks a bit like a fish.
ALawyer
I believe he also says hello darling when answering the phone KK any comment?
Anonymous
Is that a problem?
Anonymous
Hi Michael!
Mr Um Bongo
Splatterkake splatterkake beakers mon!
Anonymous
And your point is??
Mr Um Bongo
About six inches longer than yours, I recon!
Anonymous
The wonderful part is that this exemplifies the real attitude of southern clerks about northern firms, and why there is a proliferation of incipid touting from little southern ourfits, doubtless at the instigation of the likes of him.
Anonymous
Grow up,
Southern pox ridden firm back side
Seriously.. does he really swim, our partake in any exercise at all??? Apart from the modern triathlon (pie munching, fanta drinking, poundland shopping)…
Anonymous
You might want to watch the documentary. He’s one of the two swimmers who makes it across the Channel. And its the about the fifth time he’s done it.
Anonymous
This post has been removed because it breached Legal Cheek’s comments policy.
Anonymous
Hello Mike.
Anonymous
See that’s the problem with norther numpty law students they believe being malnourished makes then superior…
Anonymous
No.. not eating an excessive amount of pies makes one superior…. btw, did he have a pie and a snickers ice-cream halfway across???
Chas Chandler
Given the average junior criminal counsel up north has a diary that is at least twice as busy than those in London I’m happy to keep accepting work from those poxy northern firms thanks.
Northern Counsel who now does civil
Yes, twice as busy trundling around isolated Mags Courts in the middle of black puddin country doing work they’ll never get paid for…
Anonymous
Grow up and listen to what he actually said…..
Anonymous
” Top London Barristers Clerk” More like Top F**king moron!!
Anonymous
Keyboard warrior
Anonymous
Keyboard coward
Anonymous
Keyboard LEGEND
Anonymous
Keyboard CHARLATAN
Anonymous
Keyboard one-handed-typist!
Anonymous
Keyboard upholsterer
Anonymous
Keyboard ninja
Anonymous
Keyboard Hassassin
Anonymous
Keyboard commando
Anonymous
Keyboard skirmisher
Anonymous
Bunch of Keyboard warriors… I bet not 1 of you would say it to his face
Anonymous
I have done. He’s abject.
Anonymous
Doubt that
Anonymous
No you haven’t…. You tell lies!!!!
boom
The guy is powerful…..trust me
Anonymous
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
A sect of lizard like creatures run all of the world’s most powerful organisations also.
Got any other good ones?
Eunuch of Counsel
I did. He castrated me with a rusty bread knife for doing so.
Anonymous
He is I bet none of these losers who post would dare speak to him like they post in person…
Greggs
Good job he swims…. I made him go down near the fountain at Middle Temple
Anonymous
All barristers clerks are morons.
Anonymous
What a moronic tbing to say
Anonymous
Thing*
Anonymous
Cheers – that’s really nice of you
Anonymous
The pleasure is all mine.
Anonymous
You don’t get to call other people morons when you don’t know how to use an apostrophe.
Billy Lamb
A sweeping statement above I assume he/she is a barrister????
Lauren
Mike Cross is a fantastic clerk. Anyone that knows him will know that his comment is banter and it has been blown completely out of proportion. As a side note, I challenge you bullying keyboard warriors to swim the channel. I bet half of you couldn’t swim across a paddling pool.
boom
I have worked with him for over 10 years….this guy is amazing…the real deal.
you lot are all either jealous or stupid.
Richard Keys
That’s a legitimate defence. #jesuismichael
Anonymous
What about the other half?
Anonymous
“His comment is banter…”
Ah yes, our old friend banter. Weakest all-purpose excuse in the book.
Let’s face it, he said it. He may well have meant it. Only he knows if he was right or not!
Alan
I shall have my vengeance! Down with the LC running dogs!
Anonymous
Solid enough bantz.
Haters gonna hate, homie.
Sonic boom
Mike, you’re reading all of the comments and responding under different names.
What is key to understand is that he knew the cameras were rolling. His chambers, as a consequence of publication, get bad press and yet he/some moron suggests he is good at his job.
I’m still laughing at the stupidity and lack of professionalism.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer human.
Anonymous
Really – very naive..
Martin
Honestly, who cares? Clerks (and barristers) say much worse every day. If this was sexist/racist/disability based, it’d be different. But ‘clerk rude about solicitor’ is about as newsworthy as ‘solicitor fails to send proper brief, give client sensible advice, or pay in time’.
Anonymous
This post has been removed because it breached Legal Cheek’s comments policy.
Anonymous
This post has been removed because it breached Legal Cheek’s comments policy.
Mika Thom
Dance like no-one’s watching Mike: http://www.evadeaza.ro/video-blog/justsomemotion-parov-stelar-all-night
Anonymous
thats really really funny
Lord Harley
Take no notice Mike… Haters really will be haters… always a place up here for you at JAFLAS… xx ;-), xoxo
Gogglebox
Who’s the bald fella sniggering at the end of the video clip??? Isn’t he that ex used car salesman who now has a show about product liability and intellectual property issues?? (i.e. knocked of s**t that burns your house down when you’re not looking…)
Anonymous
Would you like to come and have a chat??
Anonymous
what do you want to chat about bignose!!!
Anonymous
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Chancerypupil
Since when is 4 Breams Buildings a top criminal set? They have to go out into chancery lane and high holborn with a giant net to round up new clients. Isnt this the sort of chambers where the pupils have to pay £60 a day to travel to Doncaster Mags for £20, with virtually no prospect of tenancy?
I dont think I would describe a set where the work distribution involves the senior clerk throwing a filthy meaty bone into the middle of a giant group of writhing and rabid junior tenants – with the lucky one who fights the others off and comes out with the bone in their mouth gets the £25 breif in Westminster Mags.
Anonymous
You didn’t finish your ponderous final sentence.
Aren’t you the Oxbridge boaster and Chancery smugface? Christ, they’ll let anyone in these days.
Chancery pupil
Didn’t go to oxbridge and dont even have a chancery pupillage I just do RTA’s for a firm in house in Lewisham:( this is my alter-ego which I use to live out my hopes and dreams. Damn it is hard for a Leeds Becket graduate to get pupillage these days :'(
Sanjay Roy (Master to you, Plebs)
At least you didn’t study at Bournemouth College of Law and Hairdressing.
Anonymous
this guy is a turd
Hahahaha oh god
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!!
Comments are closed.