Lawyer in the news

Who? Andrew Gregg, a litigator and 59-year-old senior partner of five-partner Bristol-based Gregg Latchams Quinn.

Why is he in the news? Acted for 72- year-old Derek Bond, the Englishman arrested by Durban police under an international arrest warrant during a cricket and wine-tasting tour of South Africa.

The FBI - which thought he was the man suspected of committing multi-billion dollar telecoms frauds, and who was on a most wanted list - issued the warrant.

He was released late last month after three weeks in jail, when the FBI admitted it had mistaken his identity.

Background: After attending the University of Aix-Marseille in France - where he read humanities - and despite wanting to become a farmer, he was articled to Raper & Fovargue in Battle, Sussex, in 1965, and was admitted in 1970.

After spells at Herringtons in Hastings and Geoffrey Borg Wotton & Young in Ramsgate, he joined Osborne Clark in Bristol in 1974, becoming a partner the following year and later heading the personal injury team.

In 1992, he set up his own firm, Andrew Gregg & Co, before merging in 1998 to form Gregg Latchams Quinn.

Route to the case: 'I've known Derek for years, both through bits of work I've done with him and socially - I've been shooting with him.

I was pretty staggered to receive a phone call from his wife, Audrey, saying: "Derek has been arrested." I said: "I simply don't believe it."'

Thoughts on the case: 'The Foreign Office and the diplomatic corps were hopeless and didn't do anything.

They would not believe that that the FBI could make a mistake.

I can tell you that the FBI makes mistakes.

It made a big mistake.

US intelligence isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

You only have to see the photograph to realise that the Bristol 72-year-old was the wrong man.'

Dealing with the media: 'I used to be president of the Bristol Law Society [in 1998/99] and also press officer for it, which was a good training.

Were it not for the press, he would still be languishing in South Africa.

It was brilliantly reported by local BBC reporter Steve Brodie, whom I know.

Before long, Durban media surrounded the police station.

The media was absolutely vital in securing his release.'

Jeremy Fleming