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Crime

Cartwright King ‘stands out’ for its ‘broad team of very experienced specialists’, and for the size of its dedicated crime team. It is a leading practice for SFO, HMRC, OFT and NHS fraud cases and cases involving crimes such as child internet pornography. Lynn Bleakley is recognised for her ‘technical expertise and deep credibility’, and Mark Wilson for his ‘lateral thinking, commerciality and sound common sense on top of excellent technical knowledge and practical know-how’; both are fraud specialists.

Richard Nelson LLP provides national coverage in relation to HMRC, BIS and trading standards investigations, and professional disciplinary and money laundering matters. Richard Nelson and Marie Dancer have seen considerable success defending high-value cases.

Smith Partnership has three partners acting for clients ranging from a major UK food manufacturer to healthcare practitioners in relation to HMRC, BIS and environment agency investigations, and also has six partners active on criminal instructions. Kevin McGrath is noted for his recent successes defending local authority prosecutions. Stephen Chittenden defended a multinational food processing company in 2010.

The Johnson Partnership has 30 lawyers covering business defence (professional misconduct; SFO; FSA; OFT; H&S; trading standards; and revenue and customs prosecutions) and criminal defence (ranging from motoring offences to murder).

Wilkin Chapman has a long track record in criminal defence work, from public inquiries – the team was instructed by an individual in the Baha Mousa inquiry – to regulatory prosecutions, major crimes, and military courts martial. Nigel Burn has been accredited as a fraud supervisor, and the firm is now accredited to act on VHCCs.

Licensing

Poppleston Allen is ‘head and shoulders above other firms for licensing work’. Clients include Mitchells & Butler, Pizza Express, and industry associations such as the British Beer & Pub Association, which the firm advises on licence applications, transfers and judicial reviews. Graham Cushion is ‘an expert in his field’ of prosecutions and regulatory crime; ‘excellent’ managing partner Jonathan Smith has ‘enormous expertise in handling licensing and hearings’; and Lisa Sharkey and James Anderson are noted for licensing and gaming. Nick Arron is ‘always helpful and proactive on gaming matters’. Jeremy Allen sadly passed away in 2011.

Fraser Brown’s team, headed by the ‘very successful and influential’ David Lucas, is instructed on applications and defence matters, by clients including Greene King and Admiral Taverns. The group also acts for local authorities. In 2010, Lucas toured with the Home Office as part of a review of the implications of the Licensing Act.

Regular instructions from the Security Industry Authority keep Fiona Carter at Browne Jacobson LLP active in tribunal and appeal work. Assistant Nina Best focuses on regulatory and licensing training, and matters for clients in the food and drink, entertainment and retail sectors, providing standalone and transactional advice.

Andrew Cochrane’s team at Flint Bishop LLP is ‘very proactive’ on behalf of clients such as Marston’s, Heineken and the YHA, and expanded its hotel portfolio with the addition of Macdonald Hotels in 2010, achieving success in various appeals. The firm handles volume applications for new licences, transfers and variations.

Freeth Cartwright LLP assists national and local retailers and restaurant chains in premises licence applications, and with investigations and enforcement actions. Malcolm Radcliffe and the team also provide BIIAB training.

Harvey Ingram LLP handles all types of applications before council committees and Magistrates Courts for clients in the food and drink, retail, and restaurant trades, among them Everards Brewery and Midlands Co-op.

Shoosmiths assists major national retail and food and drink clients with applications for new and renewed premises licences and on appeals. Solicitor Caroline Steel is ‘knowledgeable, helpful and prompt to respond’.

Tony Wilkinson and Roger Calvert at Young & Pearce have a national practice assisting leisure industry clients.

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