The Legal 500

United Kingdom > West Midlands > Crime, fraud and licensing

Editorial sections

Other

All countries

Crime

The West Midlands offices of the following firms are on the Very High Cost Case panel: Challinors Solicitors; Glaisyers; Jonas Roy Bloom; Dass Solicitors; Frisby & Co Solicitors; and Lanyon Bowdler. The following firms are also on the panel: Cartwright King; DLA Piper UK LLP; Russell Jones & Walker; David Phillips & Partners; and Tuckers Solicitors.

The ‘first-rate criminal practice’ at Challinors Solicitors is noted for its specialisation in serious fraud and complex crime. Ghulam Sohail leads a ‘professional, well-trained and highly skilled group’, and is singled out as a ‘demonstrable leader in his field’ that provides ‘realistic advice to clients’. The team recently acted for a client in a tax evasion and money laundering case worth approximately £10m.

Glaisyers is widely recognised as a strong criminal practice. The firm represents clients prosecuted for serious crimes and white-collar offences, and is noted in particular for fraud work. Neil Ross heads the business crime department.

David Roy left Jonas Roy Bloom to join Cartwright King, but the firm can still call on heavy hitters such as Nicholas Roy and Steven Jonas. John Smitheman is recommended for road traffic offences, while Ben Henry is regularly noted as a leading expert for fraud work.

Cartwright King added significant strength with the hire of David Roy, Jenny Collins and barrister Arif Iqbal from Jonas Roy Bloom and Fiona Warman, former head of crime at Williamson & Soden. The team is outstanding, ‘particularly in white-collar fraud and regulatory discipline’.

DLA Piper UK LLP’s practice largely focuses on acting for corporations, directors and officers, and has notable expertise in health and safety prosecutions through Roy Tozer. Charles Arrand is a key contact.

Eversheds LLP’s David Young and Katherine Vickery are ‘standout criminal practitioners’. The team regularly acts in HSE and police investigations, and is noted for handling criminal cases for corporate clients.

Higgs & Sons’ Catherine Junor has ‘an excellent eye for detail and very deep knowledge’, and ‘never lets her clients down’. The team focuses on private criminal law and motoring offences, and is noted by clients as delivering value for money.

Russell Jones & Walker has particular expertise in handling police misconduct cases, acting for clients such as the Police Federation and its members. Tim Coolican is ‘bright, affable and cool under pressure’, and exercises ‘terrific judgement’.

Alsters Kelley LLP ‘responds swiftly and provides great strength in depth’. Stefan Hunka is an ‘assured performer who inspires confidence in clients’, and associate Jas Thiara is ‘extremely efficient and practically minded’.

Mark Jones of Dass Solicitors is noted for ‘client care that is second to none, tenacity, sound communication skills, and integrity’. Founding partner Alias Dass leads the firm, which ‘punches well about its weight’.

David Phillips & Partners covers all manner of white-collar and business fraud. Shahid Miah leads the practice, and recently acted in a £250m fraud case.

FBC Manby Bowdler LLP has experience in fraud cases, HSE proceedings, and cases involving breaches of environmental regulations. Associate David Campbell recently represented a client facing allegations of deliberately undervaluing gold.

Frisby & Co Solicitors is running some 30 very-high-cost cases, and is acting in R v White and another. Mark Davies heads the team.

Gateley’s Ruth Armstrong regularly represents clients facing criminal investigations for fraud and breaches of environmental law, and following serious accidents.

David Walton’s team at Keoghs LLP largely derives its instructions from major insurers and adjusters. The team covers all manner of regulatory work and motor crime.

Adrian Roberts and Stephen Scully at Lanyon Bowdler represent numerous prisoners in parole and adjudication hearings. The group sits on the NFU legal panel, and covers motoring offences.

Tuckers Solicitors’ James Turner is representing several defendants charged with conspiracy to murder, and is also acting on a high-value estate fraud case and handling a conspiracy to evade duty case.

Licensing

Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP has a ‘very good’ practice led by senior associate Heath Thomas, who is currently representing a late-night entertainment venue in proceedings brought by the West Midlands Police for closure of the premises following a serious crime and disorder. Clients include Aston Villa FC and The Restaurant Group.

Squire Sanders Hammonds’ ‘overall level of service is excellent’. The group recently gained new clients such as Walmley Cricket Club and Drayton Manor Park, which it advised on a new premises license. Stephanie Perraton does ‘the best possible job for the client at an appropriate price, and has unparalleled knowledge’.

Martineau is currently acting for a new golf club on its licensing, and continues to advise Staffordshire University on various licensing issues, including on the reorganisation and development of its hospitality services. Senior associate Andrew Holden leads the team, which is particularly well known for its work in the education and leisure sectors.

Ron Reid’s team at Shoosmiths continues to advise McDonald’s on its portfolio of over 700 licensed premises, including acting for a number of the restaurants on applications for variations that have prompted reviews of existing premises licences by other interested parties. Other clients include Wine Cellar.

Wright Hassall LLP’s Andrew Potts advised on a new licence for Coventry Rugby Club, while Ian Besant successfully represented clients in defending review applications brought by the police and the public. Other clients include Jimmy Spices, the restaurant chain, and hospitality barge The Bosworth Lady.

Search News and Articles

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW

  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW

  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW

  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW

  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW

  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW

  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

Press Releases in the UK

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to
© 2012 www.legal500.com