The Legal 500

Within Crime, Bindmans LLP is a first tier firm,

Bindmans LLP provides a ‘first-class’ service, and Neil O’May’s advice is ‘spot on’. It represented an academic who was prosecuted for drug offences after a 15-year-old school girl died having taken ecstasy at his house during an unsupervised house party. The team has also been acting for an alleged Polish gang member in relation to his extradition to Poland for murder and other offences. Kate Goold ‘works 24/7’. O’May is set to move to Norton Rose LLP, with Martin Rackstraw and Katie Wheatley to take over as joint heads of the criminal law team.

Within Fraud: white-collar crime, Bindmans LLP is a first tier firm,

Bindmans LLP provides a ‘first-class service’. Key individuals include ‘indefatigable’ associate Rhona Friedman; the ‘vastly experienced’ Neil O’May; and Martin Rackstraw, who ‘attends to every detail’. It acted in a major VAT fraud case, representing John MacFarnon, who eventually pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of fraudulent trading. O’May is set to move to Norton Rose LLP.

Within Defamation and privacy, tier 4

Bindmans LLP ‘has played an important role in the recent phone hacking litigation’, led by Tamsin Allen, who is a ‘very good lawyer with an excellent client manner’.

Within Professional discipline, tier 4

Bindmans LLP’s team is led by Stephen Grosz QC (Hon), and includes John Halford, who ‘bends over backwards to find time to talk through issues and determine strategies’. The firm regularly acts for the Law Society in regulatory matters involving legal aid solicitors.

Within Employment: employees/unions, Bindmans LLP is a second tier firm,

Shah Qureshi at Bindmans LLP ‘gets things done’ and enjoys a high profile. The firm acted for dancer Nadine Quashie in her unfair dismissal claim against Stringfellows in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. It recently established a professionals and executives unit, and achieved a £1.3m settlement on behalf of a senior employee suffering from Asperger syndrome against his former employer, a leading UK law firm.

Within Immigration, Bindmans LLP is a first tier firm,

Alison Stanley’s ‘clever’ team at Bindmans LLP handles private and legal aid work, on behalf of vulnerable individuals, charities and unions, including the NUJ. Areas of strength include asylum applications and appeals, and domestic violence cases. Solicitors Emma Cohen and Roberta Haslam advise on the Points Based System. Liz Barratt is another name to note.

Within Clinical negligence: claimant, Bindmans LLP is a second tier firm,

Bindmans LLP’s ‘small size is its strength, as the department works so well as a team’. With a team of tenacious practitioners who are not afraid to tackle difficult claims, the firm is often involved in cutting-edge work for vulnerable clients such as prisoners, detainees and the elderly. Siobhan Kelly attracts widespread praise; Jon Crocker is a ‘standout practitioner’; and associate Alla Murphy is ‘incredibly astute’.

Within Personal injury: claimant, Bindmans LLP is a third tier firm,

Bindmans LLP has an excellent reputation for quality; the service is ‘personal’, caseloads are kept low, and it is not afraid of taking on challenging cases. Head of department Jon Crocker has ‘an unerring sense of what will work and what will not’; and the ‘tenacious’ Siobhan Kelly and Lynn Knowles are also recommended.

Within Court of Protection, Bindmans LLP is a second tier firm,

Saimo Chahal heads a team at Bindmans LLP which is regularly instructed by the Official Solicitor in reported abduction cases, such as HM and MRM; Hague Convention applicability cases, such as NM; and deprivation of liberty cases, such as HJ. Other key individuals include Katherine Gieve and solicitor Charlotte Haworth Hird, and clinical negligence specialists Lynn Knowles and Jon Crocker are also recommended.

Within Family, tier 4

In addition to its reputation for private and public children matters, Bindmans LLP has a pedigree in complex financial matters, with Louise Coubrough and Melanie Hay the key contacts. Janet Broadley regularly takes cases to the Court of Appeal; examples include 2011’s Mercredi v Chaffe, a multi-jurisdictional application-for-contact case.

Within Administrative and public law, Bindmans LLP is a first tier firm,

Leading claimant firm Bindmans LLP is ‘in a class of its own for its size’, and has ‘a very good reputation’. The team has ‘particular experience of acting in cases with a political dimension, and for NGOs’, and is complemented by the firm’s media and criminal law departments. Recently it has been instructed on matters such as access to justice and legal aid, privacy, and education. Stephen Grosz QC (Hon) and Gwendolen Morgan are ‘exceptionally able’, the ‘unbelievably hardworking’ John Halford ‘knows his stuff’, and Tamsin Allen and Saimo Chahal are also recommended.

Within Civil liberties and human rights, Bindmans LLP is a first tier firm,

Bindmans LLP ‘makes a point of supporting the underdog, and does it wonderfully’. Its ‘superb’ team is ‘attentive, responsible and approachable’, and recently acted for over 200 occupiers involved in the Occupy London protests. Team head Stephen Grosz QC (Hon) is ‘an expert in his field’, ‘thorough, and dedicated to helping clients’; his appointment as honorary Queen’s Counsel was for his contribution to human rights and public law. Newly promoted partner Chez Cotton heads the police misconduct team. Saimo Chahal, Paul Ridge and John Halford are also recommended.

Within Healthcare, Bindmans LLP is a first tier firm,

Bindmans LLP provides ‘highly competent and professional service’, and has a track record of advising claimants in ‘pioneering claims’. ‘Genuine expert’ Saimo Chahal was involved in Rabone v Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, which extended the interpretation of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights; and continues to advise in right-to-die cases. Chahal and ‘high-quality and thorough practitioner’ John Halford lead the team. Associate Gwendolen Morgan is ‘emerging as a leading practitioner’.

Within Overview,

The Administrative and public law table ranks claimant and commercial firms together. Of the City firms, Herbert Smith LLP, Hogan Lovells International LLP and Baker & McKenzie LLP provide strong representation of commercial clients, while Bindmans LLP and Leigh Day & Co remain leaders on the claimant side. The latter two also have market-leading human rights and civil liberties practices, where other renowned firms include Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, Tuckers Solicitors and the newly merged Deighton Pierce Glynn. Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP and Eversheds LLP each have recognised expertise in public inquiries, and Trowers & Hamlins LLP and Clifford Chance are among the leaders for public affairs work.

Within Social housing: tenant, Bindmans LLP is a first tier firm,

Bindmans LLP successfully postponed a possession order, citing Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in the Court of Appeal case Nicholas Patrick Smith v UBS. The firm also successfully acted in Osajie v London Borough of Hackney, a high-value disrepair claim. The ‘intellectual and practical’ Paul Ridge is ‘lightning quick at dealing with emergencies’.

Within Media and entertainment, tier 5

Bindmans LLP’s practice head Tamsin Allen co-ordinated the group of claimants bringing legal action against News Group Newspapers for phone hacking, and has successfully represented numerous high-profile claimants. She is also assisting the Leveson Inquiry.