The Legal 500

Bindmans LLP is one of the country’s leading law firms, with an unrivalled reputation for its civil liberties and human rights work. The firm offers top-quality legal services in the following practice areas: clinical negligence and personal injury, community care and health services, criminal law, discrimination and equality law, employment law, family law, housing, human rights and public law, immigration, inquests and inquiries, media and information law, mental health, police misconduct, prison law, public and regulatory law, serious fraud and regulatory investigations.

The firm: Established in 1974, Bindmans has a long history and tradition of challenging injustice and protecting the rights and freedoms of ordinary people. While the firm has evolved over the years to offer a broad range of services, its commitment to fairness and to ensuring access to justice remains at the heart of everything it does.

Ranked as a top-tier firm in many of its practice areas, Bindmans has a reputation for its cutting-edge work, including test cases in groundbreaking areas of the law. Its lawyers are among the most knowledgeable in the country and many are nationally recognised as experts in their fields.

Bindmans’ client base is wide and developing and includes private individuals, businesses, NGOs and trade unions, and public and regulatory bodies. Known for achieving good results for its clients, the firm aims to defend their interests, ensuring sound decision-making and the highest standards of legal accountability.

Types of work undertaken: Criminal law: the firm deals with all aspects of criminal defence work, from serious white-collar fraud to terrorism, homicide and public order cases. The firm has a special interest in cases involving abuses of police powers, as well as extradition and Official Secrets Act cases. It acts for journalists under investigation by the police, deals with company regulatory obligations and is dedicated to uncovering miscarriages of justice. The firm has a long-standing reputation for taking civil actions against the police on behalf of those abused within the criminal justice system nationwide.

Employment law: the firm acts for both employees and employers in all aspects of employment law, contentious and non-contentious. Bindmans acts for public authorities and within the not-for-profit sector – including local authorities, statutory bodies, regulators and charities. The firm is a leader in discrimination cases, with a particular focus on disability issues, cases involving bullying and stress at work, race discrimination, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, and pregnancy and flexible working.

Clinical negligence and personal injury: notably brain damage and other serious disabilities. The firm has regularly recovered awards of more than £3m. All types of personal injury are dealt with, including road traffic and workplace accidents.

Defamation: the practice is a leader in defamation, and has brought and defended major libel actions. It also deals with privacy, breach of confidence, copyright and freedom of information. The practice also has wide experience of film production, data protection issues and media contractual work.

Immigration: all aspects of immigration, nationality and refugee work are handled.

Family: the full range of matrimonial and family problems is covered and the firm is particularly known for acting in care proceedings.

Public law and human rights: this department has been at the forefront of the growth in judicial review work, and while maintaining the firm’s profile of general public law and its expertise in human rights and civil liberties, it has significantly expanded its work for public authorities and professional regulatory bodies. Housing work includes homelessness, eviction and rent assessment. The firm has particular expertise in cases concerning the European Convention on Human Rights, both in the national courts and in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Mental health is a specialism, including lawfulness of detention and appropriateness of treatment.

Breakdown of work %
Crime 27
Public law and human rights 27
Medical negligence and personal injury 13
Family 12
Employment 13
Immigration 6
Media 2

Number of UK partners 15
Number of other UK fee-earners 48