Olliers > Manchester, England > Firm Profile

Olliers
196 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 3WF
England

Crime, fraud and licensing > Crime: general crime and fraud Tier 1

Olliers is a ‘standout full criminal service firm’, with a notable reputation in defending clients in general crime cases, investigations, and prosecutions regarding financial crime, business crime, regulatory breaches, and asset recovery. The group of specialists particularly stands out for its proactive approach in handling pre-charge criminal investigations and supporting a range of clients, from company directors and professionals, to private individuals. Practice head and ‘top-class lawyer’ Matthew Claughton is ‘a visionary who has steered the firm from being a group of legal aid criminal defence lawyers to being the most professional legal service providers in the North.’ Stand-out individuals include Zita Spencer, Matthew Corn, and Laura Baumanis.

Practice head(s):

Matthew Claughton

Other key lawyers:

Zita Spencer; Matthew Corn; Toby Wilbraham; Lily Grundy; Laura Baumanis

Testimonials

‘Lily Grundy is consistently exceptional in her well-considered advice to defendants.’

‘Olliers general crime and fraud team really is one of the best criminal defence firms in the North West; the numerous awards that they receive every year evidences the longstanding, consistent excellence of this team. Members of the team give their clients 100% at all times.’

‘Laura Baumanis is outstanding. Her client care is exceptional. She really goes the extra mile and is very good indeed with difficult clients in cases of the utmost seriousness.’

‘Zita Spencer is simply the best. Her compassionate client care is always a priority, and she has superb intellectual strength and works out a game plan that succeeds even with difficult cases. She has a near perfect record of trial acquittals in sexual offences trials. Superb solicitor who is hugely respected on circuit.’

‘The client care provided by Olliers is second-to-none. All of the team go above and beyond in any case, big or small, to ensure that clients receive the best possible representation. They give clear and practical at every stage. They are constantly developing as a team and ensure they remain up to date with any legal changes.’

‘Matthew Corn is an exceptional solicitor. He is the go-to solicitor for serious criminal cases in Manchester. He is extremely thorough and leaves no stone unturned. He is calm and personable, gaining the confidence of clients from the outset.’

‘Matthew Claughton is a visionary. He is the person who has steered the firm from being a group of legal aid criminal defence lawyers to being the most professional legal service providers in the north. He is also a top-class lawyer, especially when it comes to top end financial crime.’

‘Olliers services all areas of criminal law and this is plain from the strength and depth of their criminal team. They are often instructed in multi-handed complex cases and when dealing with complicated fraud matters, their attention to detail is superb. Across the board, their lawyers demonstrate excellent client care.’

Work highlights

Employment > Health and safety

Olliers Solicitors is firmly established as one of the UK’s leading criminal defence and regulatory law firms specialising in the defence of individuals, businesses and other organisations across a broad range of corporate and financial crime, regulatory breaches, serious crime, sexual offences professional discipline, inquests and public inquiries.

The firm also has expertise in pro-actively representing clients during the pre-charge investigative stages of a criminal allegation. Nationally, few firms can match our experience and expertise. We are based in Manchester with facilities in London and our client base is nationwide.

In 2024 Olliers won the award for Crime Team of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards for the seventh time, retaining the title from 2023. In 2022 we were awarded Law Firm of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards for the second year in a row.  

Our senior lawyers are all leaders in their field. Olliers is ranked by both the leading guides to the profession – the Legal 500 2024 and Chambers Guide 2024. We are a Times Best Law Firm 2024.

Our managing director Matthew Claughton is the 2023 Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Criminal Lawyer of the Year. Matthew is also the only two-time Partner of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards most recently in 2021. Seven of our lawyers are singled out for mention by the Legal 500.

Department Name Email Telephone
Managing Director Matthew Claughton [email protected] 0161 834 1515
Business Development Director Ruth Peters [email protected] 0161 834 1515
Commercial Director Stacey Mabrouk [email protected] 0161 834 1515
Serious Crime Matthew Corn [email protected] 0161 834 1515
Head of Pre-Charge Toby Wilbraham [email protected] 0161 834 1515
Sexual allegations Zita Spencer [email protected] 0161 834 1515
Head of Regulatory Gareth Martin [email protected] 0161 834 1515
Photo Name Position Profile
Laura Baumanis photo Mrs Laura Baumanis Partner
Nicola Bruce photo Nicola Bruce Senior Associate
Connor Brylczak photo Mr Connor Brylczak Trainee Solicitor
Helen Buxton photo Miss Helen Buxton Associate
James Claughton photo Mr James Claughton Associate
Matthew James Claughton photo Matthew James Claughton Managing Director & Solicitor
Alex Close-Claughton photo Mr Alex Close-Claughton Senior Associate
Matthew Corn photo Mr Matthew Corn Partner
Richard Cornthwaite photo Richard Cornthwaite Partner
Heather Crossthwaite photo Heather Crossthwaite Solicitor
Eleanor Harris photo Eleanor Harris Paralegal
Maria Koukou photo Maria Koukou Trainee Solicitor
Kathryn Lloyd photo Kathryn Lloyd Senior Associate
Stacey Mabrouk photo Mrs Stacey Mabrouk Commercial Director & Solicitor
Gareth Martin photo Mr Gareth Martin Partner
Anne-Marie Nicholls photo Anne-Marie Nicholls Senior Associate
Jane Novas-Morell photo Mrs Jane Novas-Morell Consultant Criminal Defence Solicitor
George Odysseos photo George Odysseos Paralegal
Martha Odysseos photo Martha Odysseos Associate
Ruth Peters photo Mrs Ruth Peters Business Development and Marketing Director & Solicitor
Isobel Phillipson photo Isobel Phillipson Solicitor
David Philpott photo Mr David Philpott Partner
Hannah  Poole photo Hannah Poole Associate
Nathalie Potter photo Nathalie Potter Associate & Head of Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Department
Hope Rea photo Hope Rea Trainee Solicitor
Zita Spencer photo Zita Spencer Partner
Jack Tomlinson photo Jack Tomlinson Associate
Toby Wilbraham photo Mr Toby Wilbraham Partner
Number of UK partners : 9
Number of other UK fee-earners : 20
English