Hallinan Blackburn Gittings & Nott

hallinans.co.uk

Ben completed his training in the criminal and regulatory field in London and joined Hallinans in 2024. A stellar addition to the team, Ben has brought with him enthusiasm and passion for both the law and achieving the best results for his clients. Ben enjoys advocacy and regularly appears in Magistrates’ Courts across London and the home counties on behalf of his clients. He also has experience in defending clients brought before disciplinary tribunals in the regulatory sector. He has both prepared these matters as litigator and appeared in these proceedings as an advocate. Ben has a keen eye for detail and a sound knowledge of the rules of evidence and disclosure. He is able to quickly identify cases which have been neglected by the prosecuting authorities, using those failures to obtain favourable outcomes for his clients who otherwise would have been negatively impacted at trial. Ben is instructed in cases across the spectrum from domestic matters, sex offences, motoring, drugs, violent crime and is developing his own specialism in regulatory matters.

With over twenty years’ experience, Namita Pawa is a highly respected Solicitor and Managing Director at Hallinans. Namita’s tenacity and determination have provided the bedrock for a vast number of cases covering the full spectrum of criminal law, including murder, serious fraud, large-scale drug conspiracies, sexual offences, and those at the other end of the spectrum including domestic matters and driving offences. Namita joined Hallinans in 2013 and quickly became a key figure in the firm. She was appointed equity partner in 2016 and became Managing Director in 2022. As Hallinans’ Managing Director, she leads from the front, developing and growing the team, modernising the firm’s infrastructure by taking it paperless, and building on Hallinans’ decades long reputation for excellence. She has also cultivated a strong ethos of mentorship and inclusion, establishing a partnership with Bridging the Bar to offer internships at the firm to aspiring barristers from underrepresented backgrounds. Namita primarily advises on private client matters but remains deeply committed to publicly funded work, ensuring the firm maintains its own client contract with the Legal Aid Agency. She is widely recognised as the Solicitor of choice for referrals from other law firms and is frequently trusted to represent fellow professionals and their families. Namita pays close attention to detail, never leaving a stone unturned. Her friendly and approachable but extremely professional nature are qualities that are admired by others in the profession and her clients alike. Her personable and empathetic nature enable Namita to build a good rapport with clients with ease. That coupled with attention to detail result in the highest quality service.

Qualified in 2000, Louise brings significant expertise to the Hallinans’ team. She has represented numerous clients charged with the most serious offences in the Crown Court including murder, manslaughter, serious violence, sexual offences and drug importations. She has an established practice in large scale fraud cases and is a Level A VHCC Litigator. Louise is extremely effective at the Police Station, having over 25 years of experience, she provides an exceptional service with a no-nonsense approach to Police investigations, to enable sensible, relevant advice that very often results in matters being discontinued at an early stage. She is known to be thorough, with excellent client care skills, providing robust and practical advice to see clients through the difficult and often dauting process of the criminal justice system. Louise has been instructed in high profile Inquests including for the family of Pte Geoff Gray who died at Deepcut Barracks in 2001 and for the father of a young female officer cadet who died at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2019. Louise has taught Criminal Litigation and Skills on the Bar Practice Course, Legal Practice Course and SQE at the University of Law. She is a Restorative Justice Facilitator and Director and Co-Founder of The Big Simple, a Community Interest Company running mental health workshops for marginalised groups.