Wilford Smith

The ‘highly regarded’ practice at Wilford Smith specialises in defending clients in high-profile cases involving fraud, murder, sexual offences, football-related violence, and other complex criminal prosecutions. This includes large-scale VAT and tax evasion, environmental cases focused on accounting data, cyber, and telecommunications-related offences, and police corruption or misconduct involving complex forensic evidence. Rebecca Smith-Bains and Mark Bates jointly lead the team from the Sheffield-based office. Smith-Bains, recognised for her ’excellent legal skills’, is particularly well-versed within defending political figures and individuals in the entertainment industry; while Bates handles matters related to misconduct prosecutions and data protection breaches.