Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Duncan Lewis Solicitors is an acclaimed law firm headquartered in the City of London and proudly holds the distinction of being the largest provider of publicly funded (legal aid) legal services in the country, with offices spanning England and Wales. We offer our legal expertise to both corporate entities and private individuals across 25 areas of law. We frequently take on high-profile cases, many of which establish legal precedents, contributing to fairer judgments in the future.

Our fields include:

Immigration, Public Law, Civil Liberties, and Human Rights:

Duncan Lewis' public law department stands as one of the UK's foremost in this field. Its willingness to take on some of the country's most prominent and intricate cases has earned the department a formidable reputation for challenging government policies perceived as wrongful. The team handles both publicly and privately funded matters, providing representation in immigration and asylum, regulatory fitness to practice, environment and planning cases. The department boasts a niche expertise in immigration claimant judicial review cases and costs litigation, as well as unlawful immigration detention cases involving high-net claims for damages. Their scope also covers immigration removal cases, prison law claims, and the provision of social welfare services.

Court of Protection:

Duncan Lewis' dedicated team provides comprehensive support for deputyship applications, powers of attorney, and issues related to the welfare and finances of individuals lacking capacity. We also handle domestic and international disputes concerning powers of attorney and deputyship applications.

Business and private immigration:

As one of the UK's leading immigration firms, Duncan Lewis offers expertise in various business and private immigration matters. Our services cover right-to-work checks, visa applications and appeals, student and graduate visas, spousal visas, and visa overstays. We provide full support to SME business clients, including guidance on the Points-Based System (PBS), sponsorship licence applications, and immigration strategy and compliance.

Family, matrimonial, and childcare:

One of the largest and most respected family and childcare departments in the country, our team comprises solicitors with Law Society accreditations in Children Law and Family Law. Notably, they have a niche practice representing domestic abuse victims and handling complex divorce and financial matrimonial matters arising from relationship breakdowns, and are respected for their client sensitivity and dedication to supporting charitable causes.

Children/public law matters: Our team represents parents, guardians, family members, and children through guardians in children public law proceedings. We handle cases on behalf of the official solicitor and are frequently appointed to represent vulnerable clients in various complex matters, including those involving mental health issues, severe non-accidental injuries, abuse, substance misuse, neglect, factitious illness, and rare conditions. Our team is often chosen by guardians to represent children in culturally complex care cases and are widely respected for the dedication to client care and sensitivity.

Children/cross-border disputes:

Duncan Lewis is at the forefront of handling high-profile international child abduction cases and engaging in wardship proceedings for the return of children taken out of the jurisdiction. We are among the select few firms on the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU) referral list.

Housing:

Our highly regarded housing department serves both landlords and tenants, and boasts niche expertise in the full range of possession, disrepair, and unlawful eviction cases. We have a significant presence in county court possession duty schemes across London, specialising in defending social tenants facing possession and unlawful eviction cases. We offer representation in all proceedings, including reviews, appeals, and judicial reviews related to homelessness, tenant succession, and neighbourhood disputes with local authorities.

Criminal defence:

Our criminal law department has a notable practice defending clients in complex criminal cases, particularly those involving gangs and drug importation. Our team also excels in representing clients with significant mental health issues in insanity defence cases. Additionally, we have established practices in motoring law, prison law, and actions against public authorities, with expertise in appealing convictions and sentences.

Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution:

Duncan Lewis possesses recognised expertise in advising corporate clients on litigation matters and providing legal counsel to individuals considering litigation. Our litigation and dispute resolution team delivers clear and concise legal guidance for resolving commercial disputes, whether for UK-based or international businesses.

Personal injury & Clinical Negligence

Duncan Lewis' personal injury practice has a wealth of experience representing clients injured in various accidents, including workplace incidents, road traffic accidents, accidents abroad, and children's accidents. Regularly achieving positive results and winning substantial client compensation, we also focus on claims for fatal injuries. Our specialist areas encompass claims against local authorities for public space slips and trips, occupiers' liability, and asbestos-related illnesses. Our expert clinical negligence team handles a wide range of claims, including accident and emergency failures, GP negligence, misdiagnosis, wrongful death, and cases involving severe brain, spinal, or neurological injuries resulting from medical care failings.

More areas of law:

Actions against Public Authorities, Commercial & Company, Child Care, Civil Liberties & Human Rights, Civil Litigation, Clinical Negligence, Court of Protection, Crime, Cross-Border Disputes, Debt Recovery, Education Law, Employment, Family, High Net-Worth Divorce, Housing, Immigration, Personal Injury and Public Law and Wills & Probate, and Professional Negligence.