Ranking tables
Crime | UK
London (Firms)
In-depth overview
CRIME: An Introduction
JURISDICTION
In October 2023, history was made when Dame Sue Carr was appointed the first Lady Chief Justice of...
Authored by BCL Solicitors LLP, David Hardstaff, Daniel Jackson, Ellen Peart, Kate Chanter
Rankings overview for Departments
Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
ABV Solicitors 5 Years Ranked
Bark&co 14 Years Ranked
Birds Solicitors 21 Years Ranked
Blackfords LLP 14 Years Ranked
GT Stewart Solicitors & Advocates 16 Years Ranked
Murray Hughman 8 Years Ranked- Russell-Cooke 21 Years Ranked
TV Edwards LLP 21 Years Ranked- Birnberg Peirce
- Commons Law CIC
- Edwards Duthie Shamash Solicitors
- Janes Solicitors
- Shearman Bowen & Co
Senior Statespeople
Anthony Burton CBE Simons Muirhead Burton26 Years Ranked- Edward Preston Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson27 Years Ranked
- Imran Khan KC Imran Khan & Partners22 Years Ranked
- Steven Bird Birds Solicitors22 Years Ranked
- Gareth PeirceBirnberg Peirce
- Robert BergJanes Solicitors
Star Individuals
Band 1
- Ellen Peart BCL Solicitors LLP15 Years Ranked
Jenny Wiltshire Hickman & Rose12 Years Ranked- Paul Morris Richardson Lissack15 Years Ranked
Philip Smith Simons Muirhead Burton17 Years Ranked
Richard Egan Egan Meyer20 Years Ranked- Mark BowenShearman Bowen & Co
- Rhona FriedmanCommons Law CIC
Band 2
Akhtar Ahmad ABV Solicitors13 Years Ranked
Bambos Tsiattalou Stokoe Partnership Solicitors21 Years Ranked
Ben Rose Hickman & Rose18 Years Ranked
Gary Bloxsome Blackfords LLP14 Years Ranked
Grant Ambridge Murray Hughman13 Years Ranked
Jae Carwardine Russell-Cooke19 Years Ranked
Kate Goold Bindmans LLP13 Years Ranked
Mark Ashford TV Edwards LLP27 Years Ranked
Mark Haslam BCL Solicitors LLP27 Years Ranked
Paul Harris Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson16 Years Ranked
Peter Csemiczky Hickman & Rose7 Years Ranked
Stephanie Roe Roe Lawyers4 Years Ranked
Band 3
Adrienne Wright TV Edwards LLP3 Years Ranked
Amy Cox Sonn Macmillan Walker2 Years Ranked
David Sleight Kingsley Napley LLP9 Years Ranked- Greg Stewart GT Stewart15 Years Ranked
Jim Meyer Egan Meyer20 Years Ranked
Jude Lanchin Bindmans LLP13 Years Ranked
Martin Rackstraw Russell-Cooke16 Years Ranked- Melanie Stooks GT Stewart3 Years Ranked
Michael Field Freemans Solicitors5 Years Ranked
Mike Schwarz Hodge Jones & Allen24 Years Ranked
Nick Brett Brett Wilson LLP14 Years Ranked
Paul Graham Shaw Graham Kersh13 Years Ranked
Raj Chada Hodge Jones & Allen14 Years Ranked
Raymond Shaw Shaw Graham Kersh13 Years Ranked
Shila Keshvari Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson13 Years Ranked
Tayab Ali Bindmans LLP20 Years Ranked- Rakesh BhasinEdwards Duthie Shamash Solicitors
Band 4
Caroline Liggins Hodge Jones & Allen2 Years Ranked
Edmund Smyth Kingsley Napley LLP7 Years Ranked
Edward Grange Corker Binning11 Years Ranked- Giles Bark-Jones Bark&co19 Years Ranked
Katie Wheatley Bindmans LLP15 Years Ranked
Kishoree Kotecha-Pau Freemans Solicitors8 Years Ranked
Lucinda Nicholls Nicholls & Nicholls4 Years Ranked
Natalie Berman Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson3 Years Ranked
Philip Hill Shaw Graham Kersh3 Years Ranked- Ben StuttardBoutique Law LLP
- Matthew I FootBirnberg Peirce
Up and Coming
All Departments profiles
Band 1
1 BCL Solicitors LLPCrime2024 | Band 1 | 21 Years RankedBCL Solicitors is an outstanding firm specialising in the defence of high-profile private clients. It has a strong bench of top-flight individuals experienced in handling highly complex cases, including those involving notable personalities from the sports and entertainment worlds. The firm also offers expert representation to professionals in the medical, business and political spheres. Instructions taken by the firm cover a wide range of serious and general criminal charges, including sexual offences, drug trafficking and violent crimes.
1 Hickman & RoseCrime2024 | Band 1 | 21 Years RankedHickman & Rose has a highly acclaimed criminal defence practice with a strong bench of expert lawyers. The team offers impressive strength in acting for high-profile individuals across a range of challenging cases, including murder and sexual abuse charges. It also undertakes a number of miscarriage of justice cases on a pro bono basis. The team is experienced at acting for foreign nationals accused of crimes in the UK.
1 Kingsley Napley LLPCrime2024 | Band 1 | 21 Years RankedKingsley Napley is a leading criminal law practice that demonstrates impressive strength in depth across a broad range of cases. The firm is highly recommended for its handling of complex murder charges and historic sexual abuse investigations, and is also regularly instructed on domestic assault cases. The team has notable strength in cases with multi-jurisdictional aspects and also regularly acts on high-profile matters involving well-known public figures.
Band 2
2 Bindmans LLPCrime2024 | Band 2 | 21 Years RankedBindmans offers in-depth experience across all areas of criminal law. The team is particularly well versed in representing individuals charged with highly serious offences, including murder and terrorism, and also assists clients with appeals against earlier convictions. The team offers niche expertise in acting for journalists and those charged with public order offences, drawing on additional strength in human rights issues.
2 Corker BinningCrime2024 | Band 2 | 21 Years RankedCorker Binning's serious crime practice frequently handles allegations of murder, manslaughter and drugs offences. The firm acts for high-profile clients such as major media and political figures, with extensive experience in cases arising from allegations of misconduct in public office. It also handles high-profile, politically sensitive cases involving foreign nationals as well as representing individuals facing investigation into alleged historic sexual offences.
2 Edward Fail Bradshaw & WatersonCrime2024 | Band 2 | 21 Years RankedEdward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson is highly regarded for its dedicated criminal law practice and commitment to legal aid work. The firm demonstrates expertise across the breadth of complex criminal cases, including historic sexual abuse investigations and gang-related crime. The team handles matters ranging from large-scale drug supply cases to firearms offences and murder charges, and is also renowned for its experience in advising on youth crime.
2 Hodge Jones & AllenCrime2024 | Band 2 | 21 Years RankedHodge Jones & Allen is a well-respected criminal defence practice that is noted for its specialist handling of cases involving high-profile political protests and public order offences. The firm's expertise covers all areas of serious crime, including child sexual offences, drugs conspiracy and murder charges. The firm has a general legal aid practice and regularly acts for vulnerable defendants, including those with mental health issues and neurodivergence. The team also benefits from the firm's complementary strengths in extradition law and human rights matters.
2 Shaw Graham KershCrime2024 | Band 2 | 13 Years RankedShaw Graham Kersh houses a strong bench of experienced criminal practitioners who act extensively for both private and publicly funded clients. They are adept at handling matters concerning complex criminal conspiracies, including people trafficking, gang-related violence and large-scale drug investigations. The team also demonstrates expertise in cases that involve young defendants as well as those with mental health issues.
2 Simons Muirhead BurtonCrime2024 | Band 2 | 20 Years RankedSimons Muirhead Burton has an established criminal defence group that maintains a broad client roster, including media entities and high-profile individuals. It has a strong expertise in sexual offences, including those committed against children, and cybercrime matters, with further ability to advise on serious charges related to drugs and firearms possession. The team is recommended for its experience in complex appellate and advisory work and is well versed in acting in cases brought before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
Band 3
3 ABV SolicitorsCrime2024 | Band 3 | 5 Years RankedABV Solicitors is an established South East outfit with a solid presence in London, handling exclusively criminal law for both public and privately funded cases. The team regularly represents clients facing high-level charges including murder and terrorism and also has considerable experience in serious sexual offences, including historic allegations and large-scale child abuse networks. It has further expertise in matters with multi-jurisdictional aspects, such as modern slavery cases and drugs importation.3 Bark&coCrime2024 | Band 3 | 14 Years RankedBark&co adeptly handles the full spectrum of serious crime, from violent and sexual offences through to international criminal law matters. The firm advises clients facing charges of murder and attempted murder as well as tackling large drugs supply cases and other matters related to organised crime. It also regularly handles cases concerning well-known figures in the entertainment world. The team undertakes both legal aid and privately funded work.3 Birds SolicitorsCrime2024 | Band 3 | 21 Years RankedBirds Solicitors maintains a strong presence in serious crime work, fielding significant experience in the defence of charges relating to drugs, firearms and violent offences. The firm frequently represents professionals across a range of industries in matters concerning both historic and recent allegations of sexual assault and abuse. The team advises on legal aid cases as well as privately funded matters, and is also noted for its significant appellate practice.3 Blackfords LLPCrime2024 | Band 3 | 14 Years RankedBlackfords has a well-established team housing expertise across a range of complex criminal cases. The group has experience representing high-profile individuals charged with serious crimes, including manslaughter and sexual offences. It has notable in-house advocacy capabilities and is regularly called upon to advise on organised crime and multi-jurisdictional matters, including immigration offences and people trafficking. The team draws upon the firm's regulatory practice to advise professionals in a variety of industries facing criminal proceedings.3 GT Stewart Solicitors & AdvocatesCrime2024 | Band 3 | 16 Years RankedGT Stewart has an extensive criminal practice that houses a strong bench of solicitor advocates. It takes on a significant proportion of legal aid work and is also highly experienced in appellate criminal proceedings. The team advises on drugs supply, joint enterprise murder and other charges related to organised crime. It frequently acts for juvenile offenders and other vulnerable clients, including those with mental health issues.3 Murray HughmanCrime2024 | Band 3 | 8 Years RankedMurray Hughman demonstrates significant experience in the criminal law domain, including cases involving allegations of serious sexual offences, multi-handed violent crimes and homicide. They are experienced advising on organised crime cases including firearms and drugs supply, as well as human trafficking and modern slavery charges. The team regularly handles cases that involve children as either defendants or victims.3 Russell-CookeCrime2024 | Band 3 | 21 Years RankedRussell-Cooke is a well-regarded team with extensive experience managing high-profile cases, including murder, drugs supply charges and serious sexual offences. The team has notable expertise in representing clients with mental health issues and brain injuries and also represents gang and organised crime-affiliated clients accused of serious offences.3 TV Edwards LLPCrime2024 | Band 3 | 21 Years RankedTV Edwards has a criminal defence practice that handles a wide array of complex and serious cases concerning homicides as well as violent and sexual assaults. The team is well equipped to advise on matters involving organised crime activity, including drugs supply and people trafficking. The firm is committed to legal aid work and has experience representing young offenders and vulnerable individuals, such as clients with significant mental health issues.
Band 4
4 Brett Wilson LLPCrime2024 | Band 4 | 7 Years RankedBrett Wilson primarily advises private clients under investigation for a broad range of criminal offences. The firm regularly handles very serious charges, including child sexual abuse, rape, drugs supply and murder. It can also provide assistance with reputation management issues where necessary.
4 Freemans SolicitorsCrime2024 | Band 4 | 11 Years RankedFreemans Solicitors has a strong criminal practice experienced in acting on high-profile, serious cases. It frequently deals with heavyweight criminal charges, including murder, sexual offences and GBH, as well as complex matters relating to groups of defendants and criminal networks, including joint enterprise murder and organised crime cases. The team benefits from the strength of its robust in-house advocacy team, allowing it to represent clients at all stages of criminal proceedings.
4 ITN SolicitorsCrime2024 | Band 4 | 13 Years RankedITN Solicitors is a well-respected firm that frequently handles cases of significant political sensitivity, drawing on notable expertise in human rights law. It has extensive experience in complex cross-border investigations into charges of terrorism and drugs supply as well as domestic matters such as gang-related crime and homicide. The team has a notable focus on legal aid work and is also regularly instructed to handle criminal appellate matters.
4 Sonn Macmillan WalkerCrime2024 | Band 4 | 14 Years RankedSonn Macmillan Walker is a specialist criminal defence firm advising on a wide range of cases, including murder, sexual offences and terrorism charges. The team fields extensive expertise in Crown Court, Magistrates' Court and police station work. It also has complementary expertise in extradition matters. The team undertakes both privately funded and legal aid cases.
4 Stokoe PartnershipCrime2024 | Band 4 | 21 Years RankedStokoe Partnership Solicitors is a dedicated criminal defence boutique noted for its expert handling of serious crime cases, including murder, armed robbery, drugs importation and FGM charges. It also advises on organised crime investigations as well as matters relating to cybercrime and hacking. The team acts for both privately funded and legal aid clients and has further strength in handling criminal appellate work.
4 Stuart MillerCrime2024 | Band 4 | 4 Years RankedStuart Miller specialises in criminal defence work from police station representation through to the Magistrates' and Crown Courts, with notable commitment to legal aid cases. The firm represents clients on all manner of serious criminal matters, including homicides, gang-related violence, sexual offences and drugs supply.