Ranking tables

Inquests | UK

UK-wide

Our Inquest and Public Inquiries tables recognises lawyers who have demonstrated expertise in major public inquiries and high-profile coroners' inquests. The Inquests table recognises lawyers who have expertise in representing clients in high-profile and contentious inquests. These inquests typically arise in the context of mental health, police contact and domestic terrorism, but are by no means limited to these areas. Lawyers ranked here represent bereaved families, organisations and individual staff members. The Public Inquiries table focuses on lawyers who act for a range of clients in connection with statutory inquiries. Clients of these lawyers include inquiry chairs, government witnesses and other core participants. At present, this table predominantly focuses on statutory inquiries, as opposed to independent reviews and non-statutory inquiries.

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1

Band 1

  1. Bhatt Murphy
    1
    Bhatt Murphy
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    Bhatt Murphy has a substantial presence acting for clients in connection with both inquests and public inquiries. The firm predominantly represents bereaved families and NGOs. It has particular expertise handling matters where deaths occur following police or state contact, as well as deaths which occur through self-harm. Recent matters the firm have handled include the Sheku Bayoh, Brook House and Grenfell Tower inquiries.
  2. Hickman & Rose
    1
    Hickman & Rose
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    Hickman & Rose has a strong inquest practice that sees members of the firm representing bereaved families in sensitive and high-profile inquests. It has substantial experience handling inquests that arise in the context of contact with the police and the criminal justice system.
  3. Leigh Day
    1
    Leigh Day
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    Leigh Day has a wide array of expertise in handling both inquests and public inquiries. The team has substantial expertise representing bereaved families in some of the most complex and high-profile inquest proceedings. It also handles major instructions on behalf of core participants to a public inquiry. The firm has handled matters including the Infected Blood and Undercover Policing inquiries, as well as inquests touching on deaths of prisoners, maternity and baby deaths, and food safety and allergies.
2

Band 2

  1. Bevan Brittan LLP
    2
    Bevan Brittan LLP
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Bevan Brittan advises a variety of healthcare, charitable and independent organisations in connection with complex, highly sensitive inquests. It also fields multi-disciplinary teams to advise clients such as regulators, healthcare bodies and government authorities in connection with high-profile public inquiries. In addition, the firm benefits clients with its strong offering of employed barristers and solicitor advocates.
  2. Bindmans LLP
    2
    Bindmans LLP
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 2 | 1 Years Ranked
    Bindmans houses a respected team with experience handling a range of complex inquests and public inquiries. It offers particular expertise in inquests involving deaths related to mental health and gender recognition. The group is highly experienced in representing bereaved family members.
  3. Clyde & Co LLP
    2
    Clyde & Co LLP
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Clyde & Co has a specialist dedicated team that acts for clients on a range of inquests, predominantly in the context of secure prison estates. It often represents prisons, detention and security service operators in their handling of Article 2 inquests, as well as related civil and damages claims.
  4. Deighton Pierce Glynn
    2
    Deighton Pierce Glynn
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 2 | 1 Years Ranked
    Deighton Pierce Glynn is notable for its representation of bereaved family members in highly sensitive inquests. The team shows a particular specialism in inquests arising from prison deaths.
  5. Farleys Solicitors LLP
    2
    Farleys Solicitors LLP
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Farleys Solicitors has notable experience in representing bereaved families in a wide range of inquests involving vulnerable individuals. The firm frequently handles inquests following deaths in prison, police custody or health institutions, among others. Its client base is predominantly based in the North East but the firm acts for clients nationally.
  6. Hodge Jones & Allen
    2
    Hodge Jones & Allen
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Hodge Jones & Allen is heavily experienced in representing core participants in a wide variety of high-profile public inquiries. The firm also has deep expertise handling inquests on behalf of bereaved families following deaths in contexts such as immigration detention, military deaths or police custody, among others. It has recently acted on matters including the Post Office Horizon IT and Grenfell Tower inquiries, as well as the inquest into the death of Wayne Hurren who died whilst imprisoned at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
  7. Hudgell Solicitors
    2
    Hudgell Solicitors
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Hudgell Solicitors is well known for its broad inquests and public inquiries practice. The firm is notable for its representation of bereaved families in high-profile public inquiries including the Post Office Horizon IT and UK Covid-19 inquiries.
  8. Irwin Mitchell
    2
    Irwin Mitchell
    Inquests
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Irwin Mitchell is notable for its strong ability to represent bereaved families, coroners and other interested parties, such as disability charities, in high-profile inquests. The firm has particular expertise in representing clients following deaths in detention and deaths involving healthcare services.