BCL Solicitors LLP are pleased to be once again recognised as a top-tier firm with an extensive team of outstanding individuals in the new Legal 500 United Kingdom 2018-2019 Guide.
The Legal 500 UK Guide is one of the leading independent directories of UK legal services, in which the UK’s leading firms and lawyers are identified.
In the 2018-2019 edition, BCL is recommended as either a top-tier or leading firm in the following practice areas:
- Crime: General
- Fraud: White-Collar Crime
- Health & Safety
- Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime
- Administrative & Public Law
New this year is The Legal 500 Hall of Fame which highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence. The Hall of Fame highlights, to clients, the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession.
BCL are proud to have two partners included in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame:
In terms of individual lawyers, the following nine BCL partners are included in the elite ‘Leading Individuals’ or ‘Next Generation Lawyers’ list which is The Legal 500’s guide to outstanding lawyers nationwide.
Leading Individuals
- Ian Burton – Fraud: White-Collar Crime (also recommended in Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime)
- Richard Sallybanks – Fraud: White-Collar Crime (also recommended in Administrative & Public Law and Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime)
- Harry Travers – Fraud: White-Collar Crime
- Guy Bastable – Health & Safety (also recommended in Fraud: White-Collar Crime and Administrative & Public Law)
- Paul Morris – Crime: General
- Ellen Peart – Crime: General
- Rachel Hubbard – Crime: General
Next Generation Lawyers
- John Binns – Fraud: White-Collar Crime (also recommended in Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime)
- Julian Hayes – Fraud: White-Collar Crime
The Legal 500 also identifies a number of further BCL partners and lawyers as ‘recommended’ for their expertise in the following areas:
Recommended
- Mark Haslam – Crime: General
- Shaul Brazil – Fraud: White-Collar Crime
- Shula de Jersey – Fraud: White-Collar Crime and Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime
- Richard Reichman – Health & Safety
- Tom McNeill – Health & Safety
- Michael Drury – Administrative & Public Law and Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime
- Jane Glass – Fraud: White-Collar Crime
The Legal 500’s editorial for each of BCL’s practice areas is set out below:
Crime: General
‘Fantastic criminal law practice’ BCL Solicitors LLP acts for high-profile clients in the fields of business, sport, entertainment and media. Areas of expertise include sexual offences, domestic violence, public order offences, serious assault, murder, manslaughter, drugs matters and motoring offences. Recent high-profile clients include Shane Warne. Paul Morris heads the team supported by Rachel Hubbard whose ‘strategy, attention to detail and client care is second to none’. Ellen Peart and Mark Haslam are also recommended.
Fraud: White-Collar Crime
‘Pre-eminent white-collar crime defence practice’ BCL Solicitors LLP has ‘the depth, breadth, and resources to take on the toughest and most intense litigation at very short notice’. It has one of the largest, specialist white-collar crime teams in the UK, representing directors, senior employees and high-net-worth individuals on all aspects of fraud, white-collar and business crime. Head of team Ian Burton is ‘the ultimate heavyweight in white collar crime’, he is supported by key practitioner Richard Sallybanks, who is ‘strategically savvy, bright and has a wealth of trial experience’. Harry Travers is ‘frighteningly bright and relentlessly committed’. Shaul Brazil is ‘a street fighter with a first-rate brain’ and Michael Drury has ‘bags of experience and an easy charm’. John Binns and Julian Hayes were promoted to partner. Shula de Jersey, who ‘brings real class to the firm’. Jane Glass and Guy Bastable are also recommended.
Health & Safety
BCL Solicitors LLP ‘has an excellent reputation for its health and safety work’ and ‘receives full marks for its client service, professionalism and responsiveness’. The team fields practice leader and ‘rare find’ Guy Bastable, who focuses on corporate crime, crisis management, director liability and contentious matters and is ‘very down to earth and incredibly responsive’; newly promoted partner Richard Reichman, who is ‘extremely thorough and appreciates the big picture issues’; and senior associate Tom McNeill, who is ‘endlessly reliable’. The team’s expertise encompasses corporate manslaughter cases, food safety issues, fire safety work and environmental offences.
Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime
BCL Solicitors LLP advises companies and large organisations on internal investigations and external investigations conducted by the SFO, FCA and HMRC. Areas of expertise include fraud, bribery, corruption, sanctions, cartels and corporate manslaughter. Ian Burton heads the team, he is ‘respected by all, especially his opponents and is able to position his clients to the maximum advantage at the investigation phase’. Richard Sallybanks has ‘an outstanding brain for corporate investigations’. Michael Drury has ‘decades of experience and a tenacious approach to cases he undertakes’. John Binns was promoted to partner and Shula de Jersey.
Administrative & Public Law
BCL Solicitors LLP is in demand for being ‘excellent for all types of criminal-related judicial reviews.’ In conjunction with its excellence in areas such as white-collar and corporate crime, it takes on public inquiry, judicial review and inquest work. Its current cases include acting for a corporation in a judicial review regarding search warrants obtained by the police, a judicial review in connection with allegations of money laundering and fraud and a number of inquests with possible criminal ramifications. Richard Sallybanks is characterised as ‘a cool-headed individual in big-ticket cases’; Michael Drury is ‘a great strategist and a very bright lawyer who is brilliant at client-handling’ and Guy Bastable is ‘tenacious, hard-working and a brilliant tactician.’