On 20 September 2012 The Legal 500 published the 2012 edition of their Guide to Law Firms in the United Kingdom. This is one of the leading independent directories of UK legal services in which the UK’s leading firms and lawyers are identified.
In the 2012 edition, BCL has been recommended as a leading firm in the following practice areas:
- Fraud: Corporate Crime
- Fraud: White-Collar Crime
- Crime
- Customs and Excise
- Health and Safety
- Fraud: Civil
- Administrative and Public Law
Additionally, seven BCL partners are listed in The Legal 500’s Leading Lawyers list, their guide to outstanding lawyers. These are as follows:
- Guy Bastable (Health and Safety)
- Ian Burton (Fraud)
- Mark Haslam (Crime)
- Rachel Hubbard (Crime)
- Paul Morris (Crime)
- Richard Sallybanks (Fraud)
- Harry Travers (Fraud)
The Legal 500’s editorial for each practice area is set out below:
Fraud: Corporate Crime
BCL is again recommended as a top tier firm for this practice area. The directory states:
BCL Burton Copeland’s Harry Travers is an ‘accomplished litigator and negotiator’, and is rated for his work on tax and customs investigations. Ian Burton is ‘very experienced’, and Brian Spiro ‘very able’. Richard Sallybanks is ‘very thorough’.
Fraud: White-Collar Crime
BCL continues to be listed as a top tier firm with the directory stating:
BCL Burton Copeland’s ‘very proactive’ team includes Richard Sallybanks, who has a ‘keen eye for the detail’, and Ian Burton, who is ‘very shrewd’. The team is acting for Robert Tchenguiz in the SFO investigation into the collapse of Kaupthing Bank. Brian Spiro and Harry Travers are acting for a senior executive in an SFO investigation into an alleged conspiracy to make corrupt payments to public officials in Indonesia.
Crime
As in previous years BCL is again listed as a top tier firm for Crime. The directory states:
BCL Burton Copeland has a diverse practice, and a team of ‘highly commercial lawyers who are appropriately aggressive when defending a client’. It represented Mazhar Majeed in relation to the international cricket spot-fixing trial. The ‘measured’ Rachel Hubbard ‘engenders trust’ in her clients; practice head Mark Haslam is ‘meticulous’; Ellen Peart is ‘very diligent and resourceful’; and Paul Morris is ‘very able’.
Customs and Excise
BCL maintains its position as one of the leading firms in this practice area with the directory stating:
BCL Burton Copeland is recommended for its expertise in fraud and other matters with a criminal dimension. Team head Harry Travers ‘stands out’ for his ‘excellent grasp’ of complex Customs and Excise matters.
Health and Safety
BCL continues to be listed as a leading firm for this practice area. The directory states:
BCL Burton Copeland’s health and safety practice is allied to the firm’s overall focus on crime and regulatory compliance. It regularly provides advice to individuals and companies in serious contentious matters. Guy Bastable is a well-known figure in the field, and has experience in corporate manslaughter matters.
Fraud: Civil
BCL is again ranked among the leading firms in this practice area with the directory stating:
BCL Burton Copeland has been acting for one of the parties in Independent Trustee Service v GP Noble Trustees Limited and others, involving claims that certain pension funds have suffered losses of up to £52m. The ‘very accomplished’ Harry Travers heads the team.
Administrative and Public Law
BCL continues to establish its position by appearing in the list of leading firms. The directory states:
BCL Burton Copeland’s ‘client care is exceptional’, and the group has ‘great depth in experience and ability’. Expertise includes public inquiries, judicial reviews, coroners’ inquests, and courts martial.