The Legal 500 Clients’ Guide to the UK Legal Profession 2016

The Legal 500 Clients’ Guide to the UK Legal Profession 2016

On 14 September 2016, The Legal 500 2016 Clients’ Guide to the UK Legal Profession was published.  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 2016 edition, BCL is recommended as either a top-tier or leading firm in the following practice areas:

  • Corporate Crime (including Fraud, Bribery and Corruption)
  • Fraud: White-Collar Crime
  • Crime: General
  • Competition Litigation
  • Health and Safety
  • Administrative and Public Law

As far as individual lawyers are concerned, the following seven BCL partners are included in the elite ‘Leading Lawyers’ list, The Legal 500’s guide to outstanding lawyers nationwide:

  • Ian Burton – Fraud: White-Collar Crime (also recommended in Corporate Crime and Competition Litigation)
  • Richard Sallybanks – Fraud: White-Collar Crime (also recommended in Corporate Crime, Competition Litigation and Administrative and Public Law)
  • Harry Travers – Fraud: White-Collar Crime (also recommended in Competition Litigation)
  • Rachel Hubbard – Crime: General
  • Paul Morris – Crime: General
  • Ellen Peart – Crime: General
  • Guy Bastable – Health and Safety

The Legal 500 also recommends BCL partner Shaul Brazil within Corporate Crime and Fraud: White-Collar Crime.

The Legal 500’s editorial for each practice area in relation to BCL is set out below:

Corporate Crime (including Fraud, Bribery & Corruption)

Acting for corporates and individuals in matters covering the full gamut of business crime, BCL has earned ‘a profile that is entirely justified’. Headed by Ian Burton, the team provides an ‘exemplary’ service and includes the highly recommended Richard Sallybanks and Shaul Brazil.

Fraud: White-Collar Crime

The ‘strategic’ Ian Burton leads the ‘expert’ group at BCL, which includes Richard Sallybanks, the ‘meticulous and experienced’ Harry Travers and Shaul Brazil.

Crime: General

BCL’s ‘phenomenally impressive’ team is headed by the ‘authoritative and immensely knowledgeable’ Paul Morris. The group acts for high-profile individuals such as Sir Cliff Richard, Jeremy Clarkson and Adam Johnson.  Other key figures include Rachel Hubbard and Ellen Peart.

Competition Litigation

Criminal cartel defence firm BCL is considered ‘a go-to firm for criminal competition matters’. Recent highlights include advising individuals in the LIBOR investigation. Richard Sallybanks heads the team, which includes Ian Burton and Harry Travers.

Health & Safety

BCL’s ‘extremely capable’ team is noted for its ‘clear strength in regulatory investigations’. The practice focuses solely on defending in contentious matters and leverages the firm’s strong criminal practice to act on corporate manslaughter issues, in which ‘tenacious and strategic’ practice head Guy Bastable shines.

Administrative & Public Law

BCL is ‘one of only a few specialist criminal law firms to use public law effectively to solve relevant criminal law problems’. Richard Sallybanks is ‘a force to be reckoned with’.