We are delighted to announce our continued recognition as a top-tier firm in the Legal 500 United Kingdom 2025 Guide. We have maintained our Tier 1 rankings in the Crime: General and Fraud: White-Collar Crime (advice to individuals) categories, reaffirming our dedication to delivering exceptional legal services.
We are also recognised as a leading firm in six practice areas, with 14 of our lawyers commended for their outstanding contributions.
For full details of our rankings, visit BCL's Legal 500 Profile.
Departmental Rankings:
- Crime: General - Tier 1
- Fraud: White-Collar Crime (advice to individuals) - Tier 1
- Health & Safety - Tier 2
- Tax Litigation and Investigations - Tier 4
- Data Protection, Privacy, and Cybersecurity - Tier 4
- Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime (advice to corporates) - Tier 4
Individual Rankings:
- Hall of Fame: Ian Burton, Richard Sallybanks, Harry Travers
- Leading Partners: Ellen Peart, John Binns, Shaul Brazil, Julian Hayes, Shula de Jersey,Richard Reichman
- Next Generation Partners: David Hardstaff, Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky, Anoushka Warlow, Tom McNeill
Departmental Commentary:
Crime: General - "The BCL Solicitors LLP team has strong experience in representing high-profile individuals, including businesspeople, figures in religious organisations, actors, and presenters. The practice offers representation regarding serious allegations, such as assault, sexual assault, and modern slavery offences. Ellen Peart leads the practice and has a particular specialism in matters involving children and young people. Mark Haslam often represents athletes and political figures in motoring cases. David Hardstaff, 'always calm and collected where others might fall apart', is well-versed in acting in matters concerning sexual assault, racial abuse, and modern slavery offences. Daniel Jackson is a key contact for high-profile screenwriters and musicians, while associate Rishi Joshi provides support on cases concerning sexual abuse."
Fraud: White-Collar Crime (advice to individuals) - "The 'tremendously talented' team at BCL Solicitors LLP has a market-leading presence in the white-collar crime space, routinely representing individuals across the full range of financial crime investigations and prosecutions, including allegations of bribery, corruption, money laundering, and fraud, both domestic and cross-border in nature. Richard Sallybanks leads the team and attracts praise for his 'extraordinary strategic acumen,' regularly acting for high-net-worth individuals and senior executives. 'Wise, tough, and pragmatic' founding partner Ian Burtontackles cases concerning sanctions, price fixing, and extradition issues.Harry Travers takes point on large SFO investigations and tax fraud matters; Shula de Jersey and Julian Hayes are other significant names here. Shaul Brazil is a key contact for cross-border money laundering investigations, while John Binns is noted for his sanctions, asset forfeiture, and tax expertise. The team includes a strong roster of partners, including Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky, and Anoushka Warlow."
Health & Safety - "The contentious-focused team at BCL Solicitors LLP is well equipped to act for its roster of clients in complex and sensitive health and safety offence matters, including disaster-related issues, and catastrophic and fatal injury cases; police and HSE investigations also form a large part of the team's workload. The group also advises on business-critical safety issues and sits as part of the firm's wider business crime and regulation offering. The team is headed up by 'phenomenal lawyer' Richard Reichman alongside Tom McNeill who 'possesses a fierce intellect'."
Tax Litigation and Investigations - "BCL Solicitors LLP is particularly active on behalf of high-net-worth individuals, and provides support in both civil and criminal tax matters. Harry Travers, who leads the team, has expertise in tax investigations and white-collar crime. Ian Burton and John Binns cover tax fraud, including on behalf of both individuals and prominent organisations. Greg Mailer made partner in September 2023."
Data Protection, Privacy, and Cybersecurity - "Boutique firm BCL Solicitors LLP 'knows the intersection of business, regulation and criminal enforcement like no other', and brings this to bear on its data work, which predominantly focuses on investigatory powers and surveillance law. Team lead Michael Drury leverages his experience as the former legal director of GCHQ to offer clients 'a level of legal and technical understanding that no one else comes close to'. Julian Hayes is another key senior contact."
Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime (advice to corporates) - "Managing partner and financial crime specialist Richard Sallybanks heads up the specialist business crime and regulatory team at BCL Solicitors LLP; its expertise runs the gamut of financial and corporate crime issues, including ESG compliance, AML, regulatory offences, and data protection issues. With a focus on contentious matters, the team has recently seen an uptick in instructions concerning economic and trade sanctions, as well as tax evasion issues and environmental protection mandates. The 'absolutely stellar' Richard Reichman takes point on the contentious regulatory front, Shaul Brazil is the key name for financial crime cases, while John Binns is highly recommended for sanctions and tax evasion instructions."
To see the full rankings, please click here.