London criminal law firm
Leading criminal defence solicitors in London
Olliers has had a presence in London since 2015. The team specialises in representing clients facing investigation or prosecution for matters of fraud, regulatory offences, business crime, serious criminal matters and sexual offences including indecent image offences. We specialise in crisis management and are known for our proactive approach in defending cases at the investigation stage.
Lead contact is our Managing Director Matthew Claughton who is recognised as a leader in his field by the Legal 500 for both fraud and criminal cases. Matthew is a previous Modern Law Awards Lawyer of the Year and has over 30 years criminal defence experience.
Fellow Director Ruth Peters is also heavily involved in the pre-charge investigations team acting for professionals with no prior involvement in the criminal justice system
Matthew Claughton – specialist criminal defence solicitor – London
Matthew has a lengthy track record of defending fraud and sexual offences and has a reputation for a proactive but sensitive approach in dealing with police investigations. Here Matthew describes our proactive approach to defending allegations of sexual offences. He will always consider making representations against charge, achieving a swift and successful conclusion for his client avoiding the cost and publicity of court proceedings.
Crisis management
Matthew’s team specialises in crisis management during the early stages of an investigation. Many of our clients are used to being in the public eye but not when subject to a criminal investigation.
We recognise that publicity and media attention caused by an investigation can cause irreparable damage to an individual or business. We deal not only with the police or other investigating authorities but also the media. Our clients include celebrities, sportsmen and women, company directors, professionals, entrepreneurs, politicians and high net worth individuals. We can provide access to public relations and social media specialists to ensure a fully co-ordinated and decisive response to any situation.
Although our primary objective is to avoid a prosecution or conviction we ensure that everything is done to keep the impact of the investigation to an absolute minimum.
Voluntary interviews under caution in London
Increasingly common is the voluntary attendance at the police station. This affords more time to prepare for the interview. Olliers assist clients in preparing for voluntary attendances. We obtain disclosure from the police in advance of the interview allowing for a thorough response to questioning. We also specialise in making representations against charge, wherever possible looking to nip an investigation in the bud. Here we discuss why pre-charge representations are such a key element in the successful defence of a criminal investigation.
Dawn raids
Our team has substantial experience in dealing with so called ‘dawn raids’, typically search and seizure operations conducted by the police or other investigating authority. If you or your business is subject to a dawn raid you need to act quickly. For more information on what to do and how we can help if you face a dawn raid click here.
London based fraud, business crime, serious crime, regulatory & sexual offence lawyers
Our London office specialises in dealing with sexual offences, fraud, serious crime and regulatory law.
In 2018 Olliers welcomed back Simone Isaacs to the team. Simone is based in London and trained with Olliers, qualifying with the firm and leaving in 2004 to move to London. She is a highly skilled and experienced solicitor and known for her pro-active approach during the ongoing investigation stage of a case. Simone will always look to bring an investigation to a conclusion without the need for a prosecution. She is known for her strategic approach liaising with investigators throughout. She utilises a combination of formal and informal representations to police and prosecutors ensuring that the chances of a prosecution substantially reduced.
In addition to Matthew , Ruth and Simone other lawyers dealing with cases from our London office include Laura Bumanis, Alex Preston, Matthew Corn, Zita Spencer and Toby Wilbraham.
Click here to read about funding options.
Contact our team of criminal defence lawyers in London
To discuss your case please contact Ruth Peters or Matthew Claughton by telephone on 020 3883 6790, by email to info@olliers.com or click here to send us a message.
