Hall Of Fame

Firms To Watch: General crime and fraud

Ranbir Mann heads the department at Mann & Co Solicitors. It is on the Legal Aid Agency’s VHCC panel and is well-placed to handle complex criminal cases.

General crime and fraud in West Midlands

Kangs Solicitors

Spearheaded by Hamraj Kang ('one of the most sought-after solicitors in the country'), the large fraud and criminal defence team at Kangs Solicitors 'attracts headline work due to its brilliant team of lawyers'. The group is well-known nationally for advising Premier League football clubs and media/ sports personalities on a diverse range of criminal issues. In addition, the group has been busy advising on fraud issues emanating from the government support programmes. The 'totally unflappable' John Veale  continues to deal with some of the most serious and complex large scale mortgage frauds and CIS fraud cases. Helen Holder heads the Crown Court department. Timothy Thompson is also recommended.


Responsables de la pratique:

Hamraj Kang


Autres avocats clés:

John Veale; Helen Holder; Timothy Thompson


Les références

‘Hamraj Kang is a tactically brilliant lawyer. John Veale is an experienced, dedicated solicitor you want on your side. Helen Holder is a first rate solicitor who is calm, measured and always provides excellent advice‘.

‘Hamraj Kang is outstanding. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his clients cases. He is always on it‘.

Kangs’ strength is its commitment to going above-and-beyond in the preparation of their cases. Potential clients can rest assured that, in any complex fraud case, Kangs Solicitors will assiduously work on the detailed preparation of their case’.

Principaux dossiers


  • Successfully represented its client in an eight-month trial relating to a large money laundering prosecution valued at £266m arising from gold bullion trading.
  • Representing a company director in relation to a HMRC investigation into offshore tax structures in the BVI, Cayman Islands, Nevis, Switzerland and Mauritius.
  • Representing a Dutch National in one of the first cryptocurrency criminal frauds prosecuted in the UK with a value of £10m.

Cartwright King

The excellent team at Cartwright King regularly defends directors, senior employees and the management of multinational companies who are accused of serious financial crime.  Laura Smith and John Allchin head the practice that also advises companies on how to avoid fraud. Other core areas of focus include advising on extradition matters and civil High Court judicial review proceedings. Its complex fraud work is a mix of privately paid, publicly funded and insurance backed work. Allchin is a Grade ‘A’ supervisor under the VHCC arrangements. Chris Wall is now at Tuckers Solicitors.

Responsables de la pratique:

Laura Smith; John Allchin


Les références

‘John Allchin – well respected and very conscientious‘.

‘The team comes highly recommended by their clients and the stakeholders that they engage with‘.

John Allchin is a conscientious and knowledgeable solicitor, he engages with his clients to understand the issues affecting them to try and resolve matters in a timely and cost effective manner‘.

Principaux dossiers


  • Acting on behalf of a company director alleged to have laundered £12.5m through his businesses.
  • Acting on behalf of a futures trader alleged to have committed a £9m Ponzi Fraud.
  • Acting on behalf of a defendant alleged to have been involved in £123m cheat on the public revenue through a sophisticated scheme to avoid the payment of VAT and duties on goods imported from China.

Alsters Kelley Solicitors Ltd

Jas Thiara, an associate and Higher Courts Advocate, heads the team at Alsters Kelley Solicitors Ltd. The group specialises in all areas of criminal law from the investigation stage right through to appeals. Thiara  has represented clients on a wide range of matters from breaches of food safety regulations, professional conduct matters to motoring offences and criminal defence work. She also has considerable experience of representing vulnerable clients with mental health and learning difficulties.

Responsables de la pratique:

Jas Thiara


Les références

‘This is an excellent Midlands based firm with a strong criminal litigation department which can confidently conduct the most serious cases including murder and sexual offences’.

‘Jas Thiara is a very experienced criminal solicitor who really knows how to do the job. She has excellent contacts with the Bar and with forensic experts. She is hard headed but a great listener. Any defendants would be lucky to have her on her side’.

‘Alsters Kelley are one of the main defence firms in the Coventry/Warwick area they deal with the most serious of cases and each case is meticulously prepared which gives their clients that knowledge that their case is important to the firm’.

Principaux dossiers


  • Defending a death by careless driving  case.

Clyde & Co

The fraud practice group at Clyde & Co is co-headed by Birmingham-based Sarah Hill  and Manchester-based Damien Rourke. It specialises in the full range of fraud intelligence and legal services. The team acts for 19 out of 20 of the top general insurers in the UK and Ireland. It manages everything from high-profile criminal private prosecutions and low value claims through to high-value multi-track claims.



Responsables de la pratique:

Sarah Hill; Damien Rourke


Principaux clients

MIB


DLG


Ageas


Allianz


Tesco


Sainsburys


Pen Underwriting


QBE


Zurich


Principaux dossiers


  • Operation Bluebrick –  advising on the defence of cavity wall insulation claims – £1.7m savings achieved.
  • Obtained a fundamental dishonesty finding at trial.
  • Acted in a case where the claimant solicitors were ordered to pay costs following the dismissal of claim at trial.

DWF

Lorraine Carolan; Miles Hepworth and Michael Henman  co-head the large fraud and financial crime team at DWF. Carolan has considerable sector expertise in insurance and financial risk as well as other areas such as logistics, retail and hospitality. Henman is adept at representing motor insurers in the defence of fraudulent third-party and first-party claims. Hepworth has extensive experience in counter fraud and claims validation in addition to defending suspected fraudulent insurance claims.

Responsables de la pratique:

Lorraine Carolan; Miles Hepworth; Michael Henman


Principaux clients

Allianz


First Central


Sabre


Admiral


Aviva


NFU Mutual


QBE


Markerstudy


RSA


Insure the Box


Covea


Ageas


LV=


Acromas


Principaux dossiers


  • Acted for Aviva Insurance in achieving success against a claimant who had significantly exaggerated their claim in terms of alleged physiotherapy treatment and psychological injury which were then deemed by the court to be fundamentally dishonest.
  • Advising Admiral in  a case whereby negligence was admitted and causation raised -the claim was dismissed with a finding of fundamental dishonesty.
  • Advising its client in matters where three fictitious claims were struck out at trial.

GQS Solicitors

GQS Solicitors is led by Ishfaq Qadir and Ahmer Sattar. It regularly advises clients when they are being investigated and prosecuted by various law enforcement agencies including the HMRC, UK Border Agency and the  Trading Standards. In addition, it has continued to receive new instructions on complex cases such as drugs, murder and attempted murder as well as historical sexual abuse claims.

Responsables de la pratique:

Ishfaq Qadir ; Ahmer Sattar


Les références

‘GQS provides a high quality service and prides itself on meeting its clients’ needs. The Firm specialises in complex cases which are paper heavy. Then is able to make sure the client understands the full case and its implications by making the complex simple’.

‘Isfaq Qadir often works unsociable hours to meet his clients who are on bail or will willingly travel the country to meet clients remanded in custody. My experience of the clients who have contact with him is overwhelmingly positive’.

‘Isfaq is calm, inciteful and meticulous in his preparation of cases. He remains respectful and professional at all times even with the most difficult of clients or with those suffering from medical vulnerabilities’.

Principaux clients

Michael Laverick


Abdul Mukith


Numan Mohammed


Hussain Solicitors

Basharat Hussain heads an ‘efficient, hardworking and tactically astute’ team at Hussain Solicitors. It is a well-regarded legal aid firm that covers all aspects of criminal defence. Its work spans minor theft and motoring to complex fraud, murder and terrorism. Abid Hussain is another name to note – he is an experienced Solicitor Advocate with higher rights of audience.

Responsables de la pratique:

Basharat Hussain


Autres avocats clés:

Abid Hussain


Les références

‘Hussains, led by Basharat Hussain, are a fantastic firm of Solicitors who put client care first. They have a very loyal following of clients and attract work of the very highest quality and complexity. They had a very able and industrious team of Solicitors ‘.

‘Basharat Hussain is the real superstar of the firm. He has grown and driven the business making use of technology, and is client focused at all times. He has a very good manner with clients and Counsel’.

‘Any of them will go above and beyond to assist you as counsel but also the clients. Nothing is too much trouble. The knowledge of each case is exceptional’.

Principaux dossiers


  • Acting on a case involving a £1m+ cross border fraud and money laundering case (UK, Nigeria, Dubai) stemming from three corrupt bank employees and going through a complex network of business and personal bank accounts.
  • Advising on a case involving murder and attempted murder charges based on a revenge attack on four victims over a drug debt. The Defendant is alleged to be a local drug baron. One victim died and another has very serious injuries following their being run over by a silver Ford Mondeo in July 2022
  • Advising on a case involving a gang-related shooting.

Kang & Co Solicitors

Kang & Co Solicitors excels in working on privately funded motoring and criminal matters across England and Wales. The group frequently defends clients on serious matters such as causing death by dangerous driving as well as speeding offences. Other areas of expertise include advising on a variety of regulatory and licensing matters. Manjinder Kang and Thomas Wheeler  co-head the practice.

Responsables de la pratique:

Manjinder Kang; Thomas Wheeler


Les références

‘Kang and Co have an excellent ability to give realistic, pragmatic and thorough advice on a range of issues. Every client receives a comprehensive service that still tailors to individual needs. The advice they give in complex and technical areas of law enable a client to make a reasoned and educated decision’.

‘Manjinder has an excellent grasp of seemingly every case that comes through Kang and Co. He clearly cares about his clients’ best interests, but provides clients with proper and bespoke service’.

‘The whole team at Kang and Co are exceptionally contactable, knowledgeable and combine an efficiency with unwavering thoroughness’.