Leading North West Law firm Farleys Solicitors LLP has attained national recognition in the field of criminal law after receiving rankings in the two leading guides to the legal profession. The firm’s criminal law department has achieved first tier rankings in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners guides for this year, placing them amongst the UK’s leading firms.
Widely regarded as providing a conclusive view on the capabilities of a law firm, The Legal 500 Directory and Chambers and Partners Guide to the Legal Profession are both published annually following a rigorous research process involving the opinions of other legal professionals and clients. Overall it has been a year of successes for the department after being named ‘Crime Team of the Year’ at the Manchester Legal Awards in February.
Applauded for their ‘first-rate criminal expertise’ with notable excellence in numerous high profile cases including drugs and supply conspiracies, the Legal 500 highlighted the criminal department as leaders in the region in general crime and the highly specialised area of fraud.
A number of the solicitors were also recognised for their individual contributions. Partner and Head of Fraud & Business Crime Paul Schofield was named as a leading individual and described as ‘absolutely first class’ in his approach with a ‘very good grasp of client care.’ Partner Jonathan Taylor and Associate Partner Sian Hall were also recommended for their excellence and technical expertise.
In Chambers and Partners, the firm were top ranked for general crime and financial crime. Comments in the guide included: “An impeccable firm – they do the job how it should be done” and “Farleys continues to attract excellent work and they are a pleasure to work with.”
Paul Schofield was again commended, with sources commenting he pays “huge attention to detail and builds an extremely good relationship with the client.”
Paul Schofield, partner and head of Crime with particular responsibility for Business Crime, Fraud and Regulatory Defence commented: “To achieve a place in the top tier in not just one but two prestigious legal guides is to recognise the quality, commitment and tireless effort that the team have shown over the past year. We are naturally very proud of this achievement as we continue to build upon our national reputation in highly complex criminal cases.”