The 2026 listing of leading London Criminal Defence Lawyers details solicitors practising within the areas of criminal law matters for individuals accused of wrongdoing within the London legal market who have been identified by peers for their expertise and abilities in these areas.
Preeminent
Steven Bird, Birds Solicitors
Matthew Hardcastle, Kingsley Napley
Michael O’Kane, Peters & Peters
Sandra Paul, Kingsley Napley
Ellen Peart, BCL Solicitors
Ben Rose, Hickman & Rose
Philip Smith, Simons Muirhead Burton
Leading
Gary Bloxsome, Blackford & Co
John Carson, Carson Kaye
Rose Commander, Hickman & Rose
Peter Csemiczky, Hickman & Rose
Richard Egan, Egan Myer
Daniel Hardstaff, BCL Solicitors
Louise Hodges, Kingsley Napley
Daniel Jackson, BCL Solicitors
Mark Jones, Payne Hicks Beach
John Kaye, Carson Kaye
Shila Keshvari, Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson
Julian Richards, Reeds Solicitors
Anthony Smith, Richardson Lissack
Andrew Smith, Corker Binning
Jenny Wiltshire, Hickman Rose
Recommended
Akhtar Ahmad, ABV Solicitors
Tayab Ali, Bindmans
Grant Ambridge, Murray Hughman
Natalie Berman, Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson
Robert Borwick, ABV Solicitors
Henri Brandman. Henri Brandman & co
Nick Brett, Brett Wilson
Raj Chada, Hodge Jones & Allen
Vivien Cochrane, Constantine Law
Amy Cox, Sonn MacMillan Walker
Nick Dent, Mishcon de Reya
Ben Darabi, Carson Kaye
Greg Foxsmith, Kingsley Napley
Daniel Godden, Berkley Square Solicitors
Jonathan Grimes, Kingsley Napley
Paul Harris, Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson
Mark Haslam, BCL Solicitors
Kate Goold, Hickman & Rose
Leo Martin, Freemans
Jim Meyer, Tuckers Solicitors
Jim Myer, Egan Myer
Kim Nihill, Richardson Lissack
Jessica Parker, Corker Binning
Namita Pawa, Hallinans Solicitors
Martin Rackstraw, Russell Cooke
Vince Reveglia, EBR Attridge
Stephanie Roe, Roe Lawyers
Mike Schwarz, Hodge Jones & Allen
Amy Shaffron, JMW Solicitors
David Sleight, Kingsley Napley
Baljit Tank, Tank Jowett
Katie Wheatley, Bindmans
Pat Wilson, Bark & Co
The 2026 rankings of leading Criminal Defence Lawyers in the Greater London Metropolitan Area, identified by fellow London Criminal Lawyers. Compiled via our independent, peer-review methodology — rankings cannot be purchased.
Previous editions
2025 edition published July 2025
Preeminent
Richard Egan, Egan Myer
Sandra Paul, Kingsley Napley
Ellen Peart, BCL Solicitors
Ben Rose, Hickman & Rose
Andrew Smith, Corker Binning
Leading
Akhtar Ahmad, ABV Solicitors
Steven Bird, Birds Solicitors
Gary Bloxsome, Blackford & Co
Anthony Burton, Simons Muirhead Burton
Kate Goold, Hickman & Rose
Matthew Hardcastle, Kingsley Napley
Paul Harris, Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson
Louise Hodges, Kingsley Napley
Helen Holder, Kangs
Daniel Jackson, BCL Solicitors
Mark Jones, Payne Hicks Beach
Michael O'Kane, Peters & Peters
Jessica Parker, Corker Binning
Julian Richards, Reeds Solicitors
Anthony Smith, Richardson Lissack
Philip Smith, Simons Muirhead Burton
Recommended
Tayab Ali, Bindmans
Grant Ambridge, Murray Hughman
Ola Amosu, Amosu Robinshaw
Rajesh Bhamm, Tank Jowett
Robert Borwick, ABV Solicitors
Mark Bowen, Shearman & Bowen
Anthony Branley, Galbraith Branley
Nick Brett, Brett Wilson
Ian Burton, BCL Solicitors
Costa Cantaris, Cantaris Locke
John Carson, Carson Kaye
Sean Caulfield, Hodge Jones & Allen
Raj Chada, Hodge Jones & Allen
Rose Commander, Hickman & Rose
Martin Crawford-Brown, IBB Law
Nick Dent, Mishcon de Reya
Ben Darabi, Carson Kaye
Joanne Gibbons, IBB Law
Hanisha Godhania, ABV Solicitors
Anthony Graham, Anthony Graham Soicitor
Jonathan Grimes, Kingsley Napley
Daniel Hardstaff, BCL Solicitors
Mark Haslam, BCL Solicitors
Claire Hewitt, ABV Solicitors
Andrew Katzen, Hickman & Rose
John Kaye, Carson Kaye
Shila Keshvari, Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson
Joseph Kotrie-Monson, Mary Monson Solicitors
Tony Marshall, Alexander Johnson
Stuart Matthews, Reeds Solicitors
Leo Martin, Freemans
Jim Meyer, Tuckers Solicitors
John Milner, IBB Law
Dan Morrison, Grosvenor Law
Jon Myer, Egan Myer
Kim Nihill, Richardson Lissack
Namita Pawa, Hallinans Solicitors
Diana Payne, Blackford
Vince Reveglia, EBR Attridge
Jennifer Richardson, Blackfords
Stephanie Roe, Roe Lawyers
Harsha Rupasinghe, Lloyds PR
David Sleight, Kingsley Napley
Chris Stevens, CJS Defence
Baljit Tank, Tank Jowett
Katie Wheatley, Bindmans
Pat Wilson, Bark & Co
Jenny Wiltshire, Hickman Rose
2024 edition published July 2024
Preeminent
Akhtar Ahmad, ABV Solicitors
Sandra Paul, Kingsley Napley
Ellen Peart, BCL Solicitors
Ben Rose, Hickman & Rose
Philip Smith, Simons Muirhead Burton
Leading
Steven Bird, Birds Solicitors
Gary Bloxsome, Blackford & Co
Anthony Burton, Simons Muirhead Burton
Jae Cawardine, Russell Cooke
Peter Csemiczky, Hickman & Rose
Richard Egan, Egan Myer
Matthew Hardcastle, Kingsley Napley
Mark Jones, Payne Hicks Beach
Anthony Smith, Richardson Lissack
Katie Wheatley, Bindmans
Jenny Wiltshire, Hickman Rose
Recommended
Robert Borthwick, ABV Solicitors
Mark Bowen, Shearman & Bowen
Nick Brett, Brett Wilson
Madeleine Carr, Shaw Graham Kersh
John Carson, Carson Kaye
Robert Dynowski, Edwards Duthie Shamash
Scott Ewing, Ewing Law
Paul Graham, Shaw Graham Kersh
Paul Harris, Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson
Dan Jackson, BCL Solicitors
Andrew Katzen, Hickman & Rose
John Kaye, Carson Kaye
Caroline Liggins, Hodge Jones & Allen
Euan MacMillan, Sonn MacMillan Walker
Jon Myer, Egan Myer
Carl Newman, Withers
Jessica Parker, Corker Binning
Manoj Rupasinghe, Lloyds PR
Raymond Shaw, Shaw Graham Kersh
Andrew Smith, Corker Binning
Edmund Smyth, Kingsley Napley