Who we are

Here for what matters

Founded in 1971 and based in London’s West End, we are recognised in the legal press and the wider industry as leaders across a range of practice areas.

From our civil liberties and criminal roots in Soho to the full-service law firm that we are today, our empathy and tenacity have always set us apart.

We represent individuals and organisations – from people needing a trusted adviser to protect their rights and interests, to start-up businesses looking for professional guidance as they step up to the next level, to substantial businesses as they expand both in the UK and internationally. We represent those with dynamic ideas, from technology companies raising funding to advising family offices and leading challenger banks.

When we take on a matter, we’re all in. From inception to completion, you can expect us to remain steadfast by your side and fight hard for you.

Since we began, our values and principles have remained at the core of our firm, as has the Death Penalty Project, the charity we founded and continue to support.

As well as seeking the best possible outcomes for clients, we ensure that we demonstrate our commitment to the values that matter to us. Those values impact all aspects of our business: from our lawyers and support staff to our clients, and all the relationships we build with the wider community.

Our values

We have built our firm around our core values and they resonate through every part of our business.

They reflect who we are, how we work and what you can expect from us.

Our core values:

  • Working together

    We work with our clients in the same way we work with each other: based on respect, collaboration and embracing our strengths and also our differences, in an open and non-hierarchical environment.

    We listen, we ask questions, and we cut through the noise to obtain the best outcome for both the short and the long term.

    We know that legal issues are often stressful: we do all we can to take the pressure off, to help you see things more clearly and help guide you through challenging times. Where needed we will take the lead.

  • Taking the lead

    We are leaders in our field, and you will always find us out in front: when working with us, you can be confident you are in safe hands.

    We know that you may be facing situations that are complex and challenging and which place huge demands on your time.

    We won’t hide behind options: we always give clear advice, a strategy and a way forward.

  • Our engagement

    We think differently and are fully committed to everything we do, and we provide the support that our people and our clients need.

    We solve problems in a way that is innovative, commercial and pragmatic.

    Once they join us, our people and our clients stay – and we are proud of the relationships we have built with all of them.

  • Our community

    We celebrate and encourage diversity and promote engagement with the community. We believe supporting wider values is an essential part of any successful business.

    We have been representing individuals on death row since the 1970s, and in 1992 we founded the Death Penalty Project which is based in our offices, and our partners are also its trustees.

    Our objective is to achieve 100% employee engagement in CSR projects, and we support a number of charities with volunteering, pro bono work and donations.

    We recently launched the Bernie Simons Essay Competition for secondary state school students to write about the importance of civil liberties.

Join us

Our clients hire us to work on their most complex business or personal matters and our people have a relentless drive to succeed on their behalf. Spirited, punchy, open-minded and diverse, we have high expectations of ourselves and one another. If this sounds appealing, please have a look at our current vacancies.