Legal 500 2009 rankings
15th October 2009
The annual directory of the UK's best law firms and lawyers
Legal 500 UK 2009 has now been published online.
See Hodge Jones & Allen LLP
profile and rankings here. The Legal 500 has been established
for over 20 years and is one of the leading authorititive
directories in UK.
Two teams improved their rankings from last
year. Congratulations to the Criminal defence
team, who have moved up from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and to
Housing team, who have entered the rankings at
Tier 5.
About the Civil Liberties
team (Tier 4)
Hodge Jones & Allen LLP is ‘legally
innovative’ and ‘committed to civil liberties work’. Led by
Jocelyn Cockburn, who ‘works tirelessly for her
clients’, and ‘exceptionally committed’ partner Susie
Labinjoh, the practice specialises in actions against the
police, miscarriages of justice, and inquests relating to deaths in
custody. The team is currently seeking compensation for clients
wrongfully detained by immigration authorities, and represented
Catherine Smith in the Court of Appeal on the applicability of the
Human Rights Act to soldiers serving abroad.
About the Clinical Negligence
team (Tier 4)
The ‘energetic’ Jacqui Hayat
and the ‘switched-on’ Olivia Lawson lead a
‘well-knit’, ‘dedicated’ two-partner team at Hodge Jones &
Allen LLP. Highlights included two significant multi-million pound
cases including a case involving a failure to diagnose and treat a
very rare inherited disorder which left a child severely brain
damaged.
About the Crime team
(Tier 2 - up from Tier 3 in 2008)
Hodge Jones & Allen LLP achieved a string
of acquittals in murder and rape cases in 2008, including the
acquittal of an individual who was the only defendant to obtain an
acquittal in the gang-related murder case R v Hussein, on the basis
of alibi evidence. Higher court advocate Nigel
Richardson heads the crime department, and is involved in
a number of high-profile appeals.
About the Family
team (Tier 5)
Hodge Jones & Allen LLP’s ‘legal knowledge
and client care is of the highest order’. The group is well known
for its publicly funded cases and has recently seen an increase in
privately funded work.
About the Housing team
(Tier 5)
Hodge Jones & Allen LLP’s Ian
Greenidge is experienced in possession, disrepair,
homelessness, unlawful evictions and transfer of tenancies.
About the Personal injury –
claimant team (Tier 4)
The ‘first-rate’ Patrick
Allen heads Hodge Jones & Allen LLP’s ‘extremely
efficient’ seven-partner department. In 2008 the firm set up a
military claims department to handle claims against the MoD, and is
handling a number of ongoing post traumatic stress disorder claims.
The ‘extremely clever’ Peter Todd specialises in
catastrophic and fatal injury claims, particularly vaccine injury
cases. Alison Parker is ‘brilliant with clients’,
and Melanie Williams is ‘incredibly able’.