Tuckers Solicitors

Updated on Dec 31, 2024

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No. of offices 12 Major practice areas Criminal Defence Founded 1980		No. of attorneys Over 200 Date founded 1980 Number of offices 12

Key people Barry TuckerRichard EganJim MeyerFranklin SinclairPhil SmithAdrian Macho Company type Limited Liability Partnership Profiles Facebook Twitter

Tuckers Solicitors LLP, known as Tuckers Solicitors, is a national criminal defence firm that has particular specialisation in serious crime, extradition, martial and military law, civil liberties, human rights, cyber crime and is one of the largest law firms headquartered in London. The firm featured in series of television shows about crime and disorder on national channels and has appeared on national news, commenting on various legal affairs.

History

The firm was formed in 1980 by Barry Tucker, its founding partner, and from its earliest days it devoted much of its practise to criminal defence, although it has since diversified into a full-service law firm that provides legal advice to a wide range of clients across many practice areas including civil litigation and immigration. In the early 2010, the firm began to move away from pure legally aided criminal defence work towards private client, merging with other criminal practises around the country. It continued to expand throughout northern England and as far north as Manchester. By 2016 Tuckers have employed more than 200 lawyers in over 12 offices throughout London, Kent, Manchester and Birmingham.

Mergers

Tuckers have continually been growing in size. In December 2013 they announced merger with Robin Murray & Co solicitors based in Kent, with the benefits to both firms coming through the sharing of resources and back-office functions, to lower practice costs. In September 2013, Tuckers had gone into partnership with Mulrooney Craghill, a Sussex-based criminal practice based near Brighton and Sussex which has kept its own name and format after the merger. In October 2016 Tuckers added Kent Defence Ltd based in Margate to their operation in Kent.

Television appearances

In 2012 the firm featured in "The Briefs", ITV series which drew an audience of about 2.4 million viewers during the first show. The second show was up against the likes of Usain Bolt show with audience of nearly 3 million viewers.

Practice areas

Tuckers Solicitors' practice areas include:

The firm is considered "the go-to place" for criminal defence and advocacy.

Notable solicitors

Franklin Sinclair, managing partner at Tuckers, has starred in ITV television series The Briefs. He has been described by TV Choice Magazine as Britain’s leading defense lawyer at one of UK’s biggest legal practices, who’s clients include the likes of Wayne Rooney.

Richard Egan, senior partner at Tuckers, in a widely publicised case represented Tania Clarence, a wife of an investment banker in her defence to a charge of murder in connection with the deaths of her three disabled children. Clarence family friends said the mother had felt under constant pressure by local authority and had been “very derogatory about Kingston social services”, the court heard. Speaking after the trial, Clarence said "lessons need to be learned" from his wife's story of "dedication and love" which turned to "despair and utter hopelessness". In a statement issued on his behalf, Richard Egan blamed medical professionals and social services for contributing to Tania Clarence's depression.

Jim Meyer, senior partner at Tuckers, is a former president of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association and is regularly asked by criminal defence representative organisations to provide advice and contribute towards policy papers regarding criminal litigation practice and procedure. He is asked to provide commentary on behalf of, and quoted by, a number of media outlets, most notably on the demise of an adequately funded public criminal defence service and the growing inequality between those who can afford to pay for their own defence and those who must rely on legal aid. Such publications include The Telegraph, The Law Society Gazette and the New Law Journal. Meyer has consistently ranked as a top criminal solicitor in the independently researched trade directories The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

Phil Smith, senior partner at Tuckers, is a regular commentator for BBC on Newsnight, BBC News, Radio 4's Today Programme & World at One, Radio 5 Live Drive and Victoria Derbyshire Programme, ITN, Channel 4 News and Dispatches. He is also a commentator on Satellite broadcasting Arise TV and writes articles on legal topics for Huffington Post. Smith represented Neil Wallis, former Deputy Editor of The News of the World and Andy Coulson's confidante, recently acquitted of conspiracy to hack mobile phones after a high profile Old Bailey trial, throughout the entire four years’ Metropolitan Police Operations Weeting and Pine Tree and also at the Leveson Inquiry on three occasions when he gave evidence. He also represented a former Mirror Editor throughout Operation Golding, the police investigation into phone-hacking at Mirror Newspapers, also representing him in related High Court litigation.

Notable awards and rankings

In 2016 Chambers and Partners named Tuckers the nation’s biggest criminal law practice, and is the only law firm to receive the national recognition for their work in defence.

References

Tuckers Solicitors Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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