The 2012 edition of Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession was published today and Shearman Bowen & Co maintain their high rankings for crime and fraud work for the fourth year running.

In the ‘Crime – London’ category, the firm is once again ranked in band 3, putting us in the top 30 firms in London. The Guide states “This team continues to expand and now totals 12 dedicated lawyers. Sources state that “it attracts very good work,” and is “streetwise but at the same time very professional.” Mark Bowen is highlighted as a leading individual and Ben Ticehurst is recognised in the “Associates to Watch” category

In the ‘Fraud – UK’ category, the firm is ranked in band 4, putting us in the top 30 firms in the UK. The entry states: “This compact London criminal defence boutique regularly attracts high-quality work. It celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, and sources state “their attention to detail and client care are second to none.” Interviewees also note that the team “always attracts very good work.”

MarkBowen is ranked as  a “leading individual” for fraud work; Chambers described him as ”singled out for the quality of his advice in relation to asset forfeiture and regulatory offences”.

chambers link

The Legal 500 guide to the legal profession has just published its 2011 edition, and again ranks Shearman Bowen & Co in the top 20 firms for crime for the third year running.

This year’s entry (September 2011) states:

“Shearman Bowen & Co ‘delivers a first-rate service right across the board’. The team, led by the highly experienced Rick Shearman and Mark Bowen, has an outstanding track record in defending murder cases. The team expanded at associate level, and also welcomed Robert Tolhurst, formerly of Dyers Chambers, as in-house counsel”

The Legal 500 Series provides the most comprehensive worldwide coverage currently available on legal services providers, in over 100 countries.

Legal 500 link

The Koestler Trust is the UK’s best-known prison arts charity. The Trust has been involved in artistic initiatives within the prison system – awarding, exhibiting and selling artworks by offenders, detainees and secure patients – for nearly 50 years.

The annual Koestler Trust awards receive over 5,000 entries a year from prisoners. The awards inspire offenders to take part in the arts, to work for achievement and to transform their lives. The 2010 exhibition attracted 14,000 visitors – showing the public the talent and potential of offenders and people in secure settings. this year’s entries were judged by a distinguished panel including Grayson Perry, Emma Bridgewater and Will Self.

Shearman Bowen supports the work of the Koestler Trust.

We deal with all aspects of criminal law, and we only defend.

We specialise in fraud, serious crime and criminal confiscation.

Watch this space for further details..

This was an extremely serious case; as the trial judge himself put it:”I can’t think of a more aggravated murder”.  A co-defendant found guilty of the murder was ordered to serve a minimum term of 32 years.

Earlier last year we were able to secure bail for Mr Bailey following a successful application for judicial review of the Old Bailey judge’s original refusal. The case was reported here

Mr Butcher was represented from the outset of the investigation by partners Rick Shearman and Ben Holden, and was represented at Aylesbury Crown Court on December 13th by in-house counsel Robert Tolhurst. We were able to agree a basis of plea on our client’s behalf that reflected the true extent of his offending, and which recognised in particular that his personal gain from the offences had been limited. The Judge imposed a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment.

The approach to sentence is an interesting one from the point of view of the collapse of the financial markets in 2008; we are now beginning to see many criminal investigations that started in the aftermath of the credit crunch coming before the criminal courts.

Read court report here

Read press report here