BLACKFORDS - Key Persons
Alexandra Pruvost is a Solicitor in the Family and Child Care Team. Alexandra specialises in representing parents, grandparents, and other family members who have become involved in care proceedings from the initial involvement with social services to court proceedings.
Alexandra is able to assist clients in a competent and empathetic manner. She is motivated in getting the best possible outcome for her clients and ensures that her clients feel supported throughout any process. Alexandra also regularly attends Court to represent her clients.
Alexandra is fluent in French.
Andrea Skov is a solicitor based in our Woking criminal defence team. Andrea joined Blackfords LLP in October 2022 after obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Law, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma (LPC) and a Master's degree from the University of Law.
Andrea has worked on an extensive range of criminal cases from historical sexual offences to county line drug matters. Andrea frequently attends the police station to represent clients in interviews under caution, both under arrest and voluntarily.
Andrea is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Danish.
Job Titles:
- Consultant Solicitor - Advocate
Andrew has over 20 years experience representing clients at police stations, Magistrates' courts and Crown courts throughout England & Wales.
He has extensive experience conducting cases across the criminal spectrum, specialising in serious and complex cases. His areas of particular interest are homicide; sexual offences; drug conspiracies.
As a Higher Court Advocate Andrew is able to represent clients from the police station through to trial whether that be in the lower or higher courts.
Andrew's instructions are usually from clients who privately fund their defence however in exceptional cases he will consider publicly funded clients.
Andrew's client base includes professionals from the medical, political, finance and entertainment sectors and is the "go to" solicitor for many West End actors. He is also frequently instructed by minority groups including the traveller community. He has been involved in several high-profile cases involving international footballers and globally renowned recording artists. His cases have attracted national and international media coverage and he has appeared in television documentaries as well as being instructed as a legal adviser for a British film.
He is regularly instructed to defend clients prosecuted by the National Crime Agency (previously known as the Serious Organised Crime Agency), Serious Fraud Office, Sapphire Unit (serious sex offence unit in the Metropolitan Police), as well as Trading Standards and HMRC.
He is pro-active and meticulous in his preparation and provides a calming and reassuring presence for his clients. He is a measured and persuasive advocate regularly achieving outcomes that surpass clients' expectations.
Job Titles:
- Senior Litigation Executive
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Chartered Legal Executive
- Legal Executive
Annie Lawrence is a Chartered Legal Executive and a Police Station Accredited Representative and joined Blackfords LLP in 2016.
Annie has considerable experience in representing clients in relation to Criminal and Regulatory Matters at all stages, from initial interview under caution through to trials and appeals again sentence or conviction and any subsequent ancillary proceedings such as Proceeds of Crime.
Throughout her career Annie has defended cases brought by a variety of organisations including the Crown Prosecution Service, Health and Safety Executive, Natural Resources Wales, Trading Standards, Local Authorities, Care Quality Commission, and HMRC.
Her experience covers defending a wide variety of cases including:
Corporate Manslaughter and Health and Safety Offences
Serious Fraud and Money Laundering offences
Drug offences involving large scale conspiracies and county lines.
Serious Violence
Police Misconduct
Breach of Environmental Permits
CQC & GDC Registration Appeals
Novel Foods Compliance Notice Appeals
Annie is highly skilled and passionate about her work. She is very approachable and builds lasting relationships with clients. She has an excellent reputation and is an invaluable support to Counsel she works alongside.
Whilst the majority of her clients are privately funded or have the benefit of Legal Expenses insurance, Annie also represents clients whose cases are funded by Legal Aid.
Job Titles:
- Litigation Executive
- Trainee Solicitor
Bisma is a trainee solicitor in the Family and Care team. Bisma joined Blackfords LLP in June 2021 after obtaining a MA in Law along with a BSc in Business Information Technology.
Bisma has experience within family law having previously volunteered at a domestic abuse refuge. Bisma regularly works on a wide range of matters including assisting and advising clients in public law pre-proceeding meetings.
Bisma is able to assist clients in Urdu and Punjabi.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Litigation Executive
Specialising in white-collar criminal defence, crisis management and co-head of the firm's dispute resolution department, Daniel advises company directors and officers and private individuals. He represents those facing serious and often highly sensitive enquiries and investigations. Daniel is regularly instructed to advise and to defend in large and complex cases, which involve allegations of corporate wrongdoing, corruption, bribery, sanctions breaches, corporate and personal tax evasion, VAT and duty evasion and allegations of frauds involving investments, pensions, property, mortgages and insurance, banking and insider dealing, brought by authorities including the Serious Fraud Office, National Crime Agency, HMRC, Financial Conduct Authority, US Department of Justice, and the police.
Daniel provides discreet advice and assistance to high profile, high net and very high net worth individuals and to a number of national organisations. Daniel currently acts for a client in what is the highest profile case on the world stage in the last century. Daniel is experienced and adept at dealing with multi-media working groups, international agencies and players and governmental bodies. He works with a network of lawyers internationally and is praised for tactical and strategic acumen, clear and comprehensive advice, strong guidance and client support and fearless dogged tenacity.
Daniel advises and assists in relation to a range of regulatory matters involving various specialist bodies, which have included the Electoral Commission, the Charity Commission, the Financial Conduct Authority, the England and Wales Cricket Board and National Trading Standards.
Daniel is highly experienced at providing effective representation for persons being interviewed by investigative bodies and dealing with the realities and aftermath of raids and search warrants - including judicial challenges to them, as well as legal professional privilege matters. He has brought about high profile stays of prosecution in a number of large cases, for reasons of successful abuse of process arguments and he has brought about a change to the BBC Trust policy and protocol for film crews attending raids, as a result of a successful application for a stay of prosecution for reason of a rare, ‘limb two', abuse of process argument, resulting from the conduct of the police and the BBC in the course and conduct of a criminal investigation.
Daniel acted for the first defendant in what is said to have been the largest and most complex tax fraud case ever prosecuted by HMRC and for the past decade represented a key individual in the SFO's investigation into the Kazakhstan mining giant ENRC, an investigation which eventually collapsed in August 2023 following the exposure of serious improprieties and amidst trenchant criticism from the High Court. He has acted for senior journalists, politicians, well-known personalities, sportsmen and royalty.
Job Titles:
- Consultant Solicitor - Advocate
Diana Payne is the Partner in Charge of our Criminal Defence Team. She is also our Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP).
Diana heads one of the busiest criminal defence teams in the country which enjoys the highest rating of Category 1 in the Legal 500 for London and the South East. She brings 30 years' specialist knowledge of criminal proceedings to the representation of her clients.
She has vast experience of a wide range of categories of major crime including sexual offences, violence, fraud, murder and serious drugs offences. Many criminal defence cases involve complex investigations and lengthy trials.
Diana frequently has professionals referred to her who find themselves engaged with the criminal justice system.
She has spent much of her professional life as an advocate in court and is a Higher Court Advocate. She has proven experience in providing criminal defence services.
Diana has a particular interest in acting for clients in motoring matters, especially those cases whereby diligent representation can make all the difference in avoiding the loss of a licence.
Diana is known for being direct and getting quickly to the key issues. She balances tenacious representation with excellent client rapport. Diana has been the winner of Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Awards, in recognition of her expertise in client care, on multiple occasions.
In her role as an Executive Committee Member of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association, she has been involved in making representations to the Ministry of Justice, consideration of government policies and making formal responses to consultations on proposed legislation.
Emma Oliphant joined Blackfords LLP in the Criminal Defence Team, Croydon in January 2022, having trained as a Solicitor in a Legal 500 firm and qualifying as a Solicitor in January 2020.
She regularly represents clients at the Police Station and the Magistrates' Court and litigates matters in the Crown Court. Emma has experience in defending matters relating to homicide, modern slavery, kidnap, firearms and drug offences.
Emma has an interest in Criminal Defence and Prison Law. She has particular expertise in representing young and vulnerable people, in the Magistrates' Court, the Crown Court and Prison Proceedings, including disciplinaries and Parole Board hearings.
She is committed to ensuring access to justice and has gained a reputation for commitment to ensuring excellent client care.
Gary enjoys an outstanding reputation as one of the UK's leading individual criminal defence and regulatory solicitors. Gary's reputation and specialist legal portfolio are such that he receives instructions from leading companies and ultra-high net worth individuals in international jurisdictions as well as in the UK. In addition, Gary is frequently referred to serious and complex defence investigations and cases by the UK and international law firms, financial institutions and barristers' chambers. This breadth of work provides for a thriving general private criminal defence practice.
Gary's reputation ensures that the country's leading defence QCs, barristers and other leading experts are on hand to act on behalf of his clients and play an essential role within the defence team. Gary has appeared on both TV and Radio commenting upon the law and his cases and continues to be available to comment to the media as an expert criminal defense lawyer.
A uniquely experienced solicitor, Gary's expertise means that he and his team are routinely instructed in the following cases:
All serious fraud work including SFO investigations, cartel offences, company investigations, MTIC, diversion and PONZI frauds, boiler room frauds investment frauds, money laundering business trading frauds, tax fraud, short and long term frauds, insider dealing, market abuse, bribery and corruption (including cross border corruption investigations) and all POCA related matters
Business regulatory law, breaches of health and safety and health and safety acts, corporate manslaughter, food safety, trading standards, consumer protection and environmental health
Investigations by the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), now known as the Service Police Legacy Investigations
Allegations of war crimes
Electoral matters
Investigations brought by the Competition and Markets Authority (formerly OFT)
European Arrest Warrants (EAW) and Interpol Red Notices
Disqualification of directors, judicial review and case stated
Professional Disciplinary, SRA, BSB and sports regulatory law
General criminal defence work
Gary is a Partner in the firm and heads the Regulatory Team. He has a particular emphasis on all aspects of employment-related criminal matters and Health and Safety and Regulatory Law.
Gary regularly receives instructions in the following cases:
Health & Safety investigations and prosecutions
Gross negligence manslaughter and corporate manslaughter
Fraud
Allegations against professional persons:
(including teachers facing allegations of assault (including sexual assault) against pupils in their care, an allegation against care workers for neglect / abuse of vulnerable persons, NHS workers and medical staff facing allegations of negligent treatment, assault (including sexual assault), theft of prescribed drugs, etc..)
Regulatory offences, disciplinary and conduct matters
(including directors disqualification)
Coroners Inquests
Serious and general crime
Gary acts for individuals, companies and other organisations and specialises in investigations and prosecutions of corporate manslaughter or manslaughter by gross negligence where there has been a workplace fatality. He has represented clients in high profile and complex cases. Instructions arise from the initial investigation carried out by the police or regulatory body right through to the Magistrates' or Crown Court trial. He has been instructed in numerous workplace incidents and disaster investigations and represented clients' interests at Coroners Court inquests.
Gary has a proven track record of advising and representing clients on employment and disciplinary matters and has represented professionals, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, social workers and care workers, teachers and head teachers, prosecutions (as outlined above) and fitness to practise and disciplinary hearings before their regulatory bodies.
Gary also advises companies on health and safety policies and procedures and regulatory compliance across many industries including railways, road and transport, construction, waste, gas and fire. He has also provided training in health and safety to companies, trades unions and other organisations. Gary receives instructions from clients all over the country.
George is a Chartered Legal Executive with over 20 years' experience specialising in criminal law. Commencing his employment with Blackfords in 1994 he has remained at the firm since.
During this time George has established an extensive and loyal client base which is almost exclusively referral based.
George's approachable and down to earth manner helps put his clients at ease and establish the rapport he is known for developing with them. Key to this is the straightforward advice he gives and his hands on approach to case preparation.
George is usually instructed in the more serious Crown court cases involving murder, serious assault, drugs supply, robberies, fraud and those involving firearms. He has also been instructed to act in relation to a number of large scale multi-handed football related disorders at numerous courts around the country.
Many of the cases he has been instructed in have been reported within the national media.
George is also an accredited police station advisor who frequently attends police stations out-of-hours in order to represent his clients.
In his spare time and when not running around after his kids George enjoys football, golf and playing the guitar.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Solicitor - Advocate / Head of Criminal Defence Team, Woking
"She has a razor sharp strategic eye which she deploys to the advantage of every client"
Hannah Giles started her career in Criminal Law following successfully completing the Bar Vocational Course in 2008. Hannah subsequently cross-qualified to become a Solicitor, and undertook her Higher Rights of Audience to become a Solicitor Advocate. Hannah is now Head of our Criminal Defence Team in the Woking Office.
Hannah has extensive experience of publicly funded and private work encompassing a wide range of matters, including:
Dishonesty offences
Offences against the person
Gang crime
Fraud
Sexual offences
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Litigation Executive
Helen is widely considered as one of the best POCA Lawyers in the England having been instructed on some of the biggest and most complex cases, preparing one case alone for over 3 years leading a team of 5, her work successfully reducing the benefit figure from £17m to £12m and the available amount from £3.4m to £1.7m.
She has also worked on numerous other cases including substantive POCA cases, ancillary matters such as applications under Section 11, Section 22, Section 23 and Section 10a's.
Helen is a committee member of Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association (POCLA) and is responsible for all organising Seminars both in Manchester, Leeds and London.
In her previous roles Helen built up two successful POCA departments, once of which included a team of five full time lawyers.
Helen has specialised in POCA work for over a decade and in that time she has worked on some of the biggest cases including:
Supreme Court case of National Crime Agency v Gale - one of the leading cases in civil recovery
National Crime Agency v Aslam - another precedent setting civil recovery case
R v H A multi million-pound legal highs case which, following a contested hearing, resulted in the benefit figure being reduced by over £4m which in turn lead to it being lower than his available amount. He left with money being returned to him which is very rare.
R v W Another multi-million-pound legal highs case - the biggest in the Country. During this case her work was highly praised by the Judge and Leading Counsel said of her efforts "the best piece of work he had seen in 37 years at the bar". Also defeated a £7m hidden asset argument following a 5 day contested hearing.
Her practice areas cover the full range of POCA matters, including:
Preparing all defence elements and Section 17 statements;
Advising in respect of pre-charge Restraint Orders, and making variations to pay bills and increase living allowances, etc;
Attempting to negotiate settlement of proceedings prior to hearings;
Representing defendants at in enforcement proceedings;
Defending applications to appoint management receivers;
Certificates of inadequacy applications before the High Court (CJA 1988)
Handling appeals against Confiscation Orders, particularly out-of-time appeals;
Covering all ancillary matters, including applications under Sections 11, 14, 22 and 23.
Assisting in the realisation of Confiscation Orders, especially if a property needs to be sold.
Helen believes firmly that POCA proceedings do not cease when the order is made, but when the order is paid. This protects clients from enforcement proceedings and possible default sentences.
Helen is based in the North of England but covers cases all over England and Wales. Meeting facilities are available in Manchester by appointment.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Solicitor
Helen joined Blackfords LLP at its launch in April 2007 and has been actively involved in the expansion of the Family and Public Law Child Care Team which she now heads.
Helen has considerable experience in all areas of family law. She now deals primarily in cases concerning complex children matters where Social Services have become involved, representing parents, guardians, children, grandparents and other family members. Most of Helen's clients are from recommendations and previous client referrals.
Helen has expertise in dealing with complex cases involving allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour and non-accidental injuries.
Helen has been involved in a number of complex cases representing the child. Including the reported cases below where the case went to the Court of Appeal twice and the Supreme Court.
Helen became a member of the Law Society's Children Panel in 1997. This is a panel where members will have shown that they have and will maintain a high level of knowledge, skill, experience and practice in the area of children law.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Solicitor - Advocate
Jennifer Richardson joined Blackfords in 2011 and is a Senior-Associate in our Central London office specialising in serious and business crime and regulatory law.
Job Titles:
- Senior Litigation Executive
Jo joined Blackfords LLP in 2014. Jo has been working in criminal law for over 12 years and has gained significant experience in all types of criminal cases during this period, ranging from Road Traffic offences to Murder.
Since joining Blackfords LLP, she has become a valued member of the Regulatory Team in the London Office and works closely alongside Gary Rubin. Jo is regularly instructed by members of trades unions, private referrals and recommendations. Additionally, she acts on behalf of policy holders who have the benefit of Legal Expenses Insurance cover.
Job Titles:
- Consultant Solicitor - Advocate
Job Titles:
- Litigation Executive
- Paralegal
Justina Lukšaitė is a paralegal in the Criminal Defence Team based in Woking. Justina joined Blackfords LLP in March 2020 after obtaining a Diploma in Law at the Mykolas Romeris University, which is one of top 250 Law universities according to "QS World University Rankings by subject 2022".
Prior to this, Justina received a bachelor's degree in Law at the University of Applied Social Sciences, Lithuania and was nominated for the best dissertation of the year.
Justina has worked on a wide range of criminal matters including sexual and offences against children, burglary, drugs matters, offences of dishonesty as well as offences against public justice and similar offences. She strives to provide the highest quality client care, supporting both clients and colleagues to help them achieve the results that they are seeking. In addition, Justina has advised various clients in meetings with barristers and at police station interviews.
Justina speaks fluent Lithuanian and Russian.
Justina has been shortlisted for Paralegal Of The Year at the Surrey Law Society Legal Awards 2022
"She has excellent judgment and a strong grasp of strategy"
Kim is an Associate Solicitor in the Family and Child Care Team. Kim specialises in public children matters where Social Services have become involved with families; she represents parents, grandparents and other family members.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Solicitor
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Solicitor / Head of Criminal Defence Team, Croydon
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Solicitor
- Expert
Lorraine Gallen is recognised as an expert in fraud and business crime together with being an approved specialist fraud supervisor under the remit of the LAA's Very High Cost cases.
Throughout her career, she has handled a wide range of complicated, high value fraud cases. Her experience includes defending MTIC carousel fraud for which her skills were noted within the Legal 500, a multi-million pound conservation related tax fraud, mortgage fraud, EU/Welsh Government grant application fraud, charitable trust fraud, environmental fraud, fraud by abuse of position/misrepresentation, excise duty fraud as well as offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Her wealth of expertise also extends to defending in complex drugs conspiracies and importations as well as confiscation proceedings.
She has an impressive track record and her proficiency and approach in these cases have seen her help set legal precedents and secure high profile acquittals.
She possesses a steely determination and dogged approach in the representation of individuals. She is renowned for her thorough preparation of cases. She commands a mastery of the detail in cases with voluminous quantities of evidence and is adept at distilling the salient issues. She is known for leaving no stone unturned and is tenacious in unearthing material which can ultimately bring a halt to the prosecution's case.
She has been involved in cases brought about by numerous prosecution authorities including: Crown Prosecution Service, HM Revenue and Customs, Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Trading Standards, Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Serious Fraud Office.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Senior Associate Solicitor - Advocate
Lucinda is a Solicitor-Advocate who appears and advises in matters before both lower and higher Courts. She is respected for the tenacious, dedicated and determined defence of her clients and the exceptional client care she provides. As a consequence she has developed a strong and loyal following, receiving referrals from her peers, barristers and Courts.
She is instructed to advise and represent individuals at all stages of an investigation and prosecution, leading exceptional defence teams and instructing some of the country's leading Barristers.
Representing individuals based in the UK and internationally she has particular experience in cases involving international arrest warrants and Letters of Requests for the disclosure of overseas information. Renowned for her thorough preparation of cases, she has established a particular reputation for the representation of clients involved in allegations of fraud and serious crime and is particularly recommended for this area of work in The Legal 500.
Throughout her career Lucinda has defended in cases brought by a variety of organisations including the Crown Prosecution Service, Financial Conduct Authority, Trading Standards, Serious Fraud Office, Department for Business Innovation and Skills, HM Revenue and Customs, Council Authorities, UK Boarder Force and the Iraq Historic Allegations Team.
Her experience includes defending in a wide variety of criminal offences including the following:
Serious Fraud and money laundering offences
Serious violent offences including murder
Sexual offences including complex historic allegations
Weapon offences
Drug offences
Immigration offences
Trademark and counterfeit goods offences
Traffic Act offences
Job Titles:
- Associate Solicitor - Advocate
Job Titles:
- Associate Solicitor - Advocate
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Solicitor
Naureen is a solicitor in the Dispute Resolution Team.
Naureen specialises in defending those embroiled in white-collar crime, complex money laundering, fraud, bribery and corruption, confiscation proceedings and restraint orders.
Naureen also has a successful practice defending those in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, at Court Martials, who face the full spectrum of criminal allegations ranging from driving offences to GBH, drug supply and importation, rape and sexual offences.
She often advises early in an investigation, aiming where possible to avoid criminal charges and either secure no further action or alternative disposal. She has a track record defending clients in complex and often high profile prosecutions, securing numerous acquittals.
Naureen works closely with individuals, large corporations and Government departments. She is part of a team that is often instructed to defend very high net worth individuals who have complex, multi-jurisdictional financial arrangements.
Naureen has spoken at an international conference in Los Angeles on the use of e-discovery platforms in Court cases focussing on Operation Dougal as a case study.
Nicola qualified and practised at a Legal 500 firm in Bristol before moving to the South East in 2001 where she worked for nine years at a firm in Hampshire as the Head of the Family Department. Nicola is known for her tenacious and pragmatic approach to representing clients, she routinely advises high net worth clients both nationally and internationally from our Woking and London offices.
Nicola practises family law exclusively with cases which cover all areas of family law and child law including:
Divorce
Financial matters
Cohabitation disputes
Injunctions
Forced Marriage Protection Orders
Children matters
Family Mediation
Nicola has represented numerous military personnel with regard to divorce and financial matters and gained considerable experience in dealing with Armed Forces pensions whilst working in a garrison town.
Nicola has worked on cases in the local courts and nationally, as well as complex children cases heard in the High Court, including care proceedings and child abduction matters.
At Blackfords LLP, Nicola carries out a range of family and child law cases which are predominantly private client matters and family mediation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Solicitor
Nicola joined Blackfords LLP during 2017, and has 20 years post qualification experience in criminal law.
She specialises in the defence of serious crime and fraud cases and has been recommended for her specialism in white collar crime in the Legal 500.
Nicola has been involved in a number of high profile cases over the years and regularly deals with complex cases involving many thousands of pages of evidence.
She also advises clients in relation to ancillary matters such as Restraint Orders and confiscation.
Nicola also specialises in the defence of regulatory matters, such as health and safety prosecutions and appeals against the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Job Titles:
- Director / Head of the Cardiff Office
Job Titles:
- Senior Litigation Executive
Job Titles:
- Associate Solicitor - Advocate
Job Titles:
- Associate Solicitor - Advocate