“Outstanding” Brighton law firm in top UK rankings. Brighton-based human rights solicitors Matthew Gold & Co has been recognised again in the annual gold standard guide to the UK’s leading law firms.
The prestigious Legal 500 guide for 2017 is published today (October 11th) and ranks the country’s best law firms, highlighting ‘the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel’.
Matthew Gold & Co is recognised in the Civil Liberties and Administrative & Public Law categories as an ‘outstanding’ firm that ‘punches well above its weight’ and ‘provides a dedicated and personal service to clients’.
The firm’s individual lawyers are also singled out for praise, including Brighton-based director Maria O’Connell, who studied at St Mary’s Hall school, and the firm’s ‘hard-working, charming and dedicated’ founder Matthew Gold. Director Clare Jennings, who won Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year in 2016, is recognised as a ‘fearsome fighter’.
Maria O’Connell said: “The firm is going from strength to strength and we’re incredibly proud of the team. Recognition in the Legal 500 is the reward for all their hard work. I am elated to see Harpreet Ajula and Francesca Allen join the Legal 500 recommended ranks and reinforce the fact that there is real talent throughout the firm and plenty still to come’
“Over the next few years we plan to cement our position as one of the UK’s leading civil liberties and public law firms and to continue offering a dedicated and personal service to all our clients. The recognition that our clients are at the forefront of our provision is spot on. They are at the centre of the practice. At the heart of our success is the one team two office attitude which brings the whole firm to those in Sussex, Kent and Surrey”
Local Director Maria O’Connell opened the Sussex office in Brighton in the Summer of 2013 and, together with its North London office, it has seen a rapid expansion to its team who are increasingly seen as the ‘go to’ firm for early advice in the South East. It will expand its Sussex presence with an office opening in Eastbourne in the new year. This is the third year the firm has been listed in the Legal 500 for its Administrative and Public Law work, and the second year it has ranked in the Civil Liberties category.
The firm has a South East legal aid contract alongside its long standing London contract. It provides local early advice to those in the South East providing many with the local legal aid provision so long lacking in the region. The firm specialises in areas such as police misconduct, judicial review, inquests, discrimination and migrant rights. It’s made a public commitment to renewal in the coming year following the Legal Aid Agency’s announcement to re-tender.
Recent successes of Director Maria O’Connell include several damages claims for victims of historic child abuse, a client unlawfully tazered whilst visiting his children and several clients subjected to unlawful police arrests and detentions with a growing number involving mental health detention. Harpreet Ajula, who represented the family at the inquest on the police shooting of James Fox is a regular face at the Brighton office with several local clients. Francesca Allen brings her public law challenges to Sussex with a good run on police cautions. The London public law team recently came to prominence with their challenge of the Prime Minister as to the constitution of the members to the Grenfell Inquiry panel and founder Matthew Gold remains synonymous with miscarriage of justice claims making a name for himself recently in his work with families of those affected by domestic violence deaths.
Go to www.matthewgold.co.uk for more information on the firm, or to www.legal500.com to see the full listings.
For interviews or images, please contact the office on 0208 4459268.