Pictured above: (l-r) Criminal law specialist Bernard
Porter, Raj Bains (managing partner of Challinors White &
Billingham), and Ghulam Sohail (Partner and head of Challinors'
crime team)
Criminal law specialist Bernard Porter has joined the West
Midlands' top-ranking business and serious crime team at Challinors
as a senior solicitor, to head the new crime department at its
Halesowen practice.
Challinors' 20-strong team in the West Midlands is led by
Partner Ghulam Sohail and is the only specialist business and
serious crime team in the region. It has the highest rankings for
its work and expertise in both of the legal professions' most
respected directories, Chambers & Partners and Legal
500.
The Legal 500 2010 edition ranked the team in its Top Tier in
the region and recognised its 'solid team of lawyers'. The team was
recently ranked in Band 1 for Criminal work by the Chambers
directory, which described it as 'having the capacity to deal with
any criminal matter'.
As Head of the crime team at the firms' Halesowen office,
Challinors White & Billingham, Bernard Porter is to
re-establish the criminal team at the practice, which was
originally formed more than twenty years ago as a specialist,
substantial crime firm.
He will work alongside Challinors White & Billingham
managing partner Raj Bains, as well as Challinors crime team in
West Bromwich, heading Halesowen's team dedicated to providing
specialist criminal legal support and advice as part of the largest
and only team of its kind in the Black Country.
Porter has specialised in criminal law since qualifying in 1979
and always worked for criminal law practices in and around the West
Midlands, in particular in the Birmingham area, previously being a
Partner at two firms in and around the city. He has experience of
all aspects of criminal law ranging from motoring offences and
benefits fraud, to murder, and is able to represent clients in the
Magistrates and Crown Courts as he holds the Higher Rights
qualification granted by the Solicitors Regulation
Authority.
Head of Challinors criminal team, Ghulam Sohail comments: "The
firm is delighted Bernard Porter has joined the department as he
brings a wealth of experience in representing and defending clients
before the criminal courts across the West Midlands. He is also a
higher court's advocate and appears before the Crown
Court.
"To have someone of Bernard's calibre as Head of our team at the
Halesowen office adds a significant new resource to the service we
can deliver in the town, and will support the other work of
Challinors White & Billingham, which in particular has a Legal
Services franchise. Bernard has assisted many businesses and
professionals over the years, which for our clients means they now
have access to a credible alternative provider of criminal and
business defence service to that currently on offer in Halesowen.
Bernard will of course be supported by our West Bromwich office,
which is the largest provider of services for this discipline in
the Black Country."
Bernard Porter adds: "This is a great opportunity to be part of
the region's leading and top-ranking criminal law team and to
re-establish the specialist offering in the heart of the Black
Country. Ghulam is widely regarded and respected for his work and
the team as a whole has grown in the last 12 months both in terms
of lawyers and caseload, and its expertise has proved to be a
significant draw, particularly for clients and organisations in
London."
Raj Bains, managing partner of Challinors White &
Billingham, says: "The practice is able to offer an extensive range
of legal support services and advice to the local community and it
is a significant step for us in Halesowen to be able to now
rejuvenate its roots in criminal law with Bernard joining to lead
the re-establishing of this specialism in Halesowen. The new
offering significantly enhances our portfolio of services which
extends from commercial litigation through to property, family and
probate matters - all of which have the added support and benefit
of the 200-plus team of lawyers specialising in individual,
corporate and private client law and who are based across
Challinors network of offices in the Midlands."
Challinors' Business and Serious Crime department represents
private and publically funded clients in matters
investigated/prosecuted by CPS, HMRC, SOCA, SFO and the Counter
Terrorism Unit. Recent successes have including defending in a
Counter Terrorism prosecution, representing a Customs Officer and
CPS caseworker in relation to allegations of corruption. The team
offers 24 hour/7 days a week cover and legal support to
clients.
Challinors has offices in Birmingham, West Bromwich,
Wolverhampton, Halesowen and Nottingham. The firm has 24 partners
and over 100 fee earners, and is ranked as one of the top legal
firms in the West Midlands, being Number 1 in the Chambers UK
Directory in a number of categories, including Crime and Clinical
Negligence.