Stokoe Partnership Solicitors

Stokoe Partnership Solicitors is a leading criminal litigation law firm, specialising in representing corporations, public bodies and individuals in high-value, high-profile and complex criminal matters.

The firm: There are three offices, two in London and one in Manchester, and the firm acts in a wide range of serious crime cases, including commercial fraud and regulatory offences, involving multiple jurisdictions.

Stokoe Partnership Solicitors was established in 1994 by Bambos Tsiattalou, whose attention to detail, meticulous case preparation and high level of client care have become the standard and ethos of the firm as a whole. It is because of this approach that the firm secures large-scale cases, referred not only by previous as well as existing clients, but also by barristers and other professionals.

Stokoe Partnership Solicitors’ expertise consistently attracts high-profile criminal defence work prosecuted by bodies, such as HM Revenue & Customs, the Serious Fraud Office, the Crown Prosecution Service, National Crime Agency, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and various other regulatory bodies in relation to serious crime matters including fraud, bribery, corruption, money laundering, fraudulent trading, HMRC and VAT allegations, cybercrime and hacking, drug trafficking, armed robbery, murder and extradition.

Amongst the firm’s clients are top executives and other professionals, both domestic and international, including high-profile and high-net worth individuals as well as professional service firms and corporations. Due to its strong reputation with overseas lawyers and organisations, the firm can provide access to experts in foreign jurisdictions and also receives instructions from foreign lawyers on serious crime matters relating to English Law.

The firm also undertakes civil work and utilises its extensive experience and expertise to advise and represent clients effectively. This work includes civil claims brought by individuals and corporate entities for civil fraud, tax investigation by HMRC and company disputes.

Types of work undertaken
Bribery and corruption: the firm has unparalleled expertise in a wide range of corruption and bribery matters involving the UK and overseas jurisdictions and has extensive experience in representing clients under investigation for these offences, including high-profile cases such as British Aerospace and Mabey and Johnson.

Extradition: the firm has a long-established reputation in this area, including cases from the US, EU countries, UAE, Turkey, Ghana and Thailand.

Fraud and regulatory: the firm specialises in cases ranging from international frauds involving the United Nations and foreign government ministers to large-scale City frauds. It increasingly attracts a growing number of private instructions, both from its own clients and clients referred to the firm, including regulatory issues brought, for example, by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Serious Fraud Office, Health and Safety Executive and Security Industry Authority.

General crime: the firm has vast experience in criminal law, handling a wide range of cases from theft and drug trafficking to murder and terrorism. Its cases often involve serious and complex crimes that are widely reported by the media, such as the Hatton Garden burglary.

Insider dealing: the firm is well-versed in dealing with allegations relating to insider dealing and market abuse, including insider trading; manipulation of transactions and/or devices in the action of insider trading; dissemination of misleading information; and misleading behaviour. It deals with insider dealing cases that have proceeded via both civil and criminal jurisdictions and advises clients who are subject to search warrants or have their assets frozen as the result of restraint orders.

Money laundering: the firm deals with various money laundering investigations and prosecutions. The lawyers have extensive experience challenging restraint orders in such matters. It also represents individuals and businesses that have been subject to Suspicious Activity Reports.

Proceeds of crime: the firm assists clients in matters involving cash seizure, detention and forfeiture; civil forfeiture and civil recovery and confiscation orders, restraints and receivership, and revenue functions.? The firm regularly challenges ex-parte Restraint Orders.

Tax fraud: the firm’s fraud lawyers are experienced in representing clients facing a wide range of tax fraud allegations, and particularly those facing allegations of MTIC/VAT fraud.

Search warrants: the firm regularly acts and has significant success in challenging search warrants obtained by the police, or other investigatory bodies, in the High Court by way of Judicial Review proceedings.

Other areas of expertise include appeals, judicial reviews and road traffic offences.