GT Stewart Limited has a large criminal defence team spread across five offices across the Greater London area. This spread gives the firm broad legal aid coverage across the lower courts as well as police stations. Greg Stewart leads the appeals team, assisting clients with applications to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Spearheading the private client team, Will Russell, ‘an absolute class act’, is well known in Southeast London for complex litigation, such as a current client with multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, and child related sexual activity. Mel Stooks, ’a trailblazer and exceptional in her work and approach to her clients’, leads the youth team. Melanie Krudy, in charge of the training and billing team, recently acted in an EncroChat case which concerned conspiracy to supply heroin on a large-scale distribution. Ronnie Manek leads the higher court advocacy group and is well experienced in matters concerning murders involving children and teenagers.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The crime department are subject experts. They are steeped in the knowledge and application of criminal law and practice. Their advice is sound, robust but realistic. ’
‘Will Russell radiates calm and authority. His assessments of both the strengths and possible outcomes of his cases is totally reliable and valued by clients and courts alike. He is the go-to criminal defence solicitor in his field.
- Mel Stooks is an acknowledged expert in youth court law and practice. She represents her young clients with intelligence, in-depth knowledge, empathy and passion. There is no better advocate for young people tangled in the youth justice system than Ms Stooks.’
‘Will Russell is an absolute class act, dealing with the most serious of cases with agility and dedication.'
'Mel Stooks is a trailblazer and exceptional in her work and approach to her clients’
‘Greg Stewart is absolutely standout. He has led the expansion of this firm with care, caution, tenacity and dedication, ensuring that the care and attention given to clients persists throughout. A great leader for an outstanding firm.’
‘Knowledgeable, experienced, relentless in pursuing the best outcome for children. Always child-centred, able to communicate skillfully with children and professional support network.’
‘The firm has a well-deserved reputation for its work in criminal law and appeals, with particular expertise in murder, serious violence and organised crime. It has a loyal client base, and good professional working relationships with some of the best expert witnesses and barristers in the field.'
Work highlights
- Advising two clients on longstanding application before the CCRC regularly featured in the media as a potential miscarriage of justice.
- Defended a client in relation to a charge of conspiracy to supply heroin from London to across Wales.
- Acted for a client regarding conspiracy to supply firearm with intent to endanger life and use it in acts of terrorism.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Greg Stewart, Will Russell, Mel Stooks, Melanie Krudy, Ronnie Manek