The highly regarded Ruth Harris leads the financial crime and regulatory team at Hodge Jones & Allen, which works closely with the firm’s other departments to provide ‘expert proactive assistance’ across all stages of financial crime proceedings. Kiran Mehta, described as a ’great strategist‘, represents individuals and corporates in pre-charge issues, investigations works, and at the trial stage. Raj Chada, who leads the firm’s larger crime, financial crime, and regulatory department, represents high-profile individuals accused of fraud. Harris, Mehta, and Chada are ably assisted by Francesca Cociani, who handles HMRC investigation.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Kiran Mehta is very bright and a great strategist.’

  • ‘The team is led by Ruth Harris who is an excellent lawyer - experienced, passionate, dedicated and practical. There is nothing which Ruth has not seen before and she will ensure that you don't put a foot wrong.’

  • ‘Ruth Harris is head of the financial crime team and stands out for her excellent professional judgement, tactical nous and supportive approach to counsel and clients alike.’

  • ‘Hodge Jones and Allen are a very impressive firm with a depth of quality solicitors throughout.’

  • ‘Ruth Harris is a very impressive solicitor who is able to advise on serious and voluminous cases with an ability to get to the heart of the issue swiftly and to explain it in a way her clients will understand.’

  • ‘HJA's fraud team is distinct in the market due to its longstanding experience of its senior lawyers on a wide range of matters, prosecuted by multiple agencies. They work closely with their general crime team, as well as disputes that feed into other closely linked areas of law, such as civil disputes and employment.’

  • ‘Ruth Harris, by far, is a superb litigator. She has an understated style but she is highly effective. She is committed to her clients and displays enormous empathy to individuals facing serious criminal charges. She has practiced in this field for over 20 years and there is little that she does not know about handling complex financial crime. For someone to be so knowledgeable, so humble, and to have excellent client skills is a rare thing indeed.’

  • ‘Led by the experienced and exceptionally empathetic Ruth Harris, the team offers the criminal client a cradle to grave service in that it provides expert proactive assistance from the investigatory stage, throughout the substantive criminal proceedings and during the final confiscation proceedings. The team and Ruth go the extra mile for clients - publicly funded and private paying - and without hesitation it is a team I would recommend.’

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Ruth Harris

Other key lawyers

Kiran Mehta, Francesca Cociani, Raj Chada