Victim's Advocates Scheme
Personal & Social Legal Advice Solicitors
The following list provides details of Personal & Social Legal Advice Solicitors who have volunteered to participate in the Victims' Advocates Pilot Scheme and who are therefore willing to accept instructions under the pilot scheme.
The information provides the name of the Personal & Social Legal Advice Solicitors and their contact details. Solicitors were also asked to provide additional information in their own words which is intended to assist clients when making their choice. HMCS cannot endorse any particular individual but has provided the information to assist families with their choice of advocate.
This list is not intended to be either a closed list or to be a list of Personal & Social Legal Advice Solicitors recommended by HMCS. It is not intended to restrict clients when choosing a solicitor- clients are free to choose a solicitor whose name is not on the list.
London
Name: Rachel Lancaster
Address:
Tremletts Solicitors
69 Grand Parade
Brighton
BN2 9TS
Email: rachel@tremletts.com
Contact Number(s): 01273 603314
Length of Experience in Criminal Work: 14 Years
Comments: I have been qualified as a Solicitor specializing in criminal law for 14 years I am also an equity partner.
Name: Sara Alessandrini
Address:
Messrs. O'Keeffe Solicitors
1b Dyne Road,
London NW6 7XG
Email: sara@oksol.co.uk
Contact Number(s): 020 7644 8800
Length of Experience in Criminal Work: 13 Years
Comments: I am a partner at O'Keeffe Solicitors and my main area of expertise is in criminal defence work. I have gained invaluble experience in this field which will enable me to advise and assist victims of crime as to how their case will progress through the criminal justice system and hopefully help them to understand the process and achieve the result they hoped for.
Name: Prasad Palihawadana
Address:
LloydsPR Solicitors
Blue Print Commercial Centre
Watford
WD24 4JD
Email: lloydspr@aol.com
Contact Number(s): 01923 201717 (M) 07802 44 938
Length of Experience in Criminal Work: 10 Years
Comments: Overall I have 20 years experience as a defence and prosecution Lawyer. During the last 10 years I have advised clients on welfare benefits and debt matters and other general issues. My partner has experience in immigration and criminal law. Members of our firm come from various ethnic backgrounds and therefore speak several other languages. As I mention earlier my main area of experience is in criminal defence work and have gained invaluble experience on the criminal justice system. I believe that this experience will help me to advise victims of crime as to how their case will progress through the system. I have also dealt with people suffering with mental health problems and I am aware of the mental health law in relevance to criminal matters.
Languages: Tamil, Singalese
Name: Harsha Rupasinghe
Address:
LloydsPR Solicitors
Blue Print Commercial Centre
Watford
WD24 4JD
Email: lloydspr@aol.com
Contact Number(s): 01923 201717
Length of Experience in Criminal Work: 3 Years
Comments: Experience in immigration and criminal law.
Languages: Singalese
Name: Simon Tierney
Address:
A. Patrick Keogh
335 Muswell Hill Broadway
London N10 1BW
Email: simon@conditional-fee.co.uk
Contact Number(s): 02072724434/0507
Length of Experience in Criminal Work: 23 years
Comments: I have been continuously engaged in private practice including criminal law since admission and I have extensive experience of dealing with clients as individuals, including advising on a wide range of legal matters, including family. I also have extensive experience of criminal advocacy.
Name: Sulayman Babatunde DAWODU
Address:
Crescent & Co Solicitors
2 Station Place
Finsbury Park
London N4 2DH
Email: sulayman@crescentandco.com
Contact Number(s): 020 8883 4412 (M) 07932570246
Length of Experience in Criminal Work: 8 years
Comments: I qualified as a Duty Solicitor in 2004. I am also a Prison law practitioner. My firm deals with substantial caseload in prison law across the UK. I am an ardent protector of human rights of all classes especially the most vulnerable including children, disabled and ethnic minorities. I make no distinction on the issue of violation of human rights in all species.
I have a huge interest in human relationship and behaviour. I relate with people across the board from different works of life easily and smoothly. I entertain no discrimination of human beings and very cognisant of not hurting feelings of my fellow beings. My working principle is in line with the Bentham`s doctrine of the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people.
Name: Girish Thanki
Address:
TNT Solicitors
Imperial Works
Perren Street
London NW5 3ED
Email: girishthanki@tntlaw.co.uk
Contact Number(s): 020 7485 5558
Length of Experience in Criminal Work: 20 years
Comments: Commentary: I am a higher courts advocate (criminal law) with substantial experience of criminal law, both domestic and international. I have experience of Coroner’s Courts and forensic, scientific matters. My firm has significant expertise in trans-cultural and mental health issues in the criminal context. I speak Gujarati and others in the firm can speak French, Vietnamese, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu