Olliers Solicitors, headquartered in Manchester with a further office in London, is one of England’s most consistently highly ranked criminal defence practices. The firm is ranked Tier 1 for Crime and Fraud in the North West by the Legal 500 UK 2026 guide, and holds a Band 1 ranking for crime in the Chambers UK 2026 guide.
What the firm handles
Olliers’ criminal defence team, led by managing director Matthew Claughton, covers a broad range of serious criminal and regulatory work: fraud and financial crime prosecuted by bodies including the NCA, HMRC and the Counter Terrorism unit, serious and complex crime, sexual offence allegations, regulatory and professional discipline matters, and motoring offences. The team has represented clients from the pre-charge investigative stage through to trial.
Independent recognition
Both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners are independent legal directories that assess firms through client feedback, peer interviews and case evidence rather than paid submissions alone. Being ranked Tier 1 or Band 1 in either guide, let alone both simultaneously, is a marker used across the profession to identify leading practices in a given specialism. Olliers has also been recognised at the Manchester Legal Awards, winning Crime Team of the Year on multiple occasions.
Other areas the firm covers
Beyond its core criminal defence and fraud work, Olliers handles regulatory investigations including health and safety and firearms licensing appeals, professional discipline matters, inquests, asset recovery, and insolvency connected to criminal proceedings. The firm’s own material describes a policy of taking cases from the earliest investigative stage through to trial, rather than only once charges are brought.
Notable lawyers at the firm
- Matthew Claughton, Managing Director, leads the firm’s crime and fraud practice and is individually ranked as a Leading Partner in the Legal 500 2026 guide.
- Matthew Corn, handles fraud and financial crime cases prosecuted by the National Crime Agency, HMRC and the Counter Terrorism unit.
- Gareth Martin, regulatory specialist covering health and safety, public inquiries, firearms appeals and professional discipline.
- Richard Cornthwaite, fraud and financial crime.
- Zita Spencer, sexual allegation cases, serious crime and fraud.
Recent news from the firm
- October 2025, ranked Band 1 for crime in the Chambers UK 2026 guide, alongside its Legal 500 UK 2026 Tier 1 ranking.
- March 2025, relocated its Manchester office to Fourth Floor, 44 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5GP, doubling its office space as part of a five-year lease.
- 2025, ran a Summer Internship Programme and a student “Meet and Greet” event at its Manchester office for undergraduates and graduates considering a career in criminal defence.
Offices and contact details
Manchester (head office): Fourth Floor, 44 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5GP
London: a satellite office, in addition to the Manchester head office
Telephone: 0161 834 1515
How we researched this review
We checked the firm's 2026 rankings in the Legal 500 UK and Chambers UK guides, its entry on the SRA register and the information on its own website.
Disclosure: Olliers Solicitors has no commercial relationship with Super Solicitor. Firms do not pay to be reviewed. Spotted a factual error? Email [email protected] and we will look into it.