Further promotions at Olliers Solicitors

We are delighted to announce a number of promotions at Olliers to take effect from 1st September 2024.

Jack Tomlinson, Martha Odysseos and Hannah Poole have all been promoted from solicitor to Associate as we continue to bolster our team of criminal law specialists.

Jack Tomlinson

Jack Tomlinson represents clients at all stages of the criminal investigation process, has successfully completed the police station accreditation process and represents clients at the police station regularly. Jack has developed a keen interest in pre-charge investigations and has completed the completed the Olliers’ internal pre-charge accreditation programme.

Martha Odysseos

Martha joined Olliers in 2021, initially as part of the litigation support team, before qualifying as a solicitor in February 2024. Martha is the winner of the Manchester Legal Awards Trainee Solicitor of the Year 2024 as a result of her work as a trainee during the qualifying period in 2023.

Martha represents clients at every stage of the criminal investigation process. Martha is also regularly instructed by privately paying clients in relation to Fare Evasion, DBS and TRA (teachers) matters and is integral to the firm’s growing regulatory offering.

Martha has completed the Olliers’ internal Pre-Charge Accreditation programme and is experienced in drafting pre-charge representations. She has successfully secured conditional cautions for a number of clients saving them the anxiety, stress and costs of going to court.

Hannah Poole

Hannah Poole joined Olliers in January 2021 and completed her training contract with the firm. She qualified as a solicitor in August 2023 and is commended for her approachable nature with each client and ensures that everyone she represents is considered on a case-by-case basis with her meticulous style.

Hannah deals with both private and publicly funded work undertaking a significant amount of pre-charge investigation work. She appreciates how crucial this process can be in avoiding a charging decision by adopting a proactive approach from the get-go and has frequently made representations against charge on behalf of the client.

Commenting on her promotion, Hannah said:

“Over the past year, assisting senior colleagues with such extensive experience has allowed me to mature my legal style and identify key areas of interest, such as pre-charge engagement.

Working for such a specialised firm is invaluable in terms of progressing my career, and it’s inspiring to work alongside such seasoned experts. Olliers is genuinely committed to helping team members flourish, and it’s wonderful to feel supported and encouraged.”

Olliers’ commitment to the future of criminal defence

At Olliers we are passionate in our commitment to encouraging new entrants to the profession and the future of criminal defence. There may be a recruitment crisis in criminal defence but not at Olliers.

Every year, Olliers holds a paid summer internship programme at its Manchester office. 
The 2024 internship programme has just concluded, and the firm will recruit a number of this year’s interns.  We hold an annual student meet and greet event and are due to hold our inaugural virtual intern day for the first time on Friday 6th September.

Given that most criminal law firms do not offer training opportunities, our level of commitment is exceptional.

Matthew Claughton, Managing Director

Managing Director of Olliers, Matthew Claughton, added:

“Our lawyers are all experts in their field, and I’m incredibly pleased to be making promotions across the board. We know that our people are the key to our success, and by nurturing their talent from the very offset, we can build a criminal defence team that operates at the highest possible standard.”

Specialist Criminal Defence and Regulatory Lawyers

Olliers Solicitors is firmly established as one of the UK’s leading criminal defence and regulatory law firms specialising in the defence of individuals, businesses and other organisations across a broad range of corporate and financial crime, regulatory breaches, serious crime, sexual offences, professional discipline, inquests and public inquiries.

The firm also has expertise in proactively representing clients during the pre-charge investigative stages of a criminal allegation. Nationally, few firms can match our experience and expertise. We are based in Manchester with facilities in London and our client base is nationwide.

In 2024 Olliers won the award for Crime Team of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards for the seventh time, retaining the title from 2023. Our senior lawyers are all leaders in their field. Olliers is ranked by both the leading guides to the profession – the Legal 500 2024 and Chambers Guide 2024. We are a Times Best Law Firm 2024.

Our Managing Director Matthew Claughton is the 2023 Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Criminal Lawyer of the Year. Matthew is also the only two-time Partner of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards most recently in 2021.