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RANKED IN THE TOP TIER BY LEADING LEGAL DIRECTORIES CHAMBERS UK & LEGAL 500 |
 The
David Gray team continues to grow in
stature, and clients appreciate their
"friendly and accommodating" outlook.
The firm's lawyers act across the full
spectrum of legal work, Recently the
family team has seen an increased volume
of private ancillary relief work, as
well as a growing number of
collaborative family cases, which it is
well placed to handle with a number of
lawyers trained in this field. David Gray Solicitors is one of the most well-known names in the Newcastle upon Tyne criminal defence market for publicly funded work. Its four full-time solicitors act on a range of work, from homicide to road traffic matters. The firm has a long-standing reputation for its immigration work in the region. It provides a broad service which includes asylum and deportation casework, advice on family reunion, certificates of sponsorship, points-based system (PBS) applications and other work-related visas. KEY INDIVIDUALS Mary Shaw is highly regarded for her work in high net worth divorce cases and her thriving public children law practice. She is also known for her expertise in mediation and collaborative law. Experienced practitioner Elspeth Thomson focuses upon the representation of parents, children and other family members in both private disputes and publicly funded care cases. Up-and-coming partner Lucy Mead enters the rankings this year following recommendations from a number of market sources; clients particularly highlight her strong communication skills. She is adept at handling a variety of family law issues and specialises in financial provision, cohabitation and domestic abuse 
casesBrian Hegarty is a higher courts advocate, with enthusiastic sources describing him as a "diligent and thorough practitioner who runs the practice very well." He recently appeared in the Court of Appeal for a 13-year-old boy charged with murder. Bryony Rest leads the immigration team and is hailed for her "hands-on approach” |
 ‘The
leading legal aid firm in Newcastle’, and ‘services its
publicly funded clients in as good and as thorough a way as
its private clients’. Mary Shaw
is ‘exceptional, diligent and well informed’;
Lesley Monkhouse is
‘approachable and personable’; and
Lucy Mead is ‘extremely professional and knowledgeable. Higher rights advocate Brian Hegarty recently secured a non-custodial sentence for Paul Barrett in a novel, eBay-related ‘shill-bidding’ prosecution, and is experienced in defending murder and death-by-dangerous-driving allegations. |