ONE of the UK’s most respected lawyers is expanding his firm with a new office in Brighton – 25 years after first setting up in Sussex.

Warren’s Law & Advocacy has launched in Middle Street, which will work with established branches at the Old Bailey in central London, Lewisham and Eastbourne.

The firm’s founder and senior partner Rodney Warren LLB is well-known nationally for his work as a specialist criminal lawyer and is a past chair and director of the Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association.

During a colourful career he has worked cases ranging from an £100 million Cayman Islands investment fraud, corruption and embezzlement in Africa and huge drug importation prosecution.

His firm represented Gary Glitter in 2015, won an out-of-court settlement for a high-profile Brighton celebrity for alleged phone-hacking, and worked pro bono for a paparazzo accused of assaulting Heather Mills in Brighton – an allegation the firm were able to prove was untrue.

Mr Warren, who divides his time between the offices, said: “We’ve always worked in Brighton but never had an office, so it seems logical for us to have a presence here.

“It’s partly because of recent court restructuring and closures in Eastbourne that’s it’s become convenient to have an office near the court in Brighton.

“Our business here has grown and grown. It’s very exciting.”

He added: “We’ve been called the solicitor’s solicitors, which is a nice reflection if other lawyers choose us to represent them.

“As a firm quite adventurous. We look to focus on things that other firm don’t.”

Mr Warren was admitted as a solicitor in 1979 and established the firm in 1994.

He is a Law Society Council Member and a member of its Management Board, a member of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee, a member of the Council of the University of Sussex and a member of the Surrey and Sussex Criminal Justice board.

The firm has extensive experience working with the Serious Fraud Office, has dealt with complex mortgage fraud allegations, money laundering investigations and overseas Bribery and Corruption cases both under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and the Bribery Act 2010.

It has close ties with the film and music industry, a growing specialism in equine law and is finding increasing work in education, as parents seek legal advice over perceived unfairness in the schools admissions system.

The firm now has a 50 strong legal team of solicitors, barristers and consultant QCs working across all areas of law.

www.warrenslawbrighton.co.uk