Wilson Solicitors LLP

Wilson Solicitors LLP, originally founded in 1989 as Wilson and Co by Andrew Wilson and Michael Hanley, converted to a limited liability partnership in April 2010. The firm has grown from a small legal aid practice into a substantial 13-partner organisation employing around 90 staff, with a strong national reputation for excellence. A significant proportion of its work arises through personal recommendations from clients and referrals from other professionals.

The firm operates with four key objectives: to provide effective legal advice at competitive cost, to deliver a high-quality professional service, to sustain and enhance its reputation, and to use law to promote and defend human rights. Its work is focused on three principal practice areas.

In immigration law, Wilson Solicitors LLP maintains one of the largest specialist departments in the UK, comprising 25 solicitors. The team advises clients from diverse backgrounds and is recognised for thorough preparation and a “get it right first time” approach, securing many successful outcomes on initial application. The firm has extensive experience in appeals, judicial review, and high-profile Supreme Court cases, and appears regularly before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in national security matters. All immigration lawyers are accredited under the Law Society Asylum and Immigration Law Accreditation Scheme. Two partners were appointed as part-time judges in 2006 and sit in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber).

In family and children law, the firm has ten solicitors, including three members of the Law Society Children Panel, who represent the interests of children in care proceedings. The department also includes members of the Law Society Advanced Family Law Panel and of Resolution. The practice advises on all aspects of marriage and civil partnerships, including prenuptial agreements, divorce, dissolution, domestic violence, and ancillary relief, and is experienced in high-value financial disputes. Referrals are regularly received from statutory and voluntary agencies working with children, as well as from private clients.

In public law, the firm employs eight solicitors who specialise in matters involving unlawful detention, abuse of state power, and community care. The team acts in cases against public authorities including local councils, the police, the Home Office, and the General Medical Council. Particular expertise includes challenging detention in immigration removal centres and securing financial compensation. The firm holds legal aid contracts in public law, civil actions against the police, and community care.

Staffing
13 UK partners
60 other UK fee-earners