Kingsley Napley is pleased to announce that Jonathan Grimes will become Head of our top-ranked Criminal Litigation team with effect from 1 April 2026.
Jonathan will assume leadership of the practice whilst continuing his client work, taking over from Louise Hodges who continues to focus on developing the team’s practice and her own client work, in addition to her board responsibilities and external leadership positions.
Our Criminal Litigation team has a long history as a market leader in criminal litigation and related areas, having been involved in many of the most significant cases over the past 90 years. The team is top ranked by the legal directories in many criminal law specialties and was recognised as Financial Crime and Investigations Team of the Year at the Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Awards 2025.
Jonathan has been a specialist criminal law adviser to individuals and organisations for twenty-five years. His experience over that time has given him a broad and deep understanding of all areas relating to criminal law. His expertise is recognised by the market and reflected in the legal directories. While his early career focussed on serious and general crime, his current practice primarily comprises representation in all areas of white collar and business crime. Much of his work has an international aspect, and he is also one of a small number of UK solicitors with experience advising on war crimes investigations and related matters. Jonathan joined the firm in 2002 and has been a partner since 2010.
Louise, who has led the team to great success over the past eight years, is one of the most respected criminal lawyers in the UK, and often the first call for those facing corporate criminal liability and economic crime investigations. During her storied career, Louise has acted in numerous high-profile cases, including Rebekah and Charlie Brooks’ phone hacking trial, and the Tesco Deferred Prosecution Agreement. She is unique in being in the Legal 500’s Hall of Fame in three different areas: Fraud - White Collar Crime; Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime; and Financial Services - Contentious. She is Chair of the City of London Law Society (CLLS) Corporate Crime and Corruption committee.
Matt Meyer, Managing Partner at Kingsley Napley, said,
I would like to thank Louise for her superb stewardship of our Criminal Litigation practice and wish Jonathan well with his new responsibilities. Our market-leading team is highly respected by peers and clients alike, combining legal excellence with compassion for clients who often come to us at a difficult time. I am confident that with Jonathan leading the team, and Louise focused on her clients, board responsibilities and external roles, we will continue to lead the market and maintain our formidable reputation in this area of our work.”
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