Matthew Hardcastle

Matthew’s specialty is in pre-charge investigations and litigation. Matthew has particular experience acting in high-profiles matters, including cases involving members of the media, the entertainment industry, professional athletes, politicians, and regulated individuals.
 

Criminal defence and police investigations

Matthew has acted in a number of the most significant investigations of the past five years and has established himself as one of the country’s leading specialists in Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace investigations providing advice to both companies and individuals.

He’s also specialised in police station representation and acts for young people accused of serious criminal offences.

White collar crime

Matthew regularly acts for regulated individuals and company officers facing a criminal investigation, including in a number of significant SFO investigators and prosecutions. 

Matthew is ranked in Chambers UK UK  and listed as Next Gen Partner in Legal 500 UK.

Matthew combines his practice with academic work and he is the author of the leading practitioners’ texts on providing advice during a criminal investigation. He is the co-author of three books on police station law and procedure:

• Defending Suspects at Police Station;
• Police Station Adviser’s Handbook;
• Blackstone’s Police Station Handbook

He’s also the co-author of Legal Action Group’s Police Station: Update; on the editorial review board of The Criminal Law Review; and is the chair of Criminal Law Week: Live.

RECENT CASES

2020 onwards

• Providing advice to companies and individuals in respect of sexual misconduct investigations.
• Representing children and young people who are the subject of a police investigation.
• Representing high profile individuals accused of committing serious sexual offences.

2019-2020

• Representing an Executive Committee Member of a multi-national company during an internal investigation.
• Providing specialist advice to leading law-firms and chambers in relation to Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace investigations.
• Representing a number of individuals in relation to #MeToo allegations.
• Representing regulated individuals accused of Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace.
• Providing advice and assistance to senior officers in regulatory matters.

2018 – 2019

• Representing a senior member of the finance industry during an SFO investigation.
• Representing a professional athlete accused of sexual assault.
• Representing a prominent entertainer accused of historic sexual offences.
• Representing regulated individuals accused of dishonesty offences.
• Acting as the disclosure officer in a private prosecution.

Earlier

• Representing a former CEO in an SFO prosecution.
• Representing a banker accused of fraudulent trading.
• Representing a legal executive accused of sexual assault.
• Representing a client in a complex ‘land-banking’ and ‘Carbon Credit’ fraud.
• Representing a political candidate accused of an offence under the Representation of the People Act 1983

 

What clients and directories say

 Matthew Hardcastle's friendly, easy manner belies a steely core. He will fight tooth and nail for his clients. I have never done a case with him that we haven't won, in no small part to his hard work, dedication and intelligence."

Legal 500 UK, 2026

He is really good at heading things off and pulling people together collaboratively."

Chambers & Partners UK, 2025

Matt Hardcastle – an amazing lawyer. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of criminal law, which he deploys to great effect. A go-to lawyer who will take every good point there is in the case and will invariably come out on top."

Legal 500 UK, 2024

My primary involvement was with Matthew Hardcastle, an exceptional partner, working in the field of youth crime. The 24hr emergency helpline was invaluable, as was the calm and reassuring manner in which the firm moved swiftly to deal with both police and youth offending teams."

Legal 500 UK, 2024

The team around Sandra Paul, Matt Hardcastle and Maeve Keenan is highly professional, and every client should honour their honesty, professionalism and profound in-depth analysis of all options. Their thoughts do not only include the easy and obvious ones, but they are mind-blowing brilliant. Working with and being represented by them is the best decision."

Legal 500 UK, 2024

Matthew Hardcastle is a consummate criminal solicitor, with an excellent feel for a case and a determination to do everything that he can for his clients.”

Legal 500 UK, 2022

 

 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND SOCIETIES

• Young Fraud Lawyers Association (YFLA)
• Commercial Fraud Lawyers Association (CFLA)
• Editorial Board, The Criminal Law Review (Sweet & Maxwell)
• Chair, Criminal Law Week: Live 
• Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Justice Select Committee (for the Eleventh Report of Session 2017-19: Disclosure of Evidence in Criminal Cases).

 

PUBLICATIONS, PRESS HIGHLIGHTS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Books 

• Defending Suspects at Police Stations (8^th Edition) (Legal Action Group).
• The Police Station Adviser's Handbook (Legal Action Group).
• Blackstone’s Police Station Handbook (Oxford University Press).

Periodicals

• Police Station: Update (Legal Action Group).

Articles

• A reflection on 10 years of the offence of controlling and coercive behaviour - Solicitor's Journal, April 2025
• Sir Brian Leveson’s review of the courts, The Law Society Gazette, January 2025
• It's good to talk, The Law Society Gazette, October 2023
• Work in the police station remains chaotic and unsafe, The Law Society Gazette, April 2020
• COVID-19: Managing health and risk whilst in police custody - an update, The Law Society Gazette, March 2020
• COVID-19: Managing health and risk whilst in police custody, The Law Society Gazette, March 2020
• Opening statement in police interviews is still an important strategy, The Law Society Gazette, July 2019
• Agenda: How best to react to claims of sexual misconduct, The Scottish Herald, September 2018
• The risk of Salmond’s aggressive approach to allegations, The Times, September 2018
• BOOK REVIEW: Best defence, The Law Society Gazette, January 2018
• The Changing Status of the Defence Solicitor (The Criminal Law Review: Crim. L. R. 2016, 11, 830 – 843).
• Recent cases on inferences from “silence”: what is left of the right to silence? (The Criminal Law Review: Crim.L.R. 2022, 10, 796 – 813).

Media quotes

• Firms must avoid “knee-jerk response” to sexual misconduct claims, Legal Futures, May 2023
• Pace Odyssey, The Law Society Gazette, March 2020
• Tackling domestic abuse, New Law Journal, January 2019
• Sleazy sex-for-rent landlords face jail, The Times, January 2019
• Lie detection tests for convicted domestic abuse offenders is a costly distraction, Solicitors Journal, December 2018
• Green faces Met Police inquiry over allegations, The Daily Telegraph, December 2018
• Out of the loop, The Law Society Gazette, October 2017