SLAB figures reveal top earning legal aid lawyers and firms

Law firms

SLAB figures reveal top earning legal aid lawyers and firms


In the law firms league table, Livingstone Brown Solicitors once again came out on top, though its fees slipped by eight per cent. The figure for 2017-18 was £1,762,000, down on the previous year’s £1,924,000.

Latta & Co Solicitors took second place, up from last year’s fourth. Fees were up 18 per cent, from £1,390,000 to £1,647,000 in 2017-18.

Martin Johnston & Socha Ltd Solicitors dropped to third place from second and saw a decline in fees of 12 per cent to £1,550,000, from the previous year’s figure of £1,764,000.

Rising a place to fourth, Bruce McCormack saw a small decrease in fees, which went from £1,345,000 to £1,340,000.

Adams Whyte Solicitors dropped two places to fifth this year and took in fees of £1,255,000, down 16 per cent on the previous year’s £1,489,000.

Advocates

SLAB figures reveal top earning legal aid lawyers and firms

Donald Findlay QC was the advocate paid the most in legal aid fees in 2017-18, returning to the top spot after slipping to third place in 2016-17. His fees rose seven per cent, from £362,000 to £389,000.

He was followed by Brian McConnachie QC, whose fees increased by 16 per cent, taking his 2017-18 total to £308,000, up from £265,000 in 2016-17. Mr McConnachie placed seventh in 2016-17.

Anthony Lenehan jumped a place to third in 2017-18, garnering fees of £304,000, up four per cent on the previous year’s £292,000.

Anthony Graham QC took fourth position, after placing ninth for the preceding two years. His fees rose 12 per cent to £292,000, up from 2016-17’s £260,000.

In fifth place was John McElroy, who rose from eleventh place in 2016-17 and took home fees of £277,000, an increase of 15 per cent on the preceding year’s £241,000.

Solicitor Advocates

SLAB figures reveal top earning legal aid lawyers and firms


Among solicitor advocates, Iain Paterson, of Paterson Bell Solicitors, retained the top spot for the third year running and saw his fees rise by nine per cent, from £222,000 to £242,000.

Gordon Martin, of Martin, Johnston & Socha Ltd Solicitors, returned to second after placing fifth last year, though he saw a nine per cent slip in fees: from £136,000 to £125,000.

Krista Johnston, also of Martin, Johnston & Socha Ltd Solicitors, took third position – up from twelfth in the previous year – and enjoyed a 14 per cent increase in fees, from £88,000 to £100,000.

Capital Defence Lawyers’ John Keenan placed fourth again this year. His fees fell by 33 per cent – from £148,000 to £98,000.

In fifth place was Christopher Fyffe whose fees declined by nine per cent, going from £106,000 in 2016-17 to £96,000 in 2017-18.

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