Old Bailey Solicitors recognised again for excellence in leading legal directories

We’re delighted to share that Old Bailey Solicitors, specialist criminal defence solicitors with offices in London, Sussex and Surrey, has once again been recognised among the country’s top criminal defence firms in the newly released legal directories, Legal 500 UK 2026 and Chambers UK 2026.

Legal 500 UK 2026

This year brings excellent news – the firm has maintained its position as a Leading Firm and has moved up a band to Tier 3 in the Crime: General Crime and Fraud category for the South East. Together with leading firm recognition for the specialist team, Directors Rod Hayler and Camilla Rents have again been recognised as Recommended Lawyers for their skill, experience and commitment to client care.

The feedback provided by the firm’s clients and legal industry peers through the process includes:

‘This is a strong, loyal team. They work closely together, and each member is empowered and capable.”

“Old Bailey Solicitors are leaders in the field of criminal defence. They have a breadth and depth of experience of defending in all sorts of cases. They provided a first-class service to their clients, whether privately or publicly funded. They are responsive, compassionate, and consistently go the extra mile for their clients.”

The full Legal 500 rankings are available here.

Chambers UK 2026

The team, which has fast established itself as the key criminal defence team in Sussex and the surrounds, has been ranked as a Leading Firm in the South region by Chambers UK which was released on 16^th October 2025. The firm is described as a highly regarded specialist criminal law practice and specific feedback included

‘They have a strong team which extends from partner level all the way down to the junior end. They are switched on and alive to the needs of their clients at all times, enabling great results.”

‘They are hard-working, diligent and pragmatic.”

‘There is a really strong core team at this firm. They know each other and their cases well, and each member of the team is empowered to make judgement calls.”

Both Rod and Camilla have once again achieved Band 1 rankings as Leading Individuals, a measure of their expertise and the consistent outcomes they achieve for clients. The editorial comments remarked how Camilla “will go above and beyond for her clients… she has a keen grasp of the law and thinks five steps ahead’ and Rod is ‘a proactive lawyer who is completely on top of his cases.”

The details of the full Chambers UK 2026 rankings are available on their website.

Speaking about the rankings, Rod said:

“I could not be prouder of our team this year. To see our firm so consistently recognised – across both Legal 500 and Chambers UK – is testament to the consistency and quality of work delivered across the firm, and the trust our clients and their families continue to place in us.”

The directory news concludes a strong end to the firm’s financial year, in which it saw growth across its client base, investment in new practice management strategies and also re-accreditation under the Law Society’s Lexcel scheme.