Kingsley Napley is a London-based

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...

headquartered in

Moorgate Moorgate was one of the City of London's northern gates in its defensive wall, the last to be built. The gate took its name from the Moorfields, an area of marshy land that lay immediately north of the wall. The gate was demolished in 1762, but ...

. The firm is often cited by the mainstream media for comments and insights on notable cases, legal precedents, pro bono matters, and its business management practices. Its famous clients have included media personality

Rebekah Vardy Rebekah Vardy (''née'' Miranda; previously Nicholson; born 17 February 1982) is a British media personality. She was a contestant on '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' in 2017 and on ''Dancing on Ice'' in 2021. In 2022, she lost a libel ...

, whom the firm represented during the "

Wagatha Christie Wagatha Christie is a popular name given to a dispute between the British media personalities Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney, which culminated in a 2022 libel case in the English High Court, ''Vardy v Rooney''. In 2019, Rooney announced on Twi ...

" trial, and

Rebekah Brooks Rebekah Mary Brooks (; born 27 May 1968) is a British media executive and former journalist and newspaper editor. She has been chief executive officer of News UK since 2015. She was previously CEO of News International from 2009 to 2011 and was ...

, former chief executive of ''

News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national "Tabloid journalism#Red tops, red top" Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling ...

'', whom the firm represented during the

News International phone hacking scandal Beginning in the 1990s, and going as far until its shutdown in 2011, employees of the now-defunct newspaper ''News of the World'' engaged in phone hacking, police bribery, and exercising improper influence in the pursuit of stories. Investi ...

Overview

The firm's practice areas include Corporate, Commercial & Finance, Costs & Litigation Management, Criminal Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Family and Divorce, Immigration, Medical Negligence & Personal Injury, Private Client, Public Law, Real Estate & Construction, Regulatory, and Restructuring and Insolvency. Kingsley Napley is authorised and regulated by the

Solicitors Regulation Authority The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is the regulatory body for solicitors in England and Wales. It is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of more than 125,000 solicitors and other authorised individuals at more than 11,00 ...

under registration number 500046. The firm's clients include UK business leaders, entrepreneurs, athletes, entertainers, major corporations, former prime ministers, and members of Middle Eastern royal families.

History

Kingsley Napley was founded in 1937 by Sir

David Napley Sir David Napley (25 July 1915 – 24 September 1994) was an English solicitor. Background David Napley was born in London of Jewish ancestry. He began his articles (the equivalent of a modern-day training contract) in 1935 at age 16. He passe ...

and Sidney Kingsley. The firm’s early work focused on criminal and regulatory law. The firm became known for its work on notable criminal cases, including extraditions and white-collar crime. Over time, Kingsley Napley expanded its legal services to encompass a broader range of practice areas.

Recent developments

In 2021, the firm moved to its current offices at Bonhill Street. The same year, the firm modernised its logo, incorporating the strapline "When it matters most" to recognise that many of its clients rely on it in challenging situations. In 2023, James Fulforth succeeded Stephen Parkinson as Senior Partner on his retirement. Parkinson was appointed

Director of Public Prosecutions (England and Wales) The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the third most senior public prosecutor in England and Wales, ranking after the Attorney General for England and Wales, attorney general and Solici ...

Awards

Kingsley Napley has won recent industry awards including "Law firm of the year: The Independents" from

The Lawyer ''The Lawyer'' is a legal business information product for law firm leaders, commercial lawyers, barristers A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advoc ...

, Private Client Team - Family Law Of The Year from the Modern Law Awards, and Contentious Wills and Probate Team of the Year at the British Wills and Probate Awards 2023. The firm has 24 ranked departments in the 2024

Chambers and Partners Chambers and Partners (often noted elsewhere as Chambers & Partners) is a research firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that produces international rankings for the legal industry. Orbach and Chambers Orbach and Chambers Publishing Lim ...

UK legal directory. It also has numerous entries in Legal 500 and is commended in seven categories in The Times Best Law Firms 2024. As an employer, the firm is notable for being highly ranked in Best Companies To Work For and winning the Workplace Wellbeing Award at the 2023 Modern Law Awards.

Notable people

Michael Caplan Michael G Caplan KC (born 1953 in Wandsworth, London) is an English solicitor. Biography Caplan read law at King's College London (LLB, AKC), before undertaking study at The College of Law in London. Articled at Lickfolds Wiley & Powles, he ...

* Angus McBride, News UK General Counsel *

Loretta Minghella Loretta Caroline Rose Minghella (born 4 March 1962) is a British academic administrator and former charity executive. Since 2021, she has served as Master of Clare College, Cambridge, her alma mater. Previously, she was the Chief Executive Offic ...

* Sir

* Stephen Parkinson, UK Director of Public Prosecutions * Judge Kelly Rees *

Dave Rowntree David Alexander De Horne Rowntree (born 8 May 1964) is an English musician, politician, solicitor, composer and animator. He is best known as the drummer for the rock band Blur (band), Blur. In his political career, Rowntree served on the Norf ...

, former Blur drummer

References

{{Reflist Law firms of the United Kingdom