Search Orders and Supervising Solicitors

Our highly experienced team of search order supervising solicitors responds quickly to enquiries and is well placed to deal with multiple or simultaneous search sites at both domestic and business premises.

The search order supervising solicitors’ team comprises of 6 members with a combined experience of over a dozen search orders. We can react very quickly if a claimant needs to appoint one or more supervising solicitors, and can assist the claimant’s solicitors in the consideration of critical search order practicalities.

The search order team is headed by Alex Megaw, and consists of four Partners and three senior solicitors. Both Alex and Paul Jonson, one of the Partners in the team, are recognised as experts by Chambers UK: A Client’s Guide to the UK Legal Profession.

The team includes two female senior solicitors, Melanie McGuirk and Anushka Stone, (a female member of the supervising solicitors’ team often being a key requirement where domestic premises are being searched). Melanie has been appointed by the court to act as the supervising solicitor on two recent occasions.

Our search order supervision solicitors are experienced in handling the legal and practical issues that can arise during the course of supervising a search order, and of the various types of orders a court might make, such as doorstep disclosure and computer imaging orders.

Members of the supervising solicitors’ team specialise in fraud cases, intellectual property, and the misuse of confidential information, which often assists in the supervision of a search order where the defendant is alleged to have breached intellectual property rights or stolen confidential information.

We have bespoke costs software, designed by our in-house litigation costs analyst, which means you can engage us with the benefit of complete transparency on fees. We can provide your client with detailed costs budgets at the outset of a case. We can update the costs budget on a daily basis should the supervision of the search order take longer than originally envisaged.

The search team is based in Manchester but regularly carries out the supervision of search orders at locations across the UK. Solicitors instructing the search order team include national law firms and specialist firms:

"Alex Megaw and his team were invaluable in co-supervising with us 2 search orders at premises in London. The searches lasted 21 days and together we resolved many of the issues that arose during the search such as the scope of the orders, the documents that fell to be disclosed and privilege. It was refreshing to work with solicitors who also had an in-depth knowledge of search orders and how they should be conducted", Anthony Riem, Partner, PCB LLP.

We have standard documentation ready to file at court at very short notice, including affidavits and CVs setting out the relevant experience of the individual members of the search order team.

In addition to the independent supervision of search orders, the team also has extensive experience in acting for claimants and defendants in making applications for search orders or responding to the same.

Alex Megaw headed the team which represented and advised the Defendant in C Plc –v- P [2007] EWCA Civ 493, in which case the basic human right of the privilege against self incrimination, namely that a man should not be condemned purely by his own testimony in a court of law, was taken away. The effect of the decision could mean that the entire process of granting a search order (which is otherwise a highly useful weapon) may not be human rights compliant. The case is currently awaiting hearing in the House of Lords.

Case update available for download here (PDF).

We are able to give both claimants and defendants experienced and practical advice regarding the preparation of evidence in support of or in response to a search order, the form of the search order itself, and the pitfalls of execution of the order.

We give seminars which are CPD accredited regarding search orders, and would be happy to come and present to you.

Supervising solicitors team sheet available for download here (PDF).

To speak with a Search Order Supervising Solicitor, or if you want advice for or defending a search order, please call 0870 1642372 now.