Paul Harris

Paul is the Senior Partner of Edward Fail, Bradshaw & Waterson. He brings over thirty years of experience to his case load having joined the firm in 1990.

Paul brings decades of experience to his caseload, with particular expertise in offences of violence including Murder, large scale drug supply and complex fraud amongst all aspects of serious and organised crime. Paul can boast an impressive list of high-profile successes and is regularly instructed by celebrities in relation to criminal allegations. Paul is also instructed in a number of a high-profile inquests and inquiries.

Paul is renowned for his boundless energy and fearless commitment to his clients. His combination of old-fashioned values and modern working practices has resulted in him being sought after, and he receives recommendations from his longstanding clients in East London and the profession alike. He has been repeatedly recognised by Chambers & Partners Guide to the UK Legal Profession as an outstanding solicitor. Additionally, he has a reputation for representing suspects who are on bail or under investigation by bringing the investigation to a close without charge through engagement with the police and Crown Prosecution Service.

Paul is an expert in the field of inquests and inquiries and has acted in a number of these matters including the Hillsborough inquests and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (ICCSA). He has in-depth knowledge of health and safety legislation which is often pertinent to inquests and inquiries. He has also successfully acted for companies at inquests.

Paul is highly regarded by his peers in legal journals and is a former President of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association (LCCSA). From 2011 to 2019, Paul was appointed by the Lord Chancellor as one of the two solicitor representatives to be a member of the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, which drafts and approves the rules and procedure for the running of the criminal justice system. He has also been called to the House of Lords to give evidence on the serious impact that issues of admissibility of forensic evidence is having on the fairness of criminal trials.

In 2015, Paul was awarded a Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year award following his successful representation of the criminal defence profession against the government in relation to their proposals to cut legal aid.