The 'cancer' of criminal law firms stealing clients from each other has reached Birmingham, the local law society president claimed last week.

Opening the conference, Steven Jonas said that in big cases, 'certain unscrupulous solicitors target the families of defendants who then persuade their relative to swap to the other solicitor'.


He later told the Gazette that these firms 'keep their ears to the ground' to learn about potential clients, sometimes tapping sources such as interpreters.


Mr Jonas - a criminal law partner at Birmingham-based Jonas Roy Bloom Roy - said his firm was recently acting for a murder suspect under the duty solicitor scheme, and within two days two other firms had called the police station, claiming they had been appointed by the family.


He also told delegates that there are two local firms 'who have become predatory in the way they try to obtain clients every day in the Birmingham magistrates' court'.


He explained later that lawyers from these firms wait at the court and approach potential clients.


'I also see the wolves gathering around us from another direction,' he told the conference. 'There are now firms who never see their clients, except at court - even for trials.'


Mr Jonas attributed the problems to 'the effects of chronic underfunding', although he emphasised that only a tiny minority of Birmingham solicitors are involved. 'The overwhelming majority remains revolted by such behaviour.'


He said that, as elsewhere in England and Wales, the Birmingham public is facing problems with access to justice.


'There are real advice deserts developing in both family law and immigration law as solicitors are forced to give up legal aid work.


'In my own field of criminal law, there are still many firms like mine in Birmingham who strive to keep the playing fields level against the combined attacks on our integrity and on our funding.'