Who? Ben Taylor, 34-year-old partner specialising in housing, welfare and public law at 12-partner Manchester firm Glaisyers.

Why is he in the news? Acted for Leonard Hockey, who was served with an injunction last month by Manchester county court banning him from begging in the city centre.

Although begging is illegal under the Vagrancy Act 1824, it has not been punishable by imprisonment since 1982, but Mr Hockey faces two years in prison if he breaches the ban, which has been condemned by homelessness charities.

Mr Hockey will now appeal.

Background: LLB at Leeds University, 1988 to 1991, followed by Law Society finals at the College of Law in Chester.

Qualified with now-defunct Dunderdale Wignall in 1994, before moving to Glaisyers in 1995 and becoming a partner last year.

Route to the case: 'I was at the county court on the duty solicitor scheme, acting on another matter; I do a lot of neighbour nuisance cases against Manchester City Council.

Mr Hockey was at court and asked me to help.'

Thoughts on the case: 'The local authority considers the criminal courts to be less than effective in combating what it sees to be the criminality of begging, which is why it has brought these injunctive proceedings on the grounds of public nuisance.

But my client is not aggressive or threatening and it is a fact of life that there will be begging in a large city centre.

If [the local authority] doesn't like the law, it should lobby Parliament.'

Dealing with the media: 'I found it exciting.

A number of media organisations rang wanting to speak to me, but I chose Channel 4 News because I knew I would be at home by 7 o'clock and could watch it then.

My advice for dealing with the media would be to choose one television company or press agency and give them as much as possible; let the others squabble over what was said on the steps of the court or otherwise you will spend all day talking to them.'