Andrew Stewardson
Andrew joined the firm in June 2006 and qualified as a solicitor in May 2010. Andrew is a criminal defence solicitor with a particular specialism in defending fraud and confiscation proceedings.
Andrew deals with all aspects of criminal defence work. He qualified as a member of the criminal defence duty solicitor scheme in November 2012 and regularly represents clients in police stations and Magistrates’ Courts. Andrew has a particular interest in defending fraud cases and confiscation proceedings and has been the defence solicitor in cases prosecuted by CPS, SFO, NCA, Trading Standards and the Insolvency Service.
Andrew is regularly instructed in the defence of high value confiscation cases and is experienced at dealing with complex issues arising out of such proceedings including criminal lifestyle assumptions, third party ownership, assets held in trusts and hidden assets. Andrew also deals with other applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act such as variation of confiscation orders, enforcement and restraint orders.
Notable cases:
R-v-H (Leeds Crown Court) – Defence solicitor for a company director accused of fraud against hundreds of complainants. The case was prosecuted by Trading Standards and the defendant found not guilty of fraud.
R-v-F (Leeds Crown Court) - Defence solicitor for former company director accused of multi-million pound false accounting and fraudulent trading. The case was prosecuted by the Insolvency Service.
R-v-S (Sheffield Crown Court) – Defence solicitor in confiscation proceedings brought by the Regional Asset Recovery Team following conviction for a substantial identity fraud. The prosecution sought a benefit figure of over £4 million and available assets of over £1 million.
R-v-D (Teesside Crown Court) – Defence solicitor in confiscation proceedings brought under Proceeds of Crime Act by Department for Business, Innovation and Skills following a conviction for acting as a director whilst disqualified. The defence successfully demonstrated at a contested confiscation hearing that he had no interest in a property registered in his wife’s name.
R-v-Y (Leeds Crown Court) – Defence solicitor in a SOCA prosecution of local businessman accused of money laundering and mortgage fraud.
CW-v-DVSA (Administrative Court) – acted on behalf of the Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency who appeared to defend an appeal brought by CW arguing that the CPC provisions were ultra vires and unenforceable. DVSA were successful in defending the appeal. The case report can be found here.
What the clients say:
"Mr Stewardson is very good at what he does. I recommend your firm to people, and I would definitely use you again if I needed to in the future. The outcome I got at court was fantastic due to the way Mr Stewardson represented me."
“Andrew Stewardson was remarkable from the police station to the court room. I believe he worked above and beyond his duty and would highly recommend him to anyone”
“From start to finish the help, advice and representation I received from your company and mainly Andrew Stewardson was to second to none”
“Andrew was reassuring, supportive and 100% trustworthy. Until speaking with Andrew I was literally petrified by the potential outcome”
“You took my case on at a difficult point and have tenaciously fought my corner over the past 18 months to give me a fair outcome."
"From the moment you took on my case, I knew that you would do all you could for me and I could stop worrying as much as I finally had someone genuinely interested in fighting my case."