Simon May - Edwards Duthie Shamash Solicitors

About

Simon was born in Newcastle and educated at the University of Leeds (LLB Hons) and the College of Law in London. Simon qualified as a solicitor at Edwards Duthie Shamash before forming a specialist criminal defence practice in south London. He returned to Edwards Duthie Shamash as a consultant in the criminal department in 2016 and became a partner in 2019.

Experience & Areas of Expertise

An experienced criminal litigator with a substantial track record of magistrates and youth court advocacy, Simon specialises in criminal law and provides advice and assistance from the point of investigation until the conclusion of the case.

Simon has acted in cases across the broad spectrum of those brought by the Crown Prosecution Service. Recently, Simon has represented clients in relation to allegations of gang-related violence and murder. He has also had conduct of cases involving highly organised crime, including drug importations and a conspiracy to import and supply firearms to the UK. He is also currently representing two defendants in a large-scale international multi-million pound conspiracy to defraud case.

Simon has represented members of parliament accused of criminal conduct and has also been instructed to represent police officers and members of the legal profession facing criminal allegations.

Simon has defended in criminal proceedings brought by the Department of Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, the RSPCA and the Federation Against Copyright Theft. Additionally, Simon has defended companies in Trading Standards investigations as well as in proceedings brought under the Environmental Protection Act. He also has experience in defending proceedings prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive.

Simon conducts nearly all of the magistrates and youth court advocacy on his own cases (including trials) and will instruct specialist counsel to act in Crown Court proceedings. Simon acts in both privately and publicly-funded cases. In addition to having a loyal client base, Simon also receives many referrals from those clients and also from other professionals working in the legal profession.

Accredited to provide police station advice, Simon is a member of the Duty Solicitor Service and is also an LCCSA member.

Simon has many other interests including sport and music and lives in Greenwich with his family.

Cases of Interest

R vs L (2023) – Simon represented a Defendant at the Central Criminal Court accused of death by dangerous driving. This case involved a head-on collision at high speed in which a vehicle was being driven into oncoming traffic on the A13 motorway.
R vs F (2022) – Simon represents two of eighteen Defendants in ongoing proceedings before Southwark Crown Court relating to an alleged £30M international conspiracy to defraud following a five year investigation by the Regional Organised Crime Unit.
R vs M (2021) – Simon represented one of five Defendants accused of murder at the Central Criminal Court relating to the execution of Iron Miah in 2019. Simon’s client was acquitted.
R vs E (2018) – Simon represented one of six Defendants in relation to an alleged conspiracy to important firearms (including automatic weapons) into the UK.
R vs J (2015) – Simon represented one of number of Defendants, prosecuted for a conspiracy to import MDMA and amphetamine following an investigation by the National Crime Agency. This case involved one of the UK’s largest ever seizures of controlled substances – 350 Kilos of amphetamine (around half of the total quantity of amphetamine seized in the UK in 2014).

Client Reviews

“Simon, thank you so much for all you have done for me! I am truly so grateful that I was lucky enough to have your professional support when I was at my lowest. I know it’s early days but I am so relieved that the worst for me is over, I just wanted to send this, to thank you again!”

— Client of Simon May

“Dear Simon, I just thought I would email you to tell you how grateful I am with your help in helping me get the DRO. I had problems in the past dealing with other Solicitors that, in the end, took years to resolve, so I was extremely nervous about having to deal with any sort of solicitors again, but you were absolutely brilliant and I can’t praise you enough! The amount of stress you have removed from my shoulders cannot be quantified and I just had to let you know this one more time. Thank you, I just don’t have the words to tell you how happy I am that I eventually met you! I wish you all the very best in everything you ever do for eternity and beyond.”

— Client of Simon May

“Dear Simon, a big relief all round. I wish you all the best with future cases and hope other unfortunate people can gain from you unrelenting drive and professionalism. One less worry now. Thank you.”

— Client of Simon May

“Hi Simon, just wanted to thank you so much for your help and support in the past year. None of this would of been possible without the help of CAB and Edward Duthie Solicitors, much appreciated.”

— Client of Simon May

“Dear Simon, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your help. You have done much more than I imagined a simple advice enquiry at the CAB would have produced, and I am grateful.”

— Client of Simon May