Trading Standards
Trading Standards departments can investigate and prosecute sole traders as well as private and public companies for contraventions of trading standards regulations.
Facing trading standards breach allegations?
What is a Trading Standards Investigation in the UK?
Trading Standards investigations can cover a variety of different alleged offences, including copyright, trademarks, trade descriptions, consumer credit, weights and measures, and food safety, among others.
If you are subject to a Trading Standards investigation, we can offer guidance from the initial interview under caution and represent you throughout the prosecution process if necessary. You should know that the consequences of prosecution can be significant, ranging from a caution, a fine, conditions imposed on licenses, and revocation of your licence to trade, or even a custodial sentence.
Investigations typically begin with an initial complaint or a test purchase made by a Trading
Standards official. Following this, you will be invited to attend an interview under caution. It is crucial that you seek legal advice at this stage, as your responses during the interview can significantly impact any subsequent prosecution. In some cases, it may be possible to negotiate alternative options to prosecution, such as a written warning or a formal caution.
What are Trading Standards in the UK?
Local UK authorities employ Trading Standards Officers to investigate complaints from
consumers and enforce legislation designed to protect them. This legislation covers several
areas, including:
- Unfair commercial practices
- Counterfeit goods/trademark infringement
- Labelling/descriptions
- Weights and measures
- Under-age sales (e.g., tobacco and alcohol)
- Consumer contract regulations (distance selling)
- Animal welfare
- Consumer safety
Trading Standards Officers have various investigative powers, including seizing and detaining goods. Although they do not have powers of arrest, they can request police assistance if they suspect a trading standards or criminal offence.
The Importance of Acting Fast
If you become the subject of a prosecution, you will receive a summons detailing the alleged offences and the date for your first appearance at the relevant Magistrates’ Court. It is vital that you act quickly to obtain legal advice and representation from our trading standards lawyers.
We will guide you through the law and court process, assess the evidence, advise you on the appropriate plea, and take all necessary steps to defend your case. Additionally, we can advise on related matters, such as confiscation proceedings and applications for the forfeiture and destruction of seized goods.
Premiere UK Trading Standards Solicitors
Holborn Adams Lawyers have extensive experience dealing with Trading Standards
departments across the country. Our experts can proactively assess the evidence and instruct specialists should they be required. We also have the ability to identify flaws in the
investigation process and highlight abuse where appropriate. Most importantly, Holborn Adams can adapt to any type of Trading Standards investigation and will defend you at each stage of the process.
Our Fees
Fixed fee defence
Our team will give you a free, no-obligation quote after your initial consultation. We offer a fixed fee service, free of any hidden extra costs. Our firm is exclusively privately-funded meaning we cannot accept any legal aid clients. Your fees secure you a top-tier team and top-tier treatment, covering
Dedicated, experienced legal team.
Ability to get your case dropped before charges.
Representation at interviews and court hearings.
Requests to vary bail conditions where required.
Negotiating with police or prosecutors
Referrals to various support services.
We’re here to help
Frequently asked questions
Here are some answers to our most commonly asked questions - for tailored support with your case, please call us now for a free initial consultation.
Yes - we are proudly accredited by the two largest governing legal bodies in the UK, the Law Society and Legal 500. We are also regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
We have hundreds of client testimonials listed on our website, in addition to reviews on independent review platforms TrustPilot, Google Reviews, and Review Solicitors.
Every case is different. After your initial consultation, we’ll determine which services are best for your defence, and calculate a fixed fee quote for you. The price depends on the complexity of the case, how long it will take, which team members are best for the case, and whether we need to instruct specialists. We do not charge by the hour - only a fixed fee for your whole defence.
When you phone us, you’ll have an initial consultation with a member of our legal team on a completely confidential basis. They will listen to your case and may ask additional questions to get as much detail as possible so the team can decide whether they are the best fit for you. We cannot give exact costs, a timeline, or suggestions on how to proceed in this initial call.After this, they will give your case details to the rest of the team and someone will be in touch with you with a no-obligation fixed fee quote for representation, and some ideas for next steps (such as pre-charge engagement, police interview representation, and similar). It is then up to you whether you’d like to accept the quote and proceed to formally instruct Holborn Adams.
Yes, your initial phone consultation is free of charge. After this, we will give you a free, no-obligation fixed fee quote for using our services.
Yes, when you call us, your call is 100% confidential.
We have a member of our legal team available to speak 24/7, 365 days a year. Whenever you need to speak to someone, you will be connected instantly. All calls are 100% confidential.
No - we are a 100% privately funded firm, meaning we charge a fixed fee for our services. We do not take on legal aid cases. We find that focusing on private cases only allows us to dedicate more time and resources to defending our clients to a much higher degree than firms who are stretched thin by intense legal aid caseloads.
Yes - and it is our ultimate goal with all cases that come to us pre-charge. We believe in a proactive approach, working with you to build a defence that encourages prosecutors and the CPS to drop the case with no further action. Please speak to us as soon as you become aware there are allegations against you. The earlier you reach out, the better.
To decide whether any firm is best to handle your case, you should be asking yourself some key questions:
- How are they funded? - We are a privately funded firm meaning we take on cases for a fixed fee, with no options for legal aid. Some firms are legal aid only or a mix of private defence and legal aid. For the highest level of attention and case preparation, you are best seeking a 100% private firm like us, as we are not stretched thin by a caseload of Government-funded cases.
- Expertise - Our solicitors have diverse experience defending every type of criminal offence. We are, however, specialists in pre-charge defence, fraud, sexual offences, and regulatory investigations, so if your case falls under these categories, we are confident we can secure the best outcome for you.
- Location - We have offices all over the world. We can travel to you and offer remote conferencing services to make things easiest for you.
- Reviews - Our client testimonials speak for themselves. You’ll see hundreds of glowing reviews on our website, as well as on independent review sites like Review Solicitors, Google Reviews, and TrustPilot.
Trusted by clients
Top-rated legal defence and client care
Our clients feel supported, not just in their legal defence, but as individuals facing challenging times. We provide expert representation as well as the guidance, emotional support, and resources they need, which is why we consistently receive glowing reviews.
