‘A colossus of criminal law’: Tributes paid to Cornwall solicitor

Glowing tributes have been paid to a Cornwall solicitor hailed by colleagues as the best in the business.

Mike Gregson, a partner with Cornwall firm Coodes Solicitors, died last month following a short illness.

His stature in the local legal community was such that a special hearing was held in his honour at Truro Crown Court, attended by judges, barristers, solicitors, court staff and members of his family.  

Gregson, who qualified in 1980, was described by his colleague and fellow partner Chris Andrews as ‘simply the finest criminal lawyer any of us had come across’.

‘If you needed to know something, the mantra was ‘just ask Mike’,’ said Andrews. ‘He took me on, he trained me, he looked out for me and dug me out of a few scrapes.

‘When you needed the best you turned to Mike. Judges, magistrates, police officers, if they ever needed anyone they turned to Mike. Clients loved him – his was a mix of dry wit, impeccable judgment and legal knowledge. The police both feared and respected him. The courts were charmed by him. The Cornish legal scene will never quite be the same.’

The Cornwall Live website said Gregson was a ‘colossus’ of the criminal justice system in Cornwall. Chairing his remembrance hearing, Judge Robert Linford described Gregson as a ‘good person, a good solicitor and a fine advocate’.

The judge added: ‘He knew cases inside out and upside down. He had a remarkable grasp of the law and you would underestimate Mike Gregson at your peril.’