About Wexcel Law
Every case is a person, not a number in a queue.
That is exactly how we work.
Edmund Hartley
- 1992–1996Law degree (LLB, first-class honours) in England, then the Legal Practice Course.
- 1997–1999Training contract, with a seat in insolvency; admitted as a solicitor of England and Wales in 1999.
- 1999–2010Commercial law at a Manchester firm.
- 2003Master's in banking and finance law (LLM), studied part-time.
- 2010Founded Wexcel Law.
- 2012Qualified as a solicitor-advocate, with higher rights of audience in civil proceedings.
- TodayManaging partner.
"Stolen money is not an abstraction. It is someone's holiday, their children's education, a secure retirement. That is what I fight for."
Our journeyOur story
Founded, 2010
Edmund Hartley founded the firm in Manchester in 2010, bringing more than ten years of commercial-law practice with him.
Qualification, 2012
He gained higher rights of audience and became a solicitor-advocate, so he can argue clients' cases himself in the higher civil courts — a step most commercial lawyers never take.
The team
Our lawyers studied at English universities and qualified as solicitors of England and Wales — through the Legal Practice Course and a training contract or, more recently, the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Charlotte Fairbairn completed part of her studies in France, which is especially valuable in cases that involve tracing money across borders.
Our focus
Years of insolvency and corporate-collapse work taught us one thing above all: behind every financial crisis is a real person who lost their money. So the firm narrowed its focus to those harmed by broker collapses, crypto-exchange insolvencies and fraudulent platforms.
Today
An office in central Manchester, more than 2,500 cases handled and 15+ years of practice in this field.
A firm that grew
For its first two years the firm shared a single office between two people. Today it occupies an entire floor in central Manchester with a team of ten.
The firm's team
The partners, lawyers and support staff you may deal with at different stages of working with the firm — from the first phone call to representation in court.
What people say about us
Fake platform via call center
A call centre talked me into investing in a fake platform. We managed to freeze part of the funds and recover them through the courts.
Personal bankruptcy of a fraudulent director
The platform was an empty shell and its director went bankrupt. Through the court-appointed administrator the firm traced his hidden assets — £22,000 came back.
Crypto lender: withdrawal blocked
My account was frozen. I refused to sell my tokens at a discount — the court approved the settlement and the deposit came back in full — the interest, though, was lost.
Three principles that guide us
Personal accountability
Your case is handled by the same partner you met at the first meeting — never quietly passed on to someone else.
Clarity first
We explain what your situation means in legal terms before we start talking about strategy.
A measured approach
The firm deliberately stays small: fewer cases at any one time, and more attention for each of them.
Would you like to meet in person?
A first conversation is a chance to find out whether we are the right fit for each other — before any commitment.