CEL Solicitors recently turned 10.
Ten years ago, we set out with one simple goal: to help people who had been wronged and didn’t know where to turn. A decade on, that goal is still at the heart of everything we do. The big difference is how many people we’ve been able to help along the way.
To every client who has trusted us with their story, and to every member of our team, as well as key partners: thank you. This milestone belongs to you.
Here’s a look back at how we got here.
Housing Disrepair: a constant from day one
Housing Disrepair is where our story started, and it has stayed at the heart of CEL ever since.
Everyone deserves a safe, warm and dry home. Sadly, too many tenants are left living with problems like damp, mould, leaks and structural issues, while their landlord fails to put things right.
Over the past 10 years, we’ve helped more than 3,000 tenants get the repairs they need and secured over £6.9 million in compensation along the way. We’ve taken on more than 360 different housing providers across England and Wales, from local councils to large housing associations.
For most of our clients, it has never been about the money. They simply want their home fixed, so they and their families can live safely again. That’s what drives our Housing team every single day.
If you’re living in a home that needs repairs and your landlord isn’t listening, find out how we can help with a Housing Disrepair claim.
Growing to help more people
As word spread about the work we were doing, more people came to us with other problems. We realised we could do so much more, and we started to grow.
One of the biggest steps came when we began helping victims of fraud and scams. We were the first law firm in the UK to market fraud and scam claims nationwide, using TV, radio and online campaigns to reach victims who didn’t know help was out there.
Since then, our Fraud and Scams team has helped thousands of people recover over hundreds of millions of pounds lost to scams. It’s little wonder, therefore, that we’re the number one fraud firm according to Review Solicitors.
Investment scams cost people in the UK more than any other type of bank transfer scam, and in 2025 we handled roughly a quarter of all investment scam cases in the country.
As scams have changed, so have we. Many victims now lose money through cryptocurrency, which can be hard to follow. Our sister company, the Crypto Tracing Experts, uses specialist, industry-leading software called Chainalysis to trace where stolen crypto has gone and build the evidence needed to recover it. At the time of writing, Chainalysis is the only crypto tracing software accepted by the UK courts and only approved firms are allowed access. This work has led to some remarkable results, including helping one client recover over £3 million in Bitcoin.
More recently, we also launched our Personal Injury team. Being hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault can turn your life upside down, affecting your health, your work and your finances. Our team helps people who’ve been injured on the roads, at work, or in a slip or trip to get the compensation they need to recover and move forward. Find out more about making a Personal Injury claim.
Today, our specialist teams also help people with professional negligence, tenancy deposit disputes, commercial litigation and more.
Going further for fraud victims
Getting money back is one part of the story. For many fraud victims, seeing the person responsible face justice matters just as much.
Sadly, the police often don’t have the time or resources to take every fraud case forward. That can leave victims feeling forgotten, even when there’s clear evidence of who scammed them.
That’s why we joined forces with Watson Woodhouse, experts in private criminal prosecutions. In England and Wales, you have the right to bring a criminal case yourself, without waiting for the police or the Crown Prosecution Service. This is known as a private prosecution.
When our fraud team finds strong evidence against a scammer, we can now refer the case to Watson Woodhouse, who can take the fraudster to court. It gives victims a real chance to hold criminals to account, and to take back control after everything they’ve been through.
Recognised along the way
We’ve never done this for the awards, but it means a lot when our hard work is recognised. Highlights from the past 10 years include:
- The firm scooped the Law Firm (50+ employees) award at the Liverpool Law Society Awards 2025
- This followed our Fraud and Scams team being named ‘Outstanding Team’ the previous year.
- Our founder, Jessica Hampson, was celebrated as a nominee at the Merseyside Women of the Year Awards.
- She has also previously won ‘Legal Personality of the Year’ at the Downtown Liverpool in Business Awards.
- Once referred to as the “Scouse Silicon Valley” by the Law Gazette, we continue to focus on our modern, people-first way of working
- From our Lexcel accreditation, the Law Society’s mark of excellence in how a law firm is run to Cyber Essentials Plus, keeping our clients’ information safe, client care is at the heart of everything we do.
The award that matters most, though, comes from our clients. We’ve received more than 17,000 reviews on Review Solicitors, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5, and we’re rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot.
A word from our founders
“When I started CEL, it was just me, a small desk on the Albert Dock, and a belief that everyone deserves a safe home. Ten years on, that belief hasn’t gone anywhere. Housing Disrepair is where it all began, and helping tenants will always be close to my heart. I’m so proud of what our team has built, and so grateful to every client who has trusted us along the way.”
Jess Hampson, Founder and CEO
“Every day, people come to us at some of the hardest moments of their lives. Whether they’ve lost their savings to a scam, been injured in an accident, or they’re living in a home that’s making them ill, they need someone in their corner. That’s what CEL has always been about. Our team works tirelessly for our clients, and I can’t wait to see how many more people we’ll help over the next 10 years.”
Paul Hampson, CEO
Here’s to the next 10 years
A lot has changed over the last ten years. We’ve grown, taken on new areas of law, and helped tens of thousands of people along the way. But our reason for being here is exactly the same as it was in 2016: to stand by people who have been wronged, and to fight for what they’re owed.
To our clients, thank you for trusting us. To our team, thank you for everything you do. We can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring.
If you need help, whether you’re living in a home that needs repairs, you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, or you’ve lost money to a scam, we’re here for you. You are not alone. Just tell CEL.
We listen, we care, we win.