Patrick Boyers

Regulatory

Patrick has advised and represented both businesses and individuals on all variety of regulatory matters, including but not limited to matters brought by:

• The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)
• The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
• The Competition Markets Authority (CMA)
• The Environment Agency (EA)
• Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• Local Authorities
• The Food Standards Agency (FSA)
• The Office of the Traffic Commissioner
• The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
• Trading Standards
• The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)
• The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA)

Patrick’s regulatory practice spans both advisory and contentious cases. He advises businesses striving towards mergers and acquisitions on the implications of purchasing regulated business (or buying into corporate groups containing regulated companies), such as assisting making ‘Change in Control’ applications to acquire FCA-authorised firms. He also works with and guides commercial vehicle operators on the standards and processes the Traffic Commissioner expects to be in place, to help those companies stay in business.

Patrick has been instructed to provide advice to international undertakings on the implications of customs procedures and border crossings, as well having been engaged to advise on the impact of international sanctions on cross-jurisdictional supply chains.

In distressed situations, Patrick will defend actions brought by, or bring actions against, the regulator, which includes defending criminal proceedings, all the way up to advising and acting in regulatory or civil matters, such as collective proceedings brought as class actions in the Competition Appeal Tribunal or tax matters heard in the First-Tier or Upper Tribunal.

Motoring and Driving Offences

Patrick specialises in legally complex and technical motoring matters, advising his clients on the best possible route map to achieve their objectives and the optimal outcome. Patrick is praised for the way he handles his cases in Court and the skill he displays in advocating on behalf of his clients in the courtroom. He strives to provide complete, informed, and realistic advice to his clients so that they can identify their goals and have the representation needed to achieve them.

Whilst based in Manchester, Patrick’s practice is national and he will take on clients from Edinburgh to Eastbourne, representing and attending with clients in Magistrates’ Courts, Crown Courts, and higher.

Patrick has a niche expertise in the commercial transport sector, advising haulage, bus, and coach operators on how to train their drivers and address motoring offences committed in commercial vehicles. He is well-placed not only to advise on the implications of motoring offences, but also the regulatory consequences for drivers and operators in front of the Traffic Commissioner if there is a conviction. 

Judicial Review

Advising and representing clients in their relationship with the regulators requires Patrick to possess a detailed understanding of public law matters, and actions brought in court against public bodies, including government departments. He has acted in judicial reviews brought against Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the Department for Transport, and the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing, and Communities.

His vast technical ability has seen him instructed on matters of local public transport policy, and resulted in his having direct input into city centre road network strategy.

Criminal Defence

The majority of Patrick’s serious criminal practice revolves around prosecutions brought by agencies such as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), HMRC, Environment Agency, and The Marine Management Organisation (MMO). Ordinarily this will require identifying alleged breaches in regulations, ranging up to and including fraudulent misrepresentation in the form of false declarations.  

• Successfully represented a distributor of electric bikes in resisting a prosecution brought by the DVSA, requiring a technical understanding of the engineering behind the electric motors fitted to these products. This was the third known case of its kind brought in the UK.
• Successfully appealed the ICO’s decision to uphold the decision of the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC) not to release information relevant to the production of the Private Parking Code of Practice. The ICO and DLUHC relied upon the exemption to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 that such information was held as part of the formulation of government policy, whereas it was argued on appeal that this was outweighed by the public interest.
• Advised, assisted, and acted in a multi-party judicial review brought by a local bus operator indigenous to Greater Manchester against the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, challenging the decision to franchise the city’s public bus network and introducing the ‘Bee Network’.
• Advised a municipal bus company on the potential exposure to allegations of anti-competitive conduct through receipt of state aid in the form of bus operators’ grants awarded by central government post-Covid.
• Advised an insurance brokerage over concerns of breaching FCA regulations regarding the promotion of regulated/controlled activity, and outlined key steps and stages in the navigation of those alleged breaches including the appropriate notifications to be made to the FCA.
• Represented a restricted haulage operator at public inquiry, specialising in stage equipment, to ensure that they were able to keep their operator’s licence after successfully making representations to persuade the DVSA to discontinue criminal proceedings.

Motoring offences

• R -v- NJ – Failure to Provide – High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court – represented an individual charged with failing to provide a blood sample when required for the purpose of testing for ‘drug driving’ offences. Successfully negotiated a lesser offence imposing points, before successfully making an application for exceptional hardship resulting in the client keeping their driving licence.
• R -v- IG – Driving without due care and attention – Crewe Magistrates’ Court – successfully represented a client at trial charged with driving their van aggressively towards another individual after an argument. Secured a ‘not guilty’ verdict after representing the client’s interests, cross-examining the Crown’s witnesses and the evidence presented.
• R -v- LO – Failure to furnish driver information – Bradford Magistrates’ Court – successfully represented a client at trial in proving that the request for driver information made pursuant to section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 was received by the client and duly returned in time.
• R -v- RA – No insurance – Preston Magistrates’ Court – instructed to advise on putting forward an application for ‘special reasons’ in respect of an allegation of driving a vehicle without insurance. The application was successful and the client avoided 6-8 penalty points imposed on their licence, which would have resulted in the revocation of their licence under the ‘new driver’ provisions.
• R -v- SA – Insecure Load – Salisbury Magistrates’ Court – successfully made representations to persuade the prosecution to discontinue a criminal action brought against a haulage operator for an insecure load.

• "I cannot speak highly enough of Scott Bell, Patrick Boyers and Emily Hopkins of JMW for their exceptional support and professionalism in representing Shakespeare Coaches Limited at our Public Inquiry. The stakes were extremely high: we were facing the possible revocation of our Midlands operator’s licence, together with the potential refusal of our London application. The eventual outcome—a limited restriction on the Midlands licence and the full grant of our London application—was an outstanding result. Patrick’s contribution at the hearing was absolutely fantastic. He took the time to listen, fully understood the outcome we were seeking and presented our case before the Traffic Commissioner with clarity, focus and professionalism. His advocacy and judgement on the day were instrumental in achieving such a positive result. Emily’s work in preparing and coordinating the written submissions was equally invaluable. Her written work laid the foundations for the hearing and did much of the heavy lifting beforehand. She organised the evidence, coordinated the preparation and kept everything firmly on track. With 101 other things competing for my attention, she managed me exceptionally well as a client and ensured that nothing important was overlooked. Her communication, patience and attention to detail were excellent throughout. Together, Patrick and Emily provided a genuinely first-class service. Their teamwork, professionalism and commitment were second to none, and both are a real credit to JMW. I am absolutely delighted that with the outcome and would have no hesitation in recommending them—or instructing them again in the future."
• "I cannot speak highly enough of Scott Bell, Patrick Boyers and Emily Hopkins of JMW for their exceptional support and professionalism in representing Shakespeare Coaches Limited at our Public Inquiry. The stakes were extremely high: we were facing the possible revocation of our Midlands operator’s licence, together with the potential refusal of our London application. The eventual outcome—a limited restriction on the Midlands licence and the full grant of our London application—was an outstanding result. Patrick’s contribution at the hearing was absolutely fantastic. He took the time to listen, fully understood the outcome we were seeking and presented our case before the Traffic Commissioner with clarity, focus and professionalism. His advocacy and judgement on the day were instrumental in achieving such a positive result. Emily’s work in preparing and coordinating the written submissions was equally invaluable. Her written work laid the foundations for the hearing and did much of the heavy lifting beforehand. She organised the evidence, coordinated the preparation and kept everything firmly on track. With 101 other things competing for my attention, she managed me exceptionally well as a client and ensured that nothing important was overlooked. Her communication, patience and attention to detail were excellent throughout. Together, Patrick and Emily provided a genuinely first-class service. Their teamwork, professionalism and commitment were second to none, and both are a real credit to JMW. I am absolutely delighted that with the outcome and would have no hesitation in recommending them—or instructing them again in the future."
• "From my initial contact with Dan Christian at JMW to subsequently instructing Patrick Boyers, they have been nothing but professional and helpful throughout our whole process of representing my son. Clearly explaining how the whole procedure works and possible outcomes, made us aware of what to expect on the day.
  The best outcome was achieved on the day, surpassing our expectations. Extremely grateful for their representation and wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them."
• "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Patrick Boyers and his team for their outstanding representation in court today regarding my driving offences. I was initially facing a six-month driving ban, but thanks to Patrick’s expertise and advocacy, the outcome was significantly reduced to just three penalty points. This result allowed me to retain my driving licence and avoid a lengthy disqualification. I truly appreciate their professionalism and dedication."
• "I was recently represented in court by Mr Patrick Boyers of JMW who was an exceptionally professional representative and put across my case in a clear and most excellent manner. Ultimately I was acquitted with an absolute discharge and had the best outcome possible. A very big thank you to Patrick and all his team."
• "I am extremely pleased with the service I received from JMW solicitors, namely Patrick Boyers and Jack Pittam. They were supportive and professional throughout my first experience with the legal system (an unusual and minor traffic case), patiently guiding me over a long and frustrating process. Ultimately, I got the outcome I was hoping for and they even helped me recoup some of my costs via a Defendant's Cost Order. Although I was based in London and thus the process was largely handled remotely, it felt seamless. It’s important to note that among all the (mostly London-based) legal professionals I contacted prior to proceeding with my case, I chose Patrick and JMW specifically because he was by far the most encouraging and empathetic. I would not hesitate to recommend the outstanding legal services provided by JMW. Thanks again!"
• "The team at JMW solicitors worked on my behalf over a speeding notice, and kept me informed of progress, and got me the best outcome I could have hoped for. JMW provided a diligent, professional, and reliable service via my representation Mr Boyers. Cover was provided by the 'license defence' option on my car insurance which I would also highly recommended."
• "A seamless experience from start to finish being looked after by this firm who made what would have been an extremely stressful experience all the more bearable. Jack Pittam, who dealt with my initial enquiry and who kept in contact throughout, immediately put me at ease whilst explaining the process and discussing my case. Patrick Boyer then pulled everything together quickly and efficiently, whilst discussing things over the phone and by e mail. Charles Stansfield was very personable and clearly has a wealth of experience. A trustworthy, approachable and professional team of people."
• "Patrick Boyers is approachable....friendly and is an expert in his field of expertise...having just been defended by Patrick on a driver conduct hearing in which he managed to successfully find an outcome that has left me feeling eternally grateful. I would highly recommend JMW to anybody that has a legal issue in which they will find it highly beneficial to retain their services."
• "Thank you to Patrick Boyers and Jack Pittam for their assistance after I was charged with a motoring offence. They provided clear communication throughout and expert guidance on the best way to proceed. Patrick handled matters in court very well, achieving the best possible outcome under the circumstances. Both were also extremely pleasant guys to deal with. Would highly recommend their services."
• "Great service from start to finish. From the first phone call with Patrick and his team at JMW I had the feeling I was in good hands. They were able to guide me through the process of my case and were sympathetic and kind throughout. I got the result I’d hoped for which relieved great stress for me and my family. I would highly recommend."
• "Excellent service, Patrick was reassuring throughout a very stressful time and was incredibly knowledgeable. Found the firm on google search and so happy we did as the outcome was better than expected. Patrick was friendly and approachable and got the job done. Would highly recommend him for anyone needing representation."
• "Patrick and his firm were recommended to me by one of my clients. I was looking at a minimum of a 17-month ban for failure to provide but Patrick found a way of reducing it to four penalty points. Unfortunately, that left me with 13 points, so Patrick represented me for an exceptional hardship case. He presented the net case methodically and in a way that the judges decided to reduce my six-month totting-up ban to just a £1,000 fine, and I kept my licence. I would recommend Patrick and his firm to anyone who seriously needs their licence."
• "Very good and up to date with all their latest information on the subject that I was involved with. Patrick Boyers was really good at his job and very excellent at getting the point across. I would highly recommend their services for any reason."

Patrick is a keen player and supporter of both rugby league and rugby union, supporting his home club of Wigan Warriors in rugby league, and Sale Sharks in rugby union. Patrick undertakes work with a local project, StateTalking, ensuring that state-educated individuals are properly represented in all and any job or profession they choose.