Nick Freeman (born 1956) is an English solicitor. Freeman is the owner of Manchester-based legal practice Freeman & Co. and is best known as a celebrity defence lawyer, specialising in traffic and speeding offences.
He has been nicknamed "Mr Loophole" by the British tabloid press, a soubriquet which he has since trademarked.
Clients
His first high-profile case was that of Sir Alex Ferguson in 1999. Freeman argued that Ferguson had to use the hard shoulder to get to the training ground to allow for his upset stomach and need for a toilet.
Clients since have included:
David Beckham - In 1999, Beckham was given an eight-month ban, having been caught driving his Ferrari at 76 mph in a 50 mph zone in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. Freeman successfully appealed the disqualification, arguing that he was petrified by being chased for ten miles from his home by the paparazzi.
Ranulph Fiennes - He escaped a prosecution for an alleged driving offence due to Freeman pointing out there was technical failures such as spelling errors on the letter summoning Fiennes to court and letters were sent out to a ‘Mr Ran Flenns’.
John Terry - Terry pleaded guilty and faced a minimum six-month ban, but magistrates reduced it to 28 days after Freeman said that Terry had only accelerated because he was being pursued by two photographers on motorbikes, and he was concerned for the safety of his children, also in the car. A tracking bug was discovered on Terry’s Range Rover that allowed his journeys to be monitored and for paparazzi to follow his whereabouts.
Emma Parker Bowles - Freeman was successful in defending and clearing the niece of Camilla Parker Bowles who had been summonsed for failing to nominate who was driving her vehicle.
Jimmy Carr - cleared of using a mobile phone while driving at Harrow Magistrates Court after Freeman argued that Carr had used the dictation setting of his iPhone to record a joke as he drove and that using the phone for such a purpose was not illegal under current law.
Jeremy Clarkson - after being loaned a car by Alfa Romeo, the vehicle was caught doing 82 mph (131 km/h) in a 50 mph (80 km/h) zone on the A40 in Ruislip. Alfa Romeo sent the ticket to Clarkson, who was acquitted and awarded costs because the prosecution did not offer evidence as to who the actual driver was at the time of the offence.
Wayne Rooney (previously) - cleared of driving without insurance when Freeman said that a requested adjournment had not been granted and the hearing had been conducted in absentia.