“Olivia is a fantastic solicitor. She is always thoroughly prepared, her client care is excellent and her command of the law and facts of each case is first class.” – Chambers UK 2026
Specialisms
Olivia is an associate in the dispute resolution team at B P Collins, where she practices civil and criminal litigation.
In civil litigation Olivia’s primary area of practice is commercial litigation, largely focussed on contractual disputes and construction disputes. Olivia has worked with a wide variety of clients, ranging from international organisations to individual consumers. Olivia offers bespoke assistance to each client, aiming to identify each client’s objectives and provide commercial, straightforward legal advice, helping clients to achieve their best outcome.
In criminal practice, Olivia works on all types of criminal litigation, both defending those accused and representing victims of crime. At what can be a highly stressful time for the client, Olivia provides direct and pragmatic legal advice tailored to each client’s specific circumstances, offering support from beginning to end of the matter.
Experience
Civil litigation
Olivia has experience advising on a range of commercial and construction disputes concerning breach of contract, consumer protection issues, and debt recovery; as well as claims arising from defective building and remedial works.
Olivia acts for claimants and defendants in pre-action and all stages of litigation in the High Court and County Court.
Criminal litigation
In the Magistrates’ Court Olivia has advocated on behalf of a number of clients, dealing with an assortment of criminal allegations; from offering pleas in mitigation for a road traffic offence, to defending racially aggravated assault.
Olivia has worked on a number of victims’ rights matters, advising clients in relation to their concerns regarding the actions of various police forces (namely, the Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police).
Olivia also advises on higher education providers’ disciplinary procedures, HMRC investigations, and FCA investigations.
Independent legal directories, The Legal 500, recognise Olivia for her work in the crime, fraud and licensing sector, and Chambers UK ranks Olivia as an “Associate to Watch”.
Key achievements
R v H, 2023: successful mitigation on behalf of client found guilty of assault at Oxford Magistrates’ Court. The sentencing guidelines indicated that the client faced the prospect of a custodial sentence; but after mitigation, the court agreed that it was not appropriate to order a custodial sentence, nor any community order, and instead disposed of the sentence by way of financial penalty.
R v V, 2023: persuaded the Prosecution to drop one charge of failure to report, and successfully submitted a plea in mitigation for the offence of failure to stop, at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court. The circumstances of the offence placed the client at risk of disqualification, but we successfully mitigated, and the client retained their licence.
R v S, 2022: secured an acquittal at Reading Magistrates’ Court for a client accused of racially aggravated assault and awarded a defence costs order.
R v D, 2022: successfully advanced an exceptional hardship argument at Willesden Magistrates’ Court. The client had 6 points on his driving licence and was charged with five traffic offences. The court endorsed the licence with a further 8 points but did not disqualify the client, recognising that if the client had lost their licence, it would have had a catastrophic impact on their young family and bereaved parent.
R v P, 2022: secured an acquittal at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for a client accused of assault.
Outside the office
Olivia enjoys going to the theatre, playing the piano, reading about social and political history and travelling.
Feedback on Olivia
“Olivia Duncan is the best solicitor I have had the pleasure to work with. She is highly professional, not only having excellent legal knowledge but also the insight and experience to apply it to complex and contentious cases. She secured an outstanding outcome that has far surpassed anything achieved by other solicitors I have worked with.” – Legal 500 UK, 2026
“Her exceptional interpersonal skills make her both effective and efficient, and her ability to navigate this aspect of legal matters makes her a remarkably steady pair of hands. She stands out not only for her intelligence and professionalism but also in her sensitive and kind manner. I could not ask for a better solicitor, she is exceptional in all aspects.” – Legal 500 UK, 2026
