Praised for its ‘unrivalled insight‘, the ‘remarkable‘ team at Addleshaw Goddard is notably acting for Scottish Futures Trust in the Scottish Hospitals Public Inquiry. The ‘brilliant‘ Erin Shoesmith co-leads the team, and is well known for her vast knowledge of fire and building, food, and product safety issues. Dividing his time between Leeds and Edinburgh, co-head Stuart Wardlaw is particularly adept at assisting clients in the energy and utilities, and advanced manufacturing chemicals industries. Priscilla Addo Quaye is well-equipped to advise clients on Martyn’s Law, in addition to appearing before the Coroner’s Court in inquests concerning workplace fatalities. Leeds’ Adrian Mansbridge is noted for his expansive expertise in investigations into regulatory offences under Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations and the Building Safety Act.

Clyde & Co houses a practice known for its ‘wealth of experience, knowledge and skill‘, assisting a varied client list of defendant companies and insurers. Praised by clients for his ‘pre-eminent‘ knowledge, practice head Chris Morrison is noted for his longstanding experience in HSE and police investigations, and major disputes. Rod Hunt stands out due to his ‘encyclopaedic‘ knowledge, routinely acting for construction, manufacturing, and energy sector clients. The ‘exceptional‘ Natalie Puce regularly advises on court and inquest proceedings, police powers of investigation, and interviews under caution. Mark Brookes is well-versed in cases involving corporate and gross negligence manslaughter, and Stephanie Lunt is a key name within the group for investigations by the Environment Agency, and coroner’s inquests.

Steffan Groch, Vikki Woodfine, Simon Belfield and Gary Smith all jointly lead the team at DWF, which notable acts for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, and BT. Woodfine handles a wide array of gross negligence and corporate manslaughter cases, and inquests on behalf of transport and manufacturing clients. Groch’s primary areas of expertise include major public inquiries, having advised companies and directors on prosecutions brought by the CPS, HSE, and local authorities, areas in which Belfield, who is known for his longstanding prosecution experience, is also an expert. Joanne Witheford is well-versed in cases arising as a result of workplace incidents, often advising insurers, while Amanda Lea handles police investigations relating to public inquiries. Neena Sharma stands out due to her expertise in motor crimes, firearm offences, and safeguarding rules.

Kennedys houses a ‘fantastic‘ team, which acts for a diverse client list of healthcare providers, and companies across the retail, hospitality and manufacturing industries. ‘Brilliantly astute and clever‘ practice head Nathan Buckley is known for his longstanding expertise in corporate and gross negligence manslaughter cases within health and safety, in addition to his vast knowledge of diving fatalities. Sally Hancock regularly assists a wide variety of individuals, corporations, and public bodies across the health and social care, engineering, and construction sectors, while the ‘tactically excellent‘ Steven North regularly appears before the Magistrates’ and Coroners courts in cases concerning both serious and fatal workplace incidents. Molly Mangan is particularly adept at providing clients with crisis management advice, routinely acting in corporate manslaughter cases, investigations and Article 2 inquests.

Chris Newton, David Rainey, Nick Gianferrari and Tom Stevenson jointly lead Keoghs LLP‘s practice, which handles the full spectrum of mandates across the care and manufacturing sectors. Newton works out of both Bolton and London, and is noted for his deep experience assisting clients with investigations and dealings with the HSE, CQC, and CPS. Rainey often advises clients on PACE interviews and Article 2 inquests, in addition to assisting with investigations of serious injury and gross negligence manslaughter due to dangerous driving, while Gianferrari’s primary areas of focus are inquests and cases brought by Environmental Health Officers (EHO) within the retail sector. Stevenson is particularly adept at representing care providers in CQC investigations and prosecutions, and is noted for his expertise in motor prosecution law. Bolton-based Kathryn Quinley has vast knowledge of enforcement actions concerning workplace accidents in the construction sector.

Pinsent Masons LLP‘s practice handles an array of mandates, from preventative compliance advice, to health and safety prosecutions, with the group’s main area of expertise being coroners’ inquests. Kevin Bridges leads the team, and is recommended for his vast knowledge of major public inquiries and fatal accidents, fire safety, and food safety law. Zoe Betts‘ caseload primarily consists of EHO, corporate manslaughter, and HSE investigations, with Betts standing out due to her experience in conducting coroners’ inquests and handling enforcement notice appeals, while Matthew Sulley, promoted to senior associate in May 2023, is known for representing universities in cases concerning student deaths, and highway inspection and maintenance entities in road traffic accident cases.

Handling a broad array of HSE, EHO, and Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) investigations, Squire Patton Boggs has broad experience in advising on compliance within the context of real estate and corporate transactions, and in inquests. Noted for his longstanding experience in accident investigations, Rob Elvin acts for a myriad of clients across the sport, waste, and power sectors. Oliver Bristow‘s key areas of expertise consist of fire and building safety, often acting for real estate and construction clients in investigations and prosecutions. Gary Lewis departed to Bexley Beaumont in 2024.

The ‘hardworking, energetic and experienced‘ practice at Brabners LLP handles a range of mandates, from health and safety compliance and due diligence, to investigations and prosecutions. ‘First-class operator‘ Lachlan Nisbet leads the team, utilising his longstanding regulatory knowledge to represent corporates and individuals in public inquiries and investigations. Joining the Leeds group in April 2023 from Walker Morris LLP, Claire Burrows routinely acts for clients across the healthcare and construction sectors in both internal and HSE investigations. Matthew Coles assists clients with inquests and Ofsted cases, and Emma Evans left the firm in October 2023.

Browne Jacobson LLP handles a range of mandates involving food safety, fire safety, and care related issues, acting for local authorities and fire authorities. The ‘excellent‘ Helen Simm is known for her vast criminal law experience, handling numerous HSE investigations into accidents and fatalities across the education and construction sectors. Olivia Dwan often provides public sector clients with health and safety compliance advice, in addition to representing individuals and major companies in HSE investigations and prosecutions. Charlotte Butler left the firm in March 2023.

DAC Beachcroft LLP houses a growing practice, which acts for a varied client list of insurers and companies across the retail, utility, and transport sectors. Chris Baranowski and the ‘incredible‘ Rhian Greaves jointly lead the practice from Leeds and Manchester respectively. Greaves routinely handles a vast range of mandates concerning fatal accidents, including investigations and prosecutions brought by the Competent Authority, in addition to advising corporates on compliance issues. Having joined the group in Feb 2023 from DWF, Heather Vyse regularly assists clients with coroners’ inquests and training projects.

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP’s ‘outstanding‘ group acts for a diverse client base of energy and utility, education, and healthcare clients. In Manchester, practice co-head Catherine Henney handles an array of issues, including Article 2 inquests, HSE prosecutions concerning fatalities, and internal investigations. Co-head Paul Verrico leads the team from Leeds, and is known for his broad knowledge of post-crisis reputation management, often representing Interested Persons in inquests, while Charlotte Wood is a corporate criminal defence specialist who assists clients with Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and Fire and Rescue Service investigations.

Primarily based in Liverpool, Hill Dickinson LLP‘s ‘very astute’ team is known for its distinctive focus on the marine and logistics sectors. Practice head Philip Moy is a ‘master of tactics‘, who is well-versed in an array of food safety and environmental issues within the health and safety space, handling cases involving allegations of gross negligence manslaughter. The ‘brilliant‘ Stephen Barnfield stands out due to his expansive knowledge of marine, pharmaceutical, and healthcare-related health and safety issues concerning corporate manslaughter. The ‘hardworking‘ Aoife Ryan works out of both the Manchester and Liverpool offices, often assisting clients with CQC investigations and consumer safety legislation.

Insurance specialist Markel Law LLP has ‘real strength in depth‘ when it comes to healthcare-related health and safety issues. Deborah Nicholson heads up the practice, and is known for her vast knowledge of healthcare, often acting for CQC regulated clients in inquests and public inquiries. Lauren Wilson‘s primary area of expertise is health and social care, assisting medical professionals and insurers with a range of investigations and enforcements. Francesca Snape is particularly adept at acting for medical professionals in investigations concerning fitness to practice, areas in which Christian Carr, who joined from DAC Beachcroft LLP in June 2023, is also an expert.

Jointly co-led by the ‘legally brilliant‘ Bill Dunkerley and the ‘excellent‘ David Walton, the practice at Pannone Corporate LLP is well-equipped to handle a varied caseload of public inquiries, inquests, and investigations relating to accidents, fatal incidents, and obligations under social housing rules. Dunkerley is noted for his broad knowledge of HSE and police investigations concerning potential health and safety offences, while Walton handles a wide variety of care, food safety, and environmental investigations and prosecutions, in addition to assisting clients with fire safety and child social care compliance issues.

TLT houses a broad practice known for its expertise within the leisure, food and drink, and real estate sectors. Jason Cropper heads up the practice, drawing on his prior experience as an HSE prosecutor to assist clients with investigations initiated by local authorities, while Emily Rhodes‘ caseload consists of both investigations and prosecutions brought by an array of regulatory bodies (including the HSE, Environment Agency, and the CMA), in addition to product safety compliance advice. Liam Whitfield is noted for his broad capabilities when advising on due diligence concerning prior health and safety convictions from a corporate perspective, and obligations relating to fire safety and employees working overseas.

Known for its distinctive public sector focus, Weightmans LLP‘s ‘dedicated and thoughtful‘ team handles numerous inquests and HSE investigations, notably acting for the North West Ambulance Service, British Transport Police, and Partnership Caring. Dewi Ap-Thomas co-leads the practice alongside the ‘incredibly experienced‘ David Lewis from the Liverpool office. Ap-Thomas has extensive experience in representing energy and retail clients, and councils, while Lewis routinely handles health and safety enforcement actions for both private sector construction and petrochemical clients, and NHS trusts. Rosanne McNeil specialises in public inquiries, often advising clients on Martyn’s Law, and criminal investigations following health and safety incidents.