Workplace Risk and Regulation
Because our team includes experts in a wide variety of legal areas, we give you specific, comprehensive and practical advice.

“They take time to gain a thorough understanding of the complexities of our organisation, along with our key personnel. They are also very quick to respond and provide updates on matters.”

Chambers (2021)

Our team includes specialists in health and safety, employment, immigration, data protection, personal injury, and licensing. They provide specific, comprehensive and practical solutions that help you to comply with all your legal obligations, mitigate your risks, or respond to regulatory authorities. We can also carry out a full and in-depth review of your existing policies and procedures, based on an assessment of the particular risks that your organisation faces.

A few examples:

Health and Safety – on-site support to clients during investigations; liaising directly with enforcement authorities/agencies; advice on disclosure obligations; representation during interviews under caution; defending clients in criminal proceedings
Employment – day-to-day issues, such as disciplinary and grievance, absence, performance, dismissals and industrial relations; supporting corporate transactions; advice on TUPE transfers and change management, including redundancy programmes and restructuring; employment litigation
Immigration – relocating or establishing a business in the UK; obtaining and maintaining a sponsor licence; recruiting and retaining international staff; sponsor duty compliance and right to work check training for HR professionals; challenging civil penalties and revocation of sponsor licences

The team also includes four experienced Solicitor Advocates, who have represented clients in high-profile, complex and high-value litigation before the Court of Session, the High Court, the Sheriff and County courts, and several other specialist courts and tribunals.

Our expertise includes:

Specific advice on compliance with workplace regulations
Strategic guidance, and bespoke review of existing policies and procedures
A wide range of legal expertise from health & safety to data protection
Advice on response to interventions by regulatory authorities
Representation in a wide range of courts and tribunals

Our legal experience in more detail

Some of our recent experience:

Advising a UK forestry company on its response to investigations by SEPA, Natural Resources Wales, and local authorities. Included representing directors at interviews under caution, and resolving the investigations on the best terms possible, including persuading the regulator that no formal enforcement action was necessary or legally justified
Advising construction clients, sporting governing bodies and religious organisations in relation to fatalities on site, supporting them through investigations by the HSE and local authorities, and liaising with Crown Office in respect of prosecutions
Advising housebuilding clients in relation to fire safety/cladding issues, especially in light of the issues arising in the sector as a consequence of the Grenfell tragedy
Defending a UK energy company in relation to industrial disease claims from former employees concerning its liability to historic exposure to asbestos, as well defending public liability claims
Advising a worldwide sport governing body on its health and safety obligations, its interpretation of COVID guidance in respect of staff, players and spectators, and its right-to-work check requirements for staff and volunteers across a number of UK events
Advising a distiller and distributor in connection with a workplace injury, specifically on its RIDDOR obligations in respect of agency workers
Advising construction companies on post-Brexit right-to-work for staff, and UK work permissions for sub-contracted installers travelling to the UK from Europe

Meet our key contacts

Kevin Clancy

Partner

Meet our full team

Kevin Clancy

Partner

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Emma De Sailly

Senior Associate

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Natasha Durkin

Senior Associate

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Joseph Fitzgibbon

Senior Associate

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Jack Freeland

Associate

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Gillian Moore

Director

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Philip Sewell

Partner

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John Vassiliou

Director and Head of Immigration

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Related articles and insights: Workplace Risk and Regulation

27 January 2025

Scottish building regulations: Proposed consultation of fire safety topics

Contributor: Kevin Clancy

In December 2024, the Scottish Government published a consultation document in relation to a proposed consultation of Scotland’s building and fire safety regulatory frameworks. Comments on the consultation have been invited from those operating in the industry.

5 December 2024

HSE statistics: Work-related injury and ill-health for 2024

Contributor: Kevin Clancy

The Health and Safety Executive has published its annual statistics on work-related ill health and workplace injuries.

13 November 2024

Health and safety in the forestry industry

Contributor: Kevin Clancy

Working in the forestry industry carries inherent risks, but there are measures that can be taken to mitigate these and increase safety for workers in the sector.

21 October 2024

Employment Rights Bill: Key changes proposed

Following on from our Employment Rights Bill webinar, we explore some of the key proposed changes.

29 August 2024

Data audits – do you know what you hold?

Contributors:
Joanna Boag-Thomson, Joseph Fitzgibbon

Many businesses and organisations completed data audits as part of GDPR compliance programmes in 2018. There are benefits of reviewing and refreshing these audits, and the various accountability measures that were put in place as part of the GDPR programmes, to ensure that compliance reflects current business needs.