Blackfords LLP

Head of Regulatory and Health and Safety Teams

Partner and Head of the Regulatory & Health & Safety Teams

A specialist in health and safety, regulatory and criminal litigation, Gary regularly defends organisations and individuals, including directors and senior managers in complex Police, HSE and HMRC investigations and prosecutions. He has extensive experience of defending those accused of gross negligence manslaughter and health & safety breaches, arising from workplace fatalities across a wide spectrum of industries including railways, construction, electrical & engineering, gas and the medicine and care sectors. He is currently instructed in a number of high profile work place fatality cases and represented the driver of the Tram in the Croydon (Sandilands) tram crash during the police investigation. Gary also acts for a number of clients in the Grenfell Inquiry and associated police investigations.

Previous high profile cases include defending the train drivers following the Watford & Southall train crashes and appeared in the Southall & Ladbroke Grove public rail inquiries. Gary was instructed to represent the machine operator in the Tebay disaster where 4 trackworkers were fatally injured, and acted in the corporate manslaughter charge of a construction company and health & safety charges of its’ senior director at the Old Bailey in 2017, for the fatality at Cadogan Square when a balustrade collapsed during the lifting of a sofa killing two operatives.

In December 2007 Gary represented the Purley train crash driver in his successful appeal against conviction for manslaughter following the crash in 1989. This was unique as the appeal was made 17 years out of time and the driver had pleaded guilty. He is currently acting for client’s in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Gary also advises and represents companies, directors and senior officers, both self-employed and employees in relation to enforcement action taken by regulatory bodies and represents proper interested parties at Coroner’s Inquests, including Article 2 inquests where there has been a death at work or in police custody.  He is currently instructed for the tram driver in the Sandilands Inquests (Croydon).

Commanding a thorough understanding of regulatory and disciplinary codes of conduct, Gary represents police officers, professionals including Doctors, nurses, paramedics and social workers at disciplinary hearings. This experience has proved invaluable when instructed in serious criminal cases where there has been significant overlap between the criminal liability and regulatory and employment matters.

Gary also has several years experience of representing police officers and police staff in Post Incident Procedures where there has been a fatality involving police contact. He has over 20 year’s experience of representing clients in the police station, Magistrates and Crown Court.

Thompsons Solicitors trainee solicitor/Assistant solicitor 1995 - 2003, Arnold George & Co Assistant Solicitor 2003 - 2004, Andrews Angel Solicitors Ltd - Assistant Solicitor/Director 2004 - 2013.  Blackfords LLP 2013 - Consultant, 2016 - Partner.

Health & Safety Lawyers Association, (HSLA) Association of Regulatory & Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL) Law Society of Northern Ireland. 

Anglia Ruskin - LLB (hons), College of Law London.

Gary is a West Ham United season ticket holder and enjoys cooking in his spare time.