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Vikki Watt

Vikki Watt

Work Department

Health & Safety, Corporate Crime, Insurance

Position

Partner and Solicitor-Advocate

Vikki heads BTO’s top tier Health & Safety, Regulatory and Criminal defence practice. She is a Solicitor Advocate specialising in the defence of health and safety, environmental and white collar criminal prosecutions. With two decades at the top of her field, she is recognized for her accomplished advocacy skills by both clients and professional colleagues alike and combines a sharp analytical mind and empathetic approach. She acts for a number of high-profile Insurers, as well as individuals, SMEs and multinational companies.

Instructed regularly at the outset when a major incident or fatality occurs, Vikki has a wealth of experience in advising clients at all stages, ranging from strategic advice in the immediate aftermath of a serious incident to representation at interviews under caution and the conduct of Tribunals, Trials, Fatal Accident and Public Inquiries. This includes providing crisis management and reputational advice at all stages.

Vikki is the ‘go to’ Panel solicitor for a number of insurers, LAs, charities and construction companies in health and safety matters and regularly receives referral work from market leaders both north and south of the border.

Vikki's non-contentious work also sees her heavily involved in training for other lawyers and clients. She is a regular  presenter on all aspects of health and safety law to bodies such as the MGAA, the Solicitors’ Group, Lloyds of London and provides bespoke training to her private clients.

Career

Trainee at BTO Solicitors LLP, Senior Solicitor, Associate (2002 – 2011), Partner BTO (2011 - Present)

Work Highlights

Successfully defending a charge of culpable homicide in a landmark case against an individual; Acting for individuals facing Section 37 prosecutions as sole directors at risk of losing liberty; Acting for local authorities in a number of significant cases including an enforcement notice appeal; Acting for a global facilities management company in an ongoing fatality; Instructed in a multinational fraud investigation in the oil and gas sector; The go-to solicitor of choice for regulatory matters in Scotland for top tier English firms.

Languages

English and French.

Memberships

Law Society of Scotland; Society of Solicitor Advocates; Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association; Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers, Medico-Legal Society, FOIL

Education

Glasgow University, LLB (Hons) (1999); Diploma in Legal Practice (2000) LLM Commercial Law (2001)

Personal

Enjoys open water swimming, music and travel.

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