Health and safety

Shoosmiths LLP

With a ‘wealth of experience’, Shoosmiths LLP is highly regarded for its experience advising high-profile clients across the spectrum of health and safety matters. The team is led by Birmingham-based Hayley Saunders, following the retirement of Roy Tozer last year, and boasts both contentious and non-contentious advisory expertise, particularly in sectors such as defence, automotive, healthcare, construction and manufacturing. Charles Arrand, based in Milton Keynes, is an experienced regulatory crime practitioner, familiar with a broad array of health and safety investigations, prosecutions, inquests and inquiries. Philip Ryan, in the Thames Valley, advises clients, ranging from large corporates to SMEs, on serious and fatal accidents including prosecution and defence, as well as assisting with risk strategy. Joanne Sear, also in the Thames Valley, has a strong practice in inquests, as well as health and safety compliance. Rubina Zaidi, based in Milton Keynes, regularly assists regulatory bodies in health and safety prosecutions, as well as defending these.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Strong team at partner and senior associate level. Good use of technology.’
‘Joanne Seer was very helpful and on top of practicalities.’
‘This team has a very strong presence in the region and nationally. The team has a fantastic collaborative ethos. They listen to clients, learn what matters to them and then try to genuinely deliver what is necessary. In my experience case management and client care is second to none.’
‘All the individuals in the team are grounded, approachable and willing to do everything necessary. There is a fantastic collaborative ethos - something quite unique.'
‘The team make it very easy to work with them and obtain resolutions by using modern technology to ensure that meetings can be held that are just as effective if you are in a hotel on the other side of the world or in an office with them.'
'They are willing to adapt and use technology that clients use for sharing case information to make it less onerous on the client to have to learn how to use their system.’
‘The team have a wealth of experience and knowledge of the sector in which we operate, there is always someone available at short notice to at least understand your immediate concern and give quick reassurance and advice, ahead of a more formal meeting at a suitable time for all.'
'The team are friendly and approachable and give sound reasoned decisions so you feel comfortable in the action you will take going forward.’

Key clients

Chubb Insurance
HDI Gerling

Work highlights

Advising an electrical retailer on the health and safety operations at one of its warehouses, including conducting an investigation into the third-party operator whose employees were clearly acting unsafely and failing to report incidents.
Acted for the regulator in the prosecution of a large organisation following a fatal accident involving an employee hit by a reversing vehicle during unloading operations in 2019.
Providing several sessions of mid-level management safety and cultural and behavioural awareness training for factory personnel at a construction products manufacturer across several sites in the UK, alongside Eversheds Sutherland and Juice Learning.