England - South West • Public sector

Lester Aldridge LLP

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Lester Aldridge LLP‘s regulatory expertise within the healthcare sector covers both civil and criminal law matters, making the practice a popular choice for national care providers and healthcare charities. The team is additionally well placed to represent individuals in community care. Based in Bournemouth, practice head Laura Guntrip is a due diligence specialist with extensive experience of representing care providers in defence-side enforcement action proceedings. Southampton-based Bethan Dodd’s healthcare practice notably covers primary care premise funding matters, with particular expertise in issues related to the Premise Costs Directions 2013. Nicole Ridgewell is another name to note.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘I am delighted with the services provided by Nicole Ridgwell and her team at Lester Aldridge.’

  • ‘Lester Aldridge are undoubtedly subject matter experts with regards to regulatory approaches, legislation and practice but what sets them apart from others is their analysis of regulatory behaviour which enables them to give clear indicative and objective opinions.'

  • ‘Laura Guntrip has been and continues to be invaluable with regards to all matters pertaining to regulation and legal matters.’

  • Laura Guntrip is extremely knowledgeable, very responsive and always willing to help; as are her whole team.’
  • ‘Laura Guntrip  and her team work tirelessly to ensure that their clients are supported and holistically assisted to make the right decisions when they are struggling with aspects of the care business.’

  • ‘The team is incredibly experienced and strikes a brilliant balance when representing clients in sensitive situations to ensure they are protected against unfair criticisms whilst also ensuring their actions are not scrutinised unnecessarily.’

  • ‘Laura Guntrip and her team are brilliant. Because of their experience, they know the issues that matter and they know how to help clients navigate difficult situations. The team are excellent with clients, putting them at ease and providing clear advice.

  • Alice Straight, in particular is great with clients; she is supportive, organised and takes a commercial and pragmatic approach.’

Key clients

  • HC-One
  • Graham Care
  • Registered Nursing Homes Association
  • Hampshire Care Association
  • Colten Care
  • Kent Integrated Care Alliance

Work highlights

  • Represented a large national care provider in a successful appeal against enforcement action by the Care Quality Commission to cancel registration of a care home.
  • Prepared regulatory due diligence for a private equity fund in relation to acquisition of a group of specialist care services.
  • Represented a mid-sized care provider in relation to the death of a care home resident who fell from a window, including representation at the inquest and in respect of a criminal investigation.

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Laura Guntrip

Laura Guntrip

Lester Aldridge LLP

Laura Guntrip is a Partner and Head of the Healthcare team. Laura leads the Healthcare Team in advising providers of adult care homes, nursing homes, supported living facilities, independent hospitals, children’s homes and schools, throughout England and Wales, on a range of issues. Laura regularly represents clients in challenging inspection reports and defending enforcement action by regulators such as CQC, CIW or Ofsted. This includes action by the regulator to refuse or vary registration, impose conditions of registration or cancel registration, including appeals to the Care Standards Tribunal and urgent actions before a magistrate. Laura also has defends clients in criminal investigations and prosecutions, by either CQC, HSE, Fire Authority, Environmental Health or the Police. She is experienced in the field of criminal law and is able to represent providers from PACE interviews under caution, through to prosecution. In addition, Laura regularly represents healthcare providers, GPs and others in Coroner’s Inquests, throughout England. Her work also includes local authority or CCG contractual disputes, disputes with residents, Court of Protection cases, safeguarding investigations and community care cases. Laura also has experience of representing clients in relation to professional misconduct hearings or disputing their inclusion on the barred lists; as well as public law judicial review proceedings within the care sector. Laura also has a strong reputation for her regulatory due diligence work which she frequently undertakes for purchasers, vendors or funders, dealing with acquisitions, sales or refinancing of all types of care facilities, including care homes, day schools, children’s homes, independent special schools, fostering agencies, acute medical units and fertility clinics. As a result of her expertise in these niche areas and her excellent reputation as a legal advisor in the sector, Laura is often asked to speak at conferences nationally and regularly writes for sector publications, including Caring Times.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Laura Guntrip

Other key lawyers

Susan Cowan, Bethan Dodd, Nicole Ridgwell, Alice Straight