Regulatory Investigations Legal Specialists
Over 3,000 new offences
have been created since 1997 which impacts on all industries,
trades and professions.
The Companies Act 2006
alone includes over 200 criminal offences which may be committed by
companies, their directors and other officers.
Regulation legal experts
The Regulatory Team at Hugh James specialises in assisting
clients to navigate this legal minefield
Please read about:
Hugh James legal regulatory services
Our
lawyers advise listed companies, small and medium sized
enterprises, and other public and private bodies on a range of
regulatory issues.
Insight, foresight and
experience enable us to adopt an advanced risk-responsive operating
framework when defending investigations to deliver results.
The Hugh James regulatory lawyers can help with the
following:
- anticipating regulatory change
- defending against charges by regulatory bodies
- influencing policy makers to change outcomes (where
feasible)
- undertaking compliance audits
- delivering training
- undertaking regulatory transactions
- repairing damaged relationships with regulators
The regulatory team’s
experience in working with regulators enables us to challenge
established thinking about the regulatory framework and therefore
assisting companies in identifying and addressing the risks to
their business models in advance of regulatory reviews.
Our priority is to ensure
that our clients are protected during any regulatory investigation
and to secure the best possible outcome for them. Our team has
successfully negotiated with various regulators ensuring that
criminal sanctions are avoided and in many instances have assisted
in building improved relationships between businesses and
regulators.
Our specialist regulatory
team has worked with clients in many industries operating under
different regulatory bodies including healthcare, food & drink,
utilities, construction, military, retail, leisure and
transport.
Our experience in this
field means that we understand regulatory trends. We know that
regulators are encouraged by central government to adopt a more
proportionate approach to regulation, reserving prosecution for the
most serious offenders and to consult with businesses and
stakeholders in setting industry standards. More openness is
encouraged in discussing compliance failures having due regard to
the cost of compliance and legitimate business interests.
We understand that it is essential
in this economic and legislative climate for businesses to be able
to access specialist legal advice at any time. Whether
defending you from a charge of corporate manslaughter
due to a workplace fatality or protecting you from a “dawn
raid” investigation seeking responses to
questions and the production of confidential or sensitive
documents, the Hugh James regulatory team can assist you. To
this end we have developed a specialist service -
First Response which:
- provides 24 hour emergency legal advice 365 days a year
- ensures immediate deployment of a solicitor on site
- offers a comprehensive service throughout the length of
the situation
- delivers results
Hugh James regulatory experience
Hugh James regulatory and
corporate crime team are acknowledged as leaders in our field and
have a broad experience of representing corporate clients in
investigations including the following;
- Health and Safety at Work
- Regulatory compliance including the Residential Care Sector,
Food Safety and Fire Safety Breaches
- Companies Act Prosecutions
- Investigations by OFT e.g. consumer protection and unfair
practices
- Investigation by the Companies Investigation Branch of
BERR
- Asset forfeiture and confiscation
- Money Laundering and the Regulated Sector
- Environmental Protection
- Data Protection
- Copyright Protection
- HMRC investigations
- Financial Services Authority (FSA) investigations and
enforcement
- Road Traffic Prosecutions relating to the operation of business
fleets
- Trading Standards
- Trade Marks Act