Expertise
Pauline is a seasoned and highly regarded regulatory lawyer with vast experience of working for clients facing regulatory intervention. She specialises in health & safety including fatal accidents, trading law & trading standards, food safety, product safety & product recall and contentious environmental matters.
How do you help clients?
I have over 20 years’ experience of helping clients across the retail, manufacturing, construction, housebuilding, waste and service sectors. I defend businesses and individual office holders in any investigation which might lead to a prosecution and wherever possible prefer to be involved in an investigation as early as possible so that I have the very best chance of stopping an investigation in its tracks and/or reducing the impact on the business.
I really enjoy the diverse range of investigation I get to deal with, and find steering a client through the difficulties of a regulatory investigation a rewarding process.
Experience
- Acting on behalf of a major steel stockholder in connection with a fatal accident at its site when one of its employees was crushed between two steel coils; attending the site immediately following the incident in order to assist with the incident investigation and handle the immediate investigation carried out by the HSE. Advising the business in connection with the inquest and successfully preventing prosecution by the HSE.
- Acting on behalf of a global trading and marketing business specialising in the storage of bulk liquids including hazardous substances following a major incident at its Hull site relating to the leak of hydrochloric acid which resulted in the port being closed. This was a highly public incident with immediate crisis management required and subsequent to this a major investigation by HSE.
- Acting on behalf of a plastics moulding business following a fatal incident when an injection moulding machine under pressure resulted in a plastic rod being expelled at force into an employee. This was a lengthy inquest which attracted a considerable degree of local publicity. Advising the business on the prosecution by HSE and guiding the business throughout a detailed investigation, achieving a highly favourable outcome.
- Advising a major facilities management company following a death in custody at a police station. Advising in connection with the HSE and police investigations and the three week Coroner’s Inquest at which a favourable verdict, avoiding unlawful killing, was achieved, and a prosecution subsequently avoided.
- Advising a leading construction company in connection with the HSE investigation and inquest following the death of a child who was trapped by electric gates on one of their developments. Avoided any adverse verdict at the Inquest and prevented any further HSE investigation.