Services

Home / Services / Commercial Litigation / Regulatory and Crime

Regulatory and Crime Solicitors

Businesses and professionals are required to comply with an enormous range of legislation, rules and regulations. Investigation or prosecution for a potential regulatory breach can be highly damaging, potentially leading to the failure of a business or end of a career.

When faced with a regulatory investigation or prosecution, accessing specialist legal advice and robust representation can make all the difference. The right legal support at the right time can help businesses and professionals meet the requirement to comply with a regulatory investigation, minimise the risk of prosecution and begin the process of building an effective defence.

At Saunders Law, we are experts in regulatory law. As a specialist litigation firm, led by partners renowned for their excellence in this field, we are familiar with all manner of regulatory challenges. Our commercial litigation lawyers have demonstrable expertise in defending regulatory prosecutions and related matters, including those involving:

  • Professional regulatory bodies
  • Trading standards
  • The Electoral Commission
  • The Health & Safety Executive
  • The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner

Our team also offers regulatory advice and representation for many other more niche areas, so can support clients facing any type of regulatory sanction.

Operating from offices in central London, we are also ideally located to provide regulatory law advice and support for clients across London and the wider UK.

Find out more about the firm, its teams and its typical work by taking a look at our clients.

Speak to our freezing orders solicitors in London

For expert assistance with obtaining or responding to a freezing order, contact Saunders Law today for a free, no obligation initial discussion of how we may be able to help.

Call us on 02076324300 or make an enquiry online.

Why Saunders Law is the smart choice for regulatory law advice

More than 40 years’ experience

At Saunders Law, our partner-led team of dedicated civil litigation solicitors have over 40 years of knowledge and experience. This makes us perfectly equipped to offer straightforward, commercially sound and practical advice on regulatory compliance, regulatory investigations and prosecutions, and professional disciplinary matters.

Independently recognised expertise

Our team has been independently recognised for our market-leading litigation expertise with strong rankings in highly respected client guides the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.

Commercially minded approach to match our clients’ priorities

We plan our approach around our clients’ circumstances and priorities. With strong skills in negotiating out-of-court settlements and exceptional experience with court litigation, our team is always guided by our clients’ commercial considerations.

Exceptional personal service & client satisfaction

We pride ourselves on providing an exceptional service. Our clients will always receive a call back the same day following an enquiry and can always speak to one of our partners when required. As a result, we consistently achieve excellent feedback from clients.

How our regulatory solicitors can assist businesses and professionals

Professional regulatory investigations & prosecutions

For any professional, being investigated by their professional body is a deeply stressful experience. Having worked hard to build a business and reputation, it can be very distressing to be under professional investigation.

Our regulatory law solicitors have extensive experience in engaging with professional regulators from the outset of an investigation, identifying the key issues at hand with a view to resolving the matter.

We also offer specialist defence representation in courts and tribunals, with our team regularly representing clients before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and General Medical Council.

Recently we were involved in the high profile exoneration of Jon Chapman before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in relation to the phone hacking scandal. It was found that Mr Chapman was not involved in any wrongdoing.

Trading Standards investigations & prosecutions

Local authority trading standards teams deal with consumer complaints. Consumers can complain to Trading Standards if they believe that the company has broken the law – for example by selling dangerous goods or goods that do not work correctly. They deal with a wide range of complaints from the sale of counterfeit goods to the sale of age-restricted goods such as alcohol and cigarettes.

Facing a trading standards prosecution can be very difficult for a business, risking the company reputation. It is important that any investigation is handled sensitively. Our specialist trading standards solicitors can defend businesses against allegations of breaching trading standards. We have extensive experience engaging with regulators in this area with a view to positively resolving the matter.

We are also able to advise clients on fulfilling their regulatory responsibilities. Ensuring compliance should be a priority for all businesses and we can assist clients in navigating the complex regulatory landscape applicable to a wide range of sectors.

Electoral Commission investigations & prosecutions

Electoral law is a particularly niche specialism and it is important for political candidates and parties to have representatives who understand the nuances of this field. We have an in-depth understanding of areas of election law ranging from standing for election, to campaigning, to financial regulation.

Complex issues such as electoral fraud may arise in an Electoral Commission investigation and prosecution. As specialist litigators, we have a deep understanding of the law in this field and can advise clients on their defence against allegations of electoral fraud and other electoral offences.

An example of our current expertise in this area relates to the ongoing litigation between the Electoral Commission and Darren Grimes, who ran the BeLeave campaign in the Brexit referendum. Mr Grimes has been fined £20,000 for alleged breaches of electoral law. Saunders Law is currently acting for Mr Grimes in the appeal process.

Health and Safety Executive investigations & prosecutions

The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for health and safety investigations. The HSE has several enforcement options available to them if they have concerns. The HSE can provide advice to those in breach of health and safety law, issue a caution or, ultimately, the HSE can prosecute.

Generally speaking, an investigation will begin with a visit from a health and safety inspector. The inspector will speak to a business owner about health and safety and will also speak to the business’s employees. If a decision is taken to prosecute, the courts can impose a fine or a prison sentence, in certain cases.

At Saunders, we have a detailed understanding of health and safety law. We are able to confidently advocate for our clients’ defence and have a strong background in engaging with the HSE to secure positive outcomes for our clients.

Disciplinary charges against immigration advisors

The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner regulates immigration advisors. The OISC has the power to bring disciplinary charges against immigration advisors, which may include removal of the register of regulated immigration advisors.

Immigration advisers who have been removed from the register may wish to appeal against a decision of the OISC. If that is the case, the appeal must be made within 28 days of receiving notice of the OISC decision. While it is sometimes possible to request additional time to appeal, it is advisable to act promptly upon receipt of any correspondence from the OISC.

Our team of regulatory solicitors are familiar with OISC compliance and appeals and will be able to offer the support needed to challenge a decision. It is important that clients carefully consider their options at an early stage to protect their professional reputation.

Arrange an initial, no obligation consultation with our regulatory lawyers in London

For a free, no-obligation, initial discussion of how we may be able to help, please contact us.

Call us on 020 7632 4300 or make an enquiry online.