UK
Inquiries, reviews and investigations can be high profile, raising issues of significant importance leading to intense public and media scrutiny and reputational risk. Whether you are leading an inquiry or review, providing evidence, or facing or conducting an investigation, our specialist Public Inquiries and Investigations team can support you through these challenging times with sensitivity and carefully balanced judgment as well as strategic legal advice.
We can provide you with advice, support and guidance at all stages of inquiries, both statutory and non-statutory, reviews, investigations and inquests. Our team's breadth and depth of experience is rooted in many years of supporting local and central government (including government ministers and officials), private sector organisations, regulatory bodies and high profile individuals in inquisitorial processes.
Working on some of the most high profile and complex matters for a wide range of clients, our team provides targeted legal and strategic advice and engages collaboratively across a wide spectrum of stakeholders whilst protecting the interests of those we support. We are an agile, responsive team and can mobilise quickly where required.
Why choose us?
Additional to the extensive services we offer, our dedicated team has unique experience gained at the very centre of government in high profile investigations and policy as well as supporting high profile corporate organisations in inquiries. We are able to provide wider perspectives, handle multiple and competing interests successfully and deliver workable strategies in complex, political and challenging circumstances.
We conduct investigations with a high level of integrity leading to robust and credible findings, which withstand board, public and media scrutiny. Recognising that not every inquiry, review or investigation requires the same approach we adapt our services to your requirements. Offering a combination of technical excellence with effective project management skills, we draw on a wealth of knowledge across practice areas as a full service law firm.
We appreciate that decision making in inquisitorial processes must be in accordance with public law principles and, with a depth of knowledge and experience of public law and judicial review in these contexts, we can help you to navigate around such challenges. We have broad experience of drafting terms of reference and high profile reports, including lessons learned, as well as assisting with cultural change implementation following internal investigations and reviews.
Members of our team have supported the Financial Reporting Council, British Bankers Association, the Cabinet Office, the Home Office, the Ministry of Defence, Department for Health & Social Security, Ofqual, large housing associations, care home providers, local authorities and non-departmental public bodies. Our team also has a depth of experience in regulatory investigations and has investigated and supported listed companies, banks, insurance companies, investment managers, senior directors, Heads of Compliance and MLROs in FCA investigations and enforcement proceedings.
What services can we provide for you?
- Full legal support and strategic advice to Chairs, including full project management, advising on team structure (including counsel), evidence gathering, drafting terms of reference and protocols ensuring fair processes, drafting reports and findings including lessons learned. Legal advice and litigation support in relation to public law challenges, including how to minimise them. Liaising/communicating with key stakeholders, core participants and members of the public.
- Full support to core participants and witnesses including evidence gathering, analysis and assisting in drafting responses, submissions and statements to inquiries together with full support during oral evidence when attending the inquiry. Liaising with inquiry teams and the wider stakeholder community.
- Full support during the representation process (Maxwellisation) when responding to proposed inquiry responses/reports. Assisting inquiry teams to understand the nature and impact of evidence. Assisting Chairs and their teams to draft appropriate warning letters.
- Reputation and risk management including dealing with media scrutiny.
- Full project management and costs control/budgeting.
- Large-scale disclosure and witness/evidence gathering exercises with the ability to provide in-house disclosure and evidence management portals.
- Data protection advice and handling services.
- Full investigation service across a broad range of investigative work including internal investigations into cultural wrongdoing, isolated incidents, whistleblowing allegations and financial and regulatory investigatory work.
- Supporting organisations and individuals during investigations undertaken by authorities. Multi-jurisdictional support for corporations and individuals.
- Full investigation service including undertaking internal investigations, advising on scope and providing an investigator, drafting protocols/terms of reference, reports and findings.
- Advice on propriety issues, cultural learning and implementation of lessons learned. Drafting codes of conduct for implementation of lessons learned, good governance, and ethical conduct.
- Advising and supporting witnesses and those under investigation. Assisting in understanding evidence, gathering evidence and supporting in interviews.
- Data protection advice and handling services.
- Strategic advice, budgeting and costs control.
- Liaising with investigating authorities.
- Reputation and risk management including dealing with media scrutiny.
- Representing organisations and other interested persons before inquests.
- Advising on relevant procedures and practices.
- Assisting individuals and organisations to prepare evidence and providing support when they attend the inquest.
- Preparing submissions and advocacy services.
- Assisting individuals and others in related processes, e.g. Prison and Probation Ombudsman investigations.
- Litigation handling, in particular judicial reviews arising in inquests.
- Reputation and risk management including dealing with media scrutiny.
- Documentation handling, disclosure and analysis.
Client work examples
Grenfell Tower statutory Inquiry
Providing advice and ongoing in-depth support to a high profile core participant organisation in the Grenfell Inquiry.
Healthcare non-statutory Inquiry
Advising the Chair of the largest independent non-statutory inquiry into the provision of maternity services under the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
COVID-19 statutory Inquiry
Retained by the Department for International Trade ("DIT") to provide support during the COVID-19 Inquiry.
Financial services investigations
Acting for the Financial Reporting Council in relation to its investigations and enforcement action concerning the collapse of Carillion plc.
Local authority investigations
Reviewing and advising a local authority on investigation policy.
Housing Association investigations
Conducting an investigation on behalf of one of the UK's largest housing associations into financial collapse of a Housing Association that it rescued through acquisition.
BEIS investigation
Investigating allegations of company/Director fraud and misconduct for BEIS.
Hillsborough Stadium Inquest
Advising Sheffield City Council in relation to the Hillsborough Stadium disaster inquest.
Private sector and living sector inquests
Advising and representing registered the private sector, social housing and care home providers in a number of inquests.
Contact our team
For strategic legal advice and experienced guidance across the full lifecycle of public inquiries, investigations and inquests, contact a member of our team.