Health and Safety Awards 2017
, Ashleigh herself is a specialist regulatory defence lawyer primarily practising in health and safety law. She has extensive experience handling investigations and prosecutions brought by a wide range of authorities including: - the police, Health and Safety Executive, Environment Agency and local authorities. Ashleigh has been involved in a number of high profile health and safety cases many of them involving fatalities. Notable cases include the recent workplace manslaughter case of R v Adsett and others 2017 which involved an unprecedented number of individuals and corporate defendants, the landmark European case of Bodycote Hip 2010 EWCA Crim 802, the Lakanal House fire disaster of 2009 and many more prosecutions of UK and foreign companies (most of them household names). Fundamentally, health and safety law affects each and every one of us. Never more so has the spotlight been on an industry concerned with the safety, health and welfare of people at work. The industry has seen huge increases in the level of funding awarded to governing authorities to prosecute breaches of this area of law, with specific guidelines for sentencing of these cases being brought in to force in February last year which every employer and individual should be aware of. These Best Regulatory Health & Safety Lawyer - UK My Business Counsel is a full service lawfirmauthorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which is committed to creating a highly bespoke legal service for its clients. We profile the firmand award winning lawyer AshleighHarold to find out more. sentencing guidelines provide, for the first time, clear guidance on how all health and safety cases should be sentenced. The courts now have a document of more than 40 pages, setting out a step-by-step guide for sentencing both companies and individuals for health and safety and food safety offences. One year on, the industry has seen the level of fines passed in corporate prosecutions quadruple with some 19 fines of £1 million or more in 2016 compared to just 3 in 2015. The industry has also seen a steep rise in the number of individual employees prosecuted and sent to prison for health and safety breaches whilst at work. Even just a couple of years ago, this would not have happened. The majority of workplace accidents are the result of a unique set of unexpected circumstances that leave no time to prepare for the arrival of the authorities. It is often an unfamiliar and unsettling period when ill thought out comments or actions can come back to bite later on. The more prepared a client can be at this stage the more likely the entire process will be controlled and managed smoothly. Ashleigh advises both companies and private individuals before an incident occurs on crisis management and procedures to reduce the impact of a regulatory investigation. When an incident has occurred, Ashleigh is available from the HAS17013 outset 24/7 to advise how the process should be managed to avoid costly mistakes and to ensure the best possible outcome of any subsequent court proceedings both in terms of the result and the client’s reputation. Businesses and individuals looking for guidance on their health and safety duties or any issues they are facing, can contact Ashleigh Harold who will be happy to provide assistance. Whilst Ashleigh accepts both private and insurance funded cases she is committed to ensuring that where an insurance policy exists her clients receive legal representation under the policy with the solicitor of their choice. My Business Counsel specialises in delivering personal and practical legal solutions as both an in-house lawyer to a client’s business and by way of case specific support. My Business Counsel is a pioneering law firm which uses technology and modern working practices to deliver truly bespoke legal services. Due to its unique structure it is able to offer the very best lawyers at the very best value, and moving forward it will continue to do so as it seeks to grow even further, with the help of its dedicated specialists such as Ashleigh. Company: My Business Counsel Contact: Ashleigh Harold Contact Email: Ashleigh.Harold@ mybusinesscounsel.com Address: Griffin House, 19 Ludgate Hill, Birmingham, B3 1DW, UK Phone: 0121 562 1704 N
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