What should I expect after contacting a regulatory solicitor?

Almost every aspect of your business that requires compliance with legal duties will fall under a regulatory framework and will be enforced by regulatory agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive; the Environment Agency or local authorities.

If something goes wrong and the law is breached, regulators have wide powers to investigate the business, its directors and other employees.

These investigations are conducted in a similar way to a criminal investigation by the police with regulators having many of the same powers.

Regulatory agencies can commence a criminal prosecution against an organisation and individuals. We are seeing more directors and other employees prosecuted than ever before.

If you or your business is facing a regulatory investigation or prosecution you should seek urgent advice from a regulatory solicitor and should not try to handle it alone.

You should expect a swift response when you seek the assistance of a regulatory solicitor. Regulatory cases are often time critical and require urgent attention. 

The steps taken on a particular case will depend on the specific circumstances of the matter.  Each one is different and the approach will depend on the type of regulatory instruction being dealt with and the unique facts of each case.

Your solicitor should take time to properly explore the factual background of the case with you and understand your business. This will be relevant not only to provide an understanding of how and why the business faces enforcement but also to understand the best way to respond to the case taking your objectives into account.

You will be asked to provide all relevant documentation that you hold that may be relevant to the case.  It will be reviewed and used in the case as appropriate.

You should expect proactive, practical, common sense advice on the case as it progresses. No part of the case, its legal process, the prospects of success, or fees associated with it, should remain a mystery to you.

Your regulatory solicitor should look for opportunities to resolve the case, as and when this is appropriate, through negotiations with the regulator and its legal advisers. 

A regulatory solicitor should ensure that you know what is happening at each stage of the case they are handling for you.  It is important that you, as the client, are given the right information to make informed decisions in the case using the advice and guidance you receive from your solicitor.

Should you wish to discuss a regulatory matter including, but not limited to; investigations and prosecutions in environmental law, fire safety, food safety and food hygiene, health and safety law and motoring offences, you should contact our Regulatory and Licensing Partner, James Lowe on 07833 240400. At George Green we offer a tailored service that offers the above and can assist you in relation to any regulatory matter.