Gary is a Health, Safety and Environmental Partner with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Having previously worked at Squire Patton Boggs, Gary delivers expert and reliable advice for clients on a wide array of matters. His expertise covers health, safety and environmental prosecutions, corporate manslaughter, food safety and trading standards. His experience covers a range of sectors, with predominant focus on construction, manufacturing and retail.

Gary’s career highlights include:

• Representing European chipboard manufacturer in relation to a prosecution by the HSE following an explosion at its production plant causing £8 million damage, as a result of which, one employee was very seriously injured. Represented the same client following an accident where two contractors were killed while performing maintenance work on a conveyor that was not isolated in accordance with the permit to work system.
• Advising Greater Manchester Fire Service in relation to a health and safety prosecution brought by the HSE following the death of a firefighter whilst attempting to rescue of a member of the public from a pool at a nature reserve.
• Regularly advising construction clients in relation to health and safety issues, including preparation of written submissions and representation at the Magistrates’ and Coroner’s courts.
• Represented construction client in relation to an accident involving a cherry picker, being operated in almost fully extended position, just within envelope of construction site, when it toppled over into a densely populated main street in Nottingham. The cherry picker operator sustained multiple serious injuries.
• Represented Baldwins Crane Hire Limited, which was charged and convicted of corporate manslaughter following trial.
• Represented Homebase and successfully appealed a prohibition notice served by the HSE alleging inadequate control of specialist roofing contractors working on the roof of its Cardiff store.
• Represented construction company in the successful appeal of a prohibition notice served by HSE following a fatal accident.
• Advised and represented Argos in relation to a fatality involving a HGV driver performing a delivery to a store in Oswestry. No further action was taken following the Inquest. HSE FFI charges were successfully challenged.
• Advised and represented construction company following a fatal accident, involving a lifting operation. No further action was taken following the Inquest. Successfully challenged the HSE FFI charges, which were reduced from approximately £70k to £1.5k following determination by a FFI Dispute Panel.
• Advised and represented company following collapse of temporary spectator stands at the Trooping of the Colour rehearsal in May 2022. No further action taken following investigation by HSE.
• Consistently acted on a panel with a Lloyds syndicate insurer in relation to various health and safety prosecutions by the Police and/or HSE or Local Authority.
• Working knowledge of the printing industry as a result of advising and representing multiple printing companies referred by the British Printing Industries Federation, usually in relation to guarding of machinery.
• Representing mine owner charged with offences under the Water Resources Act 1991 when a tailings dam liquefied overwhelming the bund causing flooding in the village of Stoney Middleton and causing polluting matter to enter the River Derwent.
• Represented Farm Manager, employed by an agricultural college, in relation to a prosecution brought by the EA following the pollution of a river. The College were also prosecuted and pleaded guilty. Farm Manager pleaded not guilty and ultimately accepted a caution.
• Represented a waste recycling site in relation to a prosecution by the EA alleging that the Defendant had acted contrary to a notice to leave undisturbed. Defendant was found not guilty, following trial before a District Judge, on the basis that the Notice had not been properly served by the EA.