Jeremy is a solicitor advocate with 20 years’ experience in advising on all aspects of regulatory law including risk, compliance and enforcement matters. With expertise in health and safety, trading standards, food and fire safety, environmental, road transport, licensing, betting and gaming, he has worked extensively in the leisure and entertainment industry.
In addition, he is a specialist on the issues facing the transport sector and regularly appears for operators at public inquiries. He also successfully prosecuted and defended many health and safety cases.
Jeremy is a former member of the CPT Environment and Safety Committee and was a panel solicitor for the RHA.
Expertise
- Compliance regulations
- Public inquiries
- Health and safety
- Waste and environment
- Licensing law
- Trading Standards
- Gaming
- Inquests
- Motoring matters
Experience
Trading Standards and Food Safety
- Successfully defended a national retailer in an investigation into compliance with cancellation rights.
- Advised on general company policy and the formulation of new company systems and procedures to avoid further trading standards intervention.
- Defended a company in relation to a Trading Standards investigation into offences of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception by a national mail distribution company.
- Defended a company prosecuted for selling illegally imported tobacco.
- Advised a major pub company in relation to food safety breaches in the restaurant kitchen.
- Represented various companies and individual operators over the years who have been prosecuted for breach of weights and measures legislation relating to alcohol sales (strength – volume – product).
- Represented a restaurant operator in connection with prosecution relating to the use of an unsafe gas oven and associated hygiene failings.
- Defended various companies and individuals in connection with underage sales of alcohol.
Manufacturing/Packaging
- Advised on compliance with the British Standard for the manufacture of stair lifts including the European electric standards.
- Advised on product labelling requirements for the launch of a new product.
- Defended the prosecution of a major meat processing company for leaking of hazardous substances from a container in port.
- Defended a waste management company for tipping in excess of its licence and subsequent Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings.
- Advised an individual on contaminating a river with excavated material.
Health & Safety
- Defended an ongoing investigation of a company into a death resulting from working at height, including the coroner’s inquest.
- Represented a national retailer of stair lifts in relation to the HSE investigation into fatality arising out of installation of stair lift including representing the managing director at the coroner’s inquest.
- Represented a waste contractor in the prosecution arising out of the de-sheathing of a leg of visiting contractor.
- Prosecuted many and varied cases on behalf of the HSE including:
– a specialist dive team prosecution arising out of the death of an individual on a recreational dive.
– a specialist quarry prosecution revolving around policy on safe face heights and scaling.
– a large public school for breach of asbestos regulations.
- Had sole conduct of a two-week Crown Court trial of construction company.
- Conducted three-day hearing before the employment tribunal in relation to an appeal against a HSE prohibition notice.
Road Transport Compliance
- Preserved the operator licence and thus the multi-million-pound business of a Bristol-based haulier at a three-day public inquiry. This resulted from a major VOSA hours investigation.
- Provided training to the national transport managers meeting at Carlsberg.
- Secured a discontinuance of a criminal prosecution against a major blue chip company resulting from an incident of wheel loss.
- Successfully challenged, at a three-day public inquiry, a protracted and wide-ranging VOSA investigation into alleged conspiracy between operators to obtain an unfair trading advantage.
Licensing
- Obtained new premises licences contrary to cumulative impact policies in Nottingham, York, Leicester and Bristol.
- Successfully appealed a review decision to preserve the trading hours and business of a large nightclub business in Woking.
- Represented a national chain of bar restaurants through their growth and development.
- Renewed and varied a sexual entertainment licence against significant opposition.
- Obtained a premises licence for Gloucester County Cricket Club to facilitate investment and redevelopment works.
- Obtained a premises licence for a one-off concert in Bristol by a globally recognised band.
Other
- Advised in relation to alleged breaches of premium phone line operation. Investigation by specialist regulator “phone pay plus”.
- Advised a board in relation to the criminal activity of sub-contractor.
- Advised on intervention by the Care Quality Commission.
- Conducted environmental public inquiries into the location of storage and distribution centres.
- Represented many directors and their families in connection with motoring matters including recently saving the licence of the MD of one of the West Country’s fastest-growing retailers.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Career
Jeremy qualified as a solicitor in 1993. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2017, he worked at the following firms:
- Bond Pearce
- TLT
- Osborne Clarke
- Jeffrey Green Russell