• 'Its skilled members regularly attract instructions in high-value, complex matters in the field of professional discipline, offering assistance to both claimants and defendants' Chambers UK 2017
  • 'A particularly popular choice for a range of regulatory bodies, such as the BSB, SRA, British Horseracing Authority, Metropolitan Police Service and numerous healthcare regulators' Chambers UK 2017
  • 'Market sources value the set's versatility, praising its ability to offer 'first-class advice and advocacy across a variety of areas"  Chambers UK 2017

Professional Discipline

Leaders in the field of Professional Discipline, QEB Hollis Whiteman has a wealth of talent from top to bottom with experience across the spectrum of professions and the procedures they might face.

Overview

QEB Hollis Whiteman is a well-respected set housing an accomplished team of Regulatory Practitioners with experience across an ever-expanding range of Professions. Our skilled Members regularly attract instructions in high-value, complex matters and our vast experience across fields that often interface with Professional Discipline sets us apart.

Our Experience

We have extensive experience in relation to the full range of Regulated Professions, both presenting on behalf of the Regulator and defending the Professional. Our experience extends to the Regulation of Accountants, Surveyors, Architects, Teachers, Vets, Farriers and Lawyers. 

We have advised at various stages of the Regulatory process from Investigation through to Appeals to the High Court and Applications by way of Judicial Review. We have represented parties at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, the National College of Teaching and Leadership, Teaching Regulation Agency, at Courts Martial, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and the Bar Tribunal and Adjudication Service.  

We have strength across all levels of call from the lower Junior end to King's Counsel. Our Juniors have gained invaluable experience assisting regulators at various stages of a case and have assisted in-house with work for the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. This has included interviewing Witnesses and preparing Cases for Charge and Hearings. Our most Senior Counsel have advised Regulators at the most senior level. All levels are equipped to deal with all categories of Hearing. The breadth and depth of knowledge and experience of Professional Discipline is shared amongst the group to ensure that not only are our barristers well informed, but also well positioned to deal with any novel issues that might arise.

Members of the team operate in associated parallel proceedings.  We have experience of the criminal, regulatory and inquisitorial proceedings that can arise from this field.  We are frequently engaged by core participants and interested parties within public inquiries and inquests.  We have also been instructed to conduct internal reviews for companies within different professions. Drawing from our expertise in closely related fields, we work to equip companies with measures to prevent internal crisis and to assist to resolve issues, when they arise.  Our barristers have knowledge of the mechanics of numerous professions due to our vast experience in professional regulation and have considerable experience of acting on behalf of professional companies when they encounter internal crises which have the potential to turn into civil, criminal, regulatory and/or inquisitorial proceedings. Members not only have vast experience of the allegations companies may face but they have a detailed understanding of the operation and dynamics of internal investigations, having represented both the organisers and subjects of such inquiries.   Our barristers provide preventative advice and assistance with compliance issues; we advise on setting up new policies and risk assessments of existing policies.   We have advised national service providers, professional governing bodies, law firms and schools amongst others, our work has dealt with regulatory procedure as well as criminal issues such as theft, fraud, harassment and sexual assault.

Members of our team are regularly invited to comment, write and speak on key issues in the field. 

News

Acquittal for Doctor accused of fraud.

Adam King this week represented a Doctor charged with Fraud by False Representation after...

Articles

The Importance of a transparently independent and professional investigation when things have gone wrong or accusations made. Medico-Legal Journal - 10.06.21

  Tom Kark QC delivered a Seminar to the Medico Legal Society on the 10th of June 2021. It was regarding the importance of transparent, independent and professional investigations when things have gone wrong or accusations made.  A...

A Podcast: A Public Inquiry into Covid-19 - a Series of Discussions Hosted by QEBHW Part 1: The NHS - Might the Hand-clapping Turn to Finger-pointing?

The government has now committed to a full statutory public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic.  This is the first of a series of podcasts by QEB Hollis Whiteman looking at the topic of a public inquiry into Covid -19 from a variety of perspectives. We...

AN UPDATE: Walking the tightrope of COVID-19 - how can doctors and other healthcare professionals protect themselves from criticism?

Considering how front-line healthcare workers might protect themselves. With the 2020 "clap for the NHS" and recent outrage at the 1% pay rise for NHS staff, it is clear that the national sense of thanks for the NHS prevails and is as strong...

Walking the tightrope of COVID-19 - how can doctors and other healthcare professionals protect themselves from future criticism?

Considering how front-line healthcare workers might protect themselves. Recently, the “clap for the NHS” came to an end, after ten weeks. Reasons for its demise include some NHS staff feeling it had been hijacked by politicians, and some...

#MeToo: The disciplinary implications of misconduct, both inside and outside of the workplace

In this podcast, Sean Larkin QC , Edward Henry QC and Alexandra Felix consider the disciplinary implications of misconduct, both inside and outside the workplace in the context of the #MeToo movement. This podcast was developed from an article Edward...

The Gambling Commission: Constructive Engagement

For gambling companies, the Covid-19 crisis has further intensified political and regulatory scrutiny of their activities and increased the possibility of interactions with the GB regulator. Adam Epstein of Mishcon de Reya , together with Philip Evans QC...

Inquests, Prisons and Covid-19

On 25 March 2020, the Coronavirus Act 2020 (‘the 2020 Act’) received Royal Assent and became law. The Chief Coroner has also released a number of Guidance Notes (Numbers 34, 35 and 36) which expand upon the new powers granted in the 2020 Act and...