At the helm of Burges Salmon LLP‘s Bristol-based practice is dispute resolution specialist Ann Metherall, who is well-regarded for her experience in handling the full remit of domestic and international health and safety matters, particularly those in the rail sector; Metherall also heads up the firm’s 24-hour major incident response offering. The team is formed of ’highly talented lawyers’ and is well-placed to act on fatal and catastrophic matters under public scrutiny, spanning sectors from the energy and transport industries, to the leisure sector. Guy Bastable is another key practitioner, who harnesses expertise in regulatory and criminal investigation cases, with fire safety, food safety and environmental protection issues being some notable areas of focus. ‘Standout lawyer’ Charlotte Whitaker is also worthy of mention for her work on multi-fatality litigation, and Sam Aldous also contributes to the firm's key work.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘This is a very diverse team and they always go out of their way to explain any issues around the cases and make me feel that they really are working in my best interest.’
‘Ann Metherall has spent a considerable amount of time explaining the case and giving excellent advice; Charlotte Whitaker gives excellent advice; Marisa Hornabrook is very proactive and makes a difficult situation easier.’
‘One of the best teams I've worked with - everyone is smart, charming, hardworking and great at serving their clients' needs on even the most complex cases.’
‘Charlotte Whitaker is a star in the making; fantastically smart and a brilliant team manager.’
‘The Burges Salmon team is filled with highly talented lawyers with vast experience dealing with high-profile and complex matters, especially in the transport sector. This experience is complemented by the firms involvement in the various ongoing public inquiries. ’
‘A really stand out partner is Charlotte Whitaker - she is calm and measured in her approach and her clients really appreciate her advice and skilful management of cases. She is a go-to lawyer in catastrophic injury investigations. Chris Jackson and Guy Bastable also stand out.’
‘A market-leading team for health and safety and inquest work. An outstanding group of lawyers with real command of the law in this area combined with first-class litigation experience and commercial awareness. I would not hesitate to recommend them.’
‘Charlotte Whitaker is measured but decisive, clients value her meticulous preparation, tactical insight and team leadership. A standout lawyer in a crowded field. Ben Davies brings a wealth of experience and is straightforward and practical in approach which immediately puts clients at ease. Ann Metherall’s reputation precedes her – she is well-liked and respected, her strategic approach and willingness to get stuck in make her a first port of call for many multinational clients.'
Key clients
- The Crown Estate
- FirstGroup PLC
- John Lewis Partnership plc
Work highlights
- Acting for a client in the energy sector on a health and safety investigation and inquest following a fatality on its operational site.
- Acting for a client in the transport sector in relation to a multi-fatality incident, advising on the investigation, inquests and prosecution.
- Acting for a client in the leisure sector on a local authority investigation and prosecution.
Lawyers
Hall of fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Next generation partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Charlotte Whitaker
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Sam Aldous
Practice head
Ann Metherall
Other key lawyers
Charlotte Whitaker; Marisa Hornabrook; Sam Aldous; Guy Bastable; Chris Jackson; Ben Davies