Overview

Our legal team has significant experience representing individuals and organisations who are delivering, or responding to, complex and high-profile public inquiries. These are often sensitive in nature and require a thoughtful and supportive approach.

Our team are well-versed with managing inquiries with professionalism, confidentiality and sensitivity while effectively handling any risk and reputational issues with care and common sense including those arising as a result of media attention. Our team has a diverse skillset and includes those with experience serving as Secretary to an Inquiry. Additionally, we have Legal Project Managers who have been embedded within the legal operations team of an Inquiry Secretariat, playing a crucial role in establishing and supporting the planning and legal operations functions. 

Clients have the reassurance of a one-stop-shop as our team works alongside our wider dispute resolution and corporate crime and investigations specialists where their knowledge and experience are weaved into many of the inquiries we are supporting. We offer a unified team approach with a single point of contact and work together to deliver our legal services efficiently, effectively and innovatively. We can also draw on the firm’s wider experience including data protection, employment and D&O expertise.

Our approach provides the right expertise to meet client needs and delivers a substantial, multi-disciplinary team if required.

Areas of focus

Our cross-sector specialists can support you with:

  • Running an inquiry as Solicitor to the Inquiry from set-up to report publication;
  • Acting for major Core Participants in significant statutory and non-statutory inquiries;
  • Issues relating to National Security or other issues of policy or high sensitivity;
  • Evidence identification, preservation and disclosure review including deploying innovative approaches to complex and large-scale evidence-gathering, review and disclosure processes;
  • Support to witnesses giving written and oral evidence to inquiries;
  • Experience of Managing Public Money and related policy guidance;
  • Contract managers that oversee the delivery of all services supplied to an inquiry to ensure value for money; and
  • Legal Project Managers with experience of working alongside the Inquiry Secretary and Secretariat helping to establish and support various functions of the Secretariat.
Experience

Providing the legal team representing the Covid Inquiry.

Since September 2023 onwards acting as Recognised Legal Representative for Post Office Limited as core participant to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. This includes advising Post Office on their approach to Phases 5 to 7 of the Inquiry and in relation to Post Office’s ongoing disclosure to the Inquiry.

Secretary to the Brook House Inquiry investigating the mistreatment of people detained at Brook House immigration removal centre through set up, public hearings and report drafting.

Providing the legal team representing the Omagh Bombing Inquiry.

Advising a Core Participant to a non-statutory inquiry including witness liaison and identification, and provision of disclosure.

Providing disclosure support to a government body providing evidence to a statutory inquiry.

Advising a Core Participant in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry in relation to the criminal investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service into allegations of corporate manslaughter and health and safety breaches arising out of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Meet the team
Charlotte Whitaker

Charlotte Whitaker Partner

  • Dispute Resolution
  • Incident and Emergency Response
  • Health and Safety
Gemma Ludgate

Gemma Ludgate Partner

  • Dispute Resolution 
  • Central Government
David Hall

David Hall Partner

  • Dispute Resolution
  • Banking Disputes
  • Business Crime and Regulatory Investigations
Chris Jackson

Chris Jackson Partner

  • Infrastructure
  • Procurement and State Aid
  • Transport
Ben Davies

Ben Davies Director

  • Dispute Resolution
  • Rail
  • Health and Safety
Annabel Holloway

Annabel Holloway Senior Associate

  • Dispute Resolution
  • Public Inquiries
  • Commercial Contract Disputes
Justine Reid

Justine Reid Senior Associate

  • Dispute Resolution
  • Partnership Disputes 
  • Trust Disputes
Headshot of Emma Nigogosian

Emma Nigogosian Manager of Legal Project Management

  • Legal Project Management 

What others say...

Burges Salmon is brilliant; you can tell how closely they work together and they are able to collaborate with others seamlessly.

Chambers UK 2025

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