Overview

Workplace investigations into regulatory compliance and whistleblowing complaints are increasingly common both in the UK and globally. HR and legal teams have key roles to play in what can be business critical processes and are often entrusted to conduct workplace investigations without exposing the business to further risk.

This is not straightforward and it is important to understand the legal issues and plan the investigation from the outset. This is particularly the case where there is a need to preserve legal privilege in an investigation. Our lawyers are experienced in handling sensitive and high-profile workplace investigations, often involving industry regulators.

We work collaboratively with our clients to find the most effective course of action. With careful attention to detail we identify, and help our clients manage, potential business risks that could result from workplace investigations.

Areas of focus

Our specialist investigations, regulatory compliance and whistleblowing lawyers are experienced in the following:

  • Assessing potential risk for businesses involved in whistleblowing issues.
  • Supporting HR and legal teams with the conduct of workplace investigations.
  • Minimising the risks arising from whistleblowing through effective investigation and management.
  • Helping businesses create a strategy to handle future workplace investigations and whistleblowing complaints.
Experience

Due to the sensitive nature of our work in this area, the examples below have been anonymised.

Advising a number of clients on investigations into alleged bribery and corruption.

Successfully defending an international financial services technology provider against a whistleblowing claim by its former finance director.

Advising a client in the insurance sector on its internal HR response and external response to the FCA in respect of serious whistleblowing allegations made by the Company Secretary and in-house legal counsel.

Advising a FTSE 100 company in relation to multiple whistleblowing allegations relating to health and safety issues.

Advising a global printing group on its investigation into an employee’s suicide and its response to allegations in the Coroner’s process that the suicide was work-related.

Successfully defending a major defence and security company against a whistleblowing tribunal claim.

Advising a client in the higher education sector on a high value employment tribunal claim involving whistleblowing, disability discrimination and age discrimination.

Conducting a number of on-site and off-site compliance audits.

Meet the team
Headshot of Adrian Martin

Adrian Martin Partner

  • Head of Employment
  • TUPE: Business Transfers and Outsourcing
  • Restructuring and Redundancy
Luke Bowery

Luke Bowery Partner

  • Employment
  • Restructuring and Redundancy
  • Equality, Diversity and Discrimination
Headshot of Chris Seaton

Chris Seaton Senior Partner

  • Senior Partner
  • Employment
  • Partnerships
Headshot of Katie Russell

Katie Russell Partner

  • Employment
  • Financial Services
  • Sport

What others say...

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Legal 500 2024

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