Women in Health and Safety Law – A Celebration on International Women’s Day

The HSLA & Withers LLP invite you to:

‘Women in Health and Safety Law – A Celebration on International Women’s Day’

The evening will kick off with a thought-provoking panel session discussing the theme of International Women’s Day this year: ‘Accelerate Action’.

Focusing on the need to ‘Accelerate Action’ emphasises the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.

Join us to discuss and debate how we #AccelerateAction in driving forward parity in our profession.

Date: 6 March 2025

Venue: Withers LLP 20 Old Bailey London EC4M 7AN

Timings (may be subject to change)

17.30-1800 registration

1800-1845 panel session

1845-20.00 drinks and canapes

All are welcome!

Numbers are limited so book now to avoid disappointment.

If you have any questions please email admin@hsla.org.uk

Speakers

Saba Naqshbandi KC, Three Raymond Buildings.
Saba is an expert in public inquiries and inquests, health and safety, fire safety, environmental and commercial crime, known for her strategic and commercial approach, as well as her exemplary written and oral advocacy.

She is recommended as a leading practitioner across four practice areas: public inquiries and inquests, health and safety, financial crime and licensing.

Saba is passionate about mentoring those who wish to access the legal profession and those within the profession. Through her work for many years within Chambers, Middle Temple, specialist legal associations and in her own personal life, Saba has successfully supported students to pupillage through advice, application review and mock interview practice; school pupils to experience life as a barrister; junior solicitors to obtain new roles and colleagues to develop work and attain senior positions. She is a member of the Bar Council’s Retention Panel and leads the 3RB Women’s Network.

Suzanne Gallagher, Senior Associate, Withers LLP
Suzanne Gallagher is a solicitor with extensive experience advising corporate boards and their senior executives in regulatory investigations by UK law enforcement agencies. She has experience of advising clients following fatalities and other serious accidents which have the potential to give rise to criminal liability for corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, as well as breaches of health and safety, food safety, environmental law, fire safety and product safety. Having spent her junior years at BCL Solicitors LLP, she recently moved to Withers LLP as Senior Associate.

She has a depth of experience when it comes to investigations and prosecutions conducted by specialist UK agencies including the Metropolitan Police, the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, the Food Standards Agency, Local Authorities and the Crown Prosecution Service. She recognised by Legal 500 for her expertise in Health and Safety as a ‘Leading Associate’.

Prior to qualifying as a solicitor, Suzanne worked in the United Nations and the European Union in regulatory and criminal justice matters. She also spent time in Tokyo, Japan working in the pharmaceuticals industry.

Andrew Sanderson, Partner, Kingsley Napley
Andrew is a highly experienced lawyer with over 20 years’ experience advising clients in relation to all aspects of health and safety reviews, investigations and defending prosecutions. He has significant expertise with offering reactive advice, specifically in relation to internal investigations, health and safety incident response and advice/representation in connection with HSE investigations and prosecutions.

Andrew’s practice focuses in particular on the transport, defence, manufacturing and chemical sectors, being involved in highly specialist or otherwise sensitive projects providing support to clients in both the advisory, regulatory and contentious spaces.

Andrew is a Solicitor-Advocate a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (UK), Member of the Institute of Transport Administration, Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Carmen. Andrew is also a member of the Health and Safety Lawyers Association and Chairman of the National Security & Resilience Consortium. He regularly lectures on issues such as corporate manslaughter and corporate/directors’ responsibility.

Angelica Rokad, 6 Pump Court
Angelica undertakes advisory and litigation work in Courts and Tribunals for a range of clients, including Local Authorities, public body regulators and global and national companies in the FTSE 100. She joined Chambers as a tenant in 2018, following successful completion of her pupillage.

Angelica’s practice includes prosecution and defence regulatory work. Her experience includes advising businesses and individuals at pre-charge charge stage and appearing in Courts, as Prosecution or Defence Counsel in relation to a range of regulatory issues, including: fire safety breaches, food safety hygiene offences; breaches of gas safety regulations, environmental waste offences as well as appeals related to the issuing of improvement/prohibition notices.

Angelica has been appointed in this year’s round to the Panel B list of Specialist Regulatory Counsel comprising the HSE, EA, ORR, NRW, CQC and OPSS where she advises on, and conducts, prosecution, and enforcement in a range of complex health and safety and environmental law issues.

Tickets available to 2.00pm Wednesday, 5th March