Gary is a Health, Safety and Environmental Partner with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Having previously worked at Squire Patton Boggs, Gary delivers expert and reliable advice for clients on a wide array of matters. His expertise covers health, safety and environmental prosecutions, corporate manslaughter, food safety and trading standards. His experience covers a range of sectors, with predominant focus on construction, manufacturing and retail.

Gary’s career highlights include:

• Representing European chipboard manufacturer in relation to a prosecution by the HSE following an explosion at its production plant causing £8 million damage, as a result of which, one employee was very seriously injured. Represented the same client following an accident where two contractors were killed while performing maintenance work on a conveyor that was not isolated in accordance with the permit to work system.
• Advising Greater Manchester Fire Service in relation to a health and safety prosecution brought by the HSE following the death of a firefighter whilst attempting to rescue of a member of the public from a pool at a nature reserve.
• Regularly advising construction clients in relation to health and safety issues, including preparation of written submissions and representation at the Magistrates’ and Coroner’s courts.
• Represented construction client in relation to an accident involving a cherry picker, being operated in almost fully extended position, just within envelope of construction site, when it toppled over into a densely populated main street in Nottingham. The cherry picker operator sustained multiple serious injuries.
• Represented Baldwins Crane Hire Limited, which was charged and convicted of corporate manslaughter following trial.
• Represented Homebase and successfully appealed a prohibition notice served by the HSE alleging inadequate control of specialist roofing contractors working on the roof of its Cardiff store.
• Represented construction company in the successful appeal of a prohibition notice served by HSE following a fatal accident.
• Advised and represented Argos in relation to a fatality involving a HGV driver performing a delivery to a store in Oswestry. No further action was taken following the Inquest. HSE FFI charges were successfully challenged.
• Advised and represented construction company following a fatal accident, involving a lifting operation. No further action was taken following the Inquest. Successfully challenged the HSE FFI charges, which were reduced from approximately £70k to £1.5k following determination by a FFI Dispute Panel.
• Advised and represented company following collapse of temporary spectator stands at the Trooping of the Colour rehearsal in May 2022. No further action taken following investigation by HSE.
• Consistently acted on a panel with a Lloyds syndicate insurer in relation to various health and safety prosecutions by the Police and/or HSE or Local Authority.
• Working knowledge of the printing industry as a result of advising and representing multiple printing companies referred by the British Printing Industries Federation, usually in relation to guarding of machinery.
• Representing mine owner charged with offences under the Water Resources Act 1991 when a tailings dam liquefied overwhelming the bund causing flooding in the village of Stoney Middleton and causing polluting matter to enter the River Derwent.
• Represented Farm Manager, employed by an agricultural college, in relation to a prosecution brought by the EA following the pollution of a river. The College were also prosecuted and pleaded guilty. Farm Manager pleaded not guilty and ultimately accepted a caution.
• Represented a waste recycling site in relation to a prosecution by the EA alleging that the Defendant had acted contrary to a notice to leave undisturbed. Defendant was found not guilty, following trial before a District Judge, on the basis that the Notice had not been properly served by the EA.

Legal 500 says:

“Gary Lewis is highly knowledgeable and involves himself fully with his clients in a way that is not typical of other lawyers. He is highly practical and pragmatic, forward looking and able to adjust his approach to clients taking account of their culture. I have seen in several cases how senior executives of his clients adopt immediate and full confidence in this advice, often across areas beyond just straight legal advice. He is always available and will put ‘on the ground’ work in with his clients, thus providing a level of support that is far more wide ranging than a typical lawyer.”

“Described as “top notch.” Further feedback included “From Gary Lewis we got ‘tough love’ – nothing was sugar-coated in regard to what we had got wrong and where the risk lay, balanced with no panic; this immediately commanded our respect, developed confidence and trust.”

“Gary Lewis communicated with myself, our insurers, insurance broker, HSE, witnesses etc co-ordinating the entire process excellently and without hinderance.”

“Excellent knowledge of industry, legal process, case law, and recent case finding and decisions. Gary Lewis is certainly one of the stand out solicitors practicing in the Health and Safety Law arena”

“I have worked closely with Gary Lewis and found him flawless in his field”

Chambers & Partners says:

“Gary is “exceptional in his knowledge and methodical in his approach”. His practice includes advising on prosecutions, sentencing hearings and large-scale HSE investigations. Market sources hold him in high regard, stating, “He gets involved with clients on a practical level and knows how to give you real advice”.

“Gary is “extremely effective in court” and “clients praise him for his “hands-on approach” and “exceptional technical knowledge”.”

“He has an extremely in-depth knowledge of the regulations and a really good sense of the practical application of the law to the operation of businesses, which makes him an extremely popular choice. He is a fantastic all-rounder with excellent grasp of the law.”