Catherine Henney

Principal Associate

Languages

Italian (conversational)

Practice areas

• Energy and infrastructure
• Food and drink
• Health and life sciences
• Health and safety
• Litigation and dispute management

Practice notes

Catherine is a Principal Associate in the EHS team, specialising in advising and defending organisations being investigated and prosecuted by the HSE, Police, EA or Local Authorities following safety or environmental incidents. Her particular expertise lies in crisis and incident management, dealing with the immediate aftermath and liaising with regulators, and then working with clients to ensure a thorough and methodical post-incident investigation. She represents clients during all stages of legal proceedings including during inquest, at the Magistrates and in the Crown Court.

Catherine acts for clients across numerous sectors, and deals with matters inclduing food safety, trading standards and environmental/occupational health. She routinely gives compliance advice in relation to e.g. CDM and COMAH requirements; and fire and other safety risks associated with premises.

Recent client work includes

• Immediate on-site attendance following a fall from height in a warehouse, and ongoing representation throughout the regulator’s investigation
• Defending a historic prosecution in relation to a fatality in a cement kiln and dealing with arguments surrounding abuse of process
• Dealing with multiple investigations for a food sector client, in relation to different incidents at different sites such as steam burns to a process worker; injury to a contractor; noise and odour complaints; an oil spill and a lifting incident
• Representing a client during investigation and subsequent prosecution by HSE following a power outage at a site housing high containment facilities (but where no actual loss of containment occurred)
• Co-ordinating a multi-jurisdictional project for a global investment client to understand the division of responsibilities for health and safety across its portfolio of European leasehold properties.

Catherine was also part of the senior teams on the Mid Staffordshire and Jersey Care Inquiries.