Browne Jacobson’s regulatory expertise for public and private organisations in sectors including health and care has been strengthened by the recruitment of two legal directors.

Caroline Barker and Tom Walker, a barrister, have joined the UK and Ireland law firm, where they will work with clients across health and life sciences, government, and corporates as members of the Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory team, which is led by Andy Hopkin. 

Helping providers to navigate CQC and Ofsted regulatory environments

Caroline, who joins from HCR Law and is based in the London office, specialises in regulatory healthcare law, acting for a range of health and social care providers including care homes, domiciliary care agencies, children’s homes, and residential special schools.

She has more than 20 years’ experience advising health and social care providers on their regulatory obligations and rights, and helping them to navigate the world of regulation by the Care Quality Commission and Ofsted.  

Her work includes helping providers compile robust factual accuracy comments to draft inspection reports; challenge enforcement action such as notices of proposals to refuse, cancel, suspend or vary registration and the resulting notices of decisions, alongside appeals to the First-Tier Tribunal; warning notices; letters of intent; notices to restrict accommodation; managing requests for information from regulators; advising in relation to inquests and local authority safeguarding investigations; advising clients in respect of child safeguarding practice reviews and safeguarding adults reviews; and undertaking regulatory due diligence for corporate clients.

Caroline’s appointment bolsters Browne Jacobson’s health and life sciences practice, which is overseen by Gerard Hanratty. In particular, she will work with the independent health and care team, which is led by Vicky Tomlinson and works with clients including private hospitals and clinics, later living, specialist and complex care operators and children's services organisations, as well as developers, investors and funders. 

Caroline Barker, Legal Director, said: “Independent and public health and care providers are operating in a regulatory environment that is changing faster than at any point in my career. 

“The 10-Year Health Plan commits to a more data-led CQC, with AI-triggered rapid response inspections and extended powers to take enforcement action – and that will land hardest on providers that are not already thinking carefully about their compliance position. For care homes, children's services, domiciliary providers and specialist operators, the stakes of an adverse inspection outcome have never been higher. 

“What drew me to Browne Jacobson is the breadth of the platform: the ability to act for independent providers across the full regulatory spectrum – from challenging draft inspection reports and enforcement notices through to First-Tier Tribunal appeals and safeguarding investigations — alongside a team with genuine depth in the commercial and transactional side of health and care. That combination is rare, and it is exactly what this sector needs right now."

“Browne Jacobson’s vast experience of supporting clients across the public and private sectors makes this a particularly exciting place to be as a regulatory lawyer and there are huge opportunities for us to connect clients from across these worlds.

“Independent health and care providers have a huge role to play in delivering ambitions set out in the 10-Year Health Plan but require a breadth of legal advice to navigate increasingly complex regulations.”

Tom Walker joins as barrister with two decades’ experience in defending and prosecuting criminal and regulatory cases

Tom, who joins from Blake Morgan, is based in Browne Jacobson’s Cardiff office and will advise clients nationally. Bringing nearly two decades’ experience, he has a background in general and international criminal work, but has focused on specialist regulatory work since 2007. He has acted as a solicitor-agent for the Health and Safety Executive, and is on List B of the Specialist Regulatory Advocates List. 

Tom’s advice has covered regulatory and corporate crime, acting for organisations and individuals particularly in respect of health and safety, consumer protection, food and product safety, environmental and the range of local authority enforcement in particular planning, trading standards and environmental health. 

He will lead the firm’s prosecution practice, which includes advising and representing numerous fire authorities, local authorities, government agencies and regulators. 

Tom Walker, Legal Director and Barrister, said: “Browne Jacobson is a firm supporting clients at the forefront of tackling society’s biggest issues, and this represents a tremendous opportunity to work at the intersection of regulatory law and public and private sector accountability.

“Our reputation in acting for government agencies, local authorities and regulators, as well as private sector corporate clients, is well established, and I look forward to bringing my experience in regulatory prosecutions to help clients navigate what is an ever-more demanding enforcement landscape. The breadth of work here – from health and safety to consumer protection – is exactly where I want to be practising."

Andy Hopkin, Partner and Head of Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory at Browne Jacobson, added: "Caroline and Tom are exceptional additions to our team and reflect the continued investment we are making in our regulatory capability across health government and the private sector.

“Caroline's deep expertise in CQC and Ofsted regulation is invaluable as independent health and care providers face a step-change in scrutiny under the 10-Year Health Plan, while Tom's track record as a barrister in defending and prosecuting criminal and regulatory proceedings adds an important dimension to the prosecution and litigation services we offer clients across both the public and private sectors. Together, they significantly strengthen our ability to act on the most complex and high-stakes regulatory matters for clients anywhere in the country.”

Browne Jacobson’s Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory team advises corporate bodies and individuals within both the public and private sector. Its work spans the full range of regulatory and criminal investigations and enforcement, both defending and prosecuting, including health and safety, environmental, consumer protection, financial crime, food and product safety, corporate manslaughter, CQC and Ofsted regulation, and all local authority enforcement.