Biography
Katie is a Partner specialising in regulatory compliance and risk particularly in the fields of food law, product safety, health and safety and consumer protection. She advises businesses who need to understand the regulatory framework, require an interpretation on the correct application of the law or who are being challenged by a regulator for not meeting regulatory requirements.
Businesses come to her when they need help on the composition, labelling or packaging of a product and often when they are seeking to launch into new markets. Katie’s work includes advising on supply chain management and the requirements that businesses need to meet to secure traceability and safety of product. She regularly manages multi-jurisdictional compliance projects with the aim of providing practical and risk-based advice so that business stakeholders can make decisions and implement the advice easily.
Katie has developed food law practice advising on labelling, health and nutrition claims, additives v processing aids, novel foods, supplements and foods for specific groups. She advises on FMCG including cosmetics, detergents and apparel, and products requiring CE-marking (toys, machines, electrical products, etc) and increasingly on connected products including additive manufacturing (3D printing) and wearable technology.
Her product safety practice complements her international health and safety practice, where she advise businesses on health and safety compliance and regularly support clients through a crisis situation and any investigation or enforcement action by a regulator. She was the lead on-site lawyer in the aftermath of the Buncefield fire and explosion and has supported many businesses through a wide-range of health and safety incident including fatalities, fires and major asbestos exposure. This experience allows her to assess a company’s health and safety systems and to make recommendations on system improvements. She has a particular specialism advising businesses who want to set global standards for health and safety and works with them to achieve a single corporate approach to process and behavioural safety.
She is a ranked lawyer in Chambers for her product liability: food and health and safety practice where clients have described her as “exceptional” and appreciated her “support, friendly style and excellent counsel”.
Alongside her role at Osborne Clarke, since December 2020 Katie has been Special Advisor to the Board and Risk Committee at THG.
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