Natascha Gaut
A Cheshire headquartered law firm with a national reach has made a key appointment which will lead to new service offers in areas including corporate criminal work, crisis management and regulatory compliance.
Natascha Gaut joins Poole Alcock as Head of Regulatory Services, having spent over a decade with multi-national law firm Eversheds Sutherland.
It’s rare for such senior level regulatory compliance services to be available outside the ‘big city’ law firms and Poole Alcock say Natascha’s appointment should spur further growth.
Poole Alcock has offices across Cheshire and a presence in cities across the UK, including London, Manchester and Birmingham.
Natascha said: “I’m very much looking forward to establishing a new regulatory services team at Poole Alcock. I will bolster the existing offering of commercial and corporate services. My appointment allows the firm to not only advise, corporates and individuals, on civil law issues but also provide a service to those who find themselves facing a criminal investigation by any regulatory body”.
“Poole Alcock has a fantastic regional presence and is now in position to grow its corporate services offer across the UK. There is an opportunity to provide a vital service to Poole Alcock clients and to grow a new client base”
Sarah-Jane Dunhill, Partner and Head of Commercial and Civil Litigation at Poole Alcock LLP said “We are absolutely delighted to have Natascha on board with us. Aside from bringing with her a wealth of expertise which will enable us to offer a new specialist offering to our existing and ever-growing client base, Natascha’s arrival is incredibly exciting for Poole Alcock because of the niche area of law being offered. We are proud to say that this makes us one of only a handful of law firms outside of the large city centre based firms who can offer such a well-rounded service to our Clients, offering the full range of legal services that may be needed by both companies and individuals alike.”
Natascha’s regulatory services work provides a holistic service for companies in areas including food safety, water regulatory, environment and health and safety.
Explained Natascha: “My role is to offer a wide-reaching support service to clients. It starts with strategic advice on compliance with regulations and, if an issue arises, I will advise on crisis management, working with a company’s senior management team to take control of any legal matters, so they can focus on the day-to-day running of the business.
The aim is to mitigate and find solutions so that litigation is avoided, but if a matter ends in court, I will then represent my client through legal action.”
Natascha said that awareness in areas such as food allergies is now higher than ever before, adding “we work with clients to ensure compliance and advise on all applicable legal standards.” This has led her to represent food companies and to advise on changes to the regulatory regime around food labelling.
Legislation governing the pollution of water courses and illegal discharges into the sewer network is another area of specialist regulatory law that Natascha can advise clients on. Natascha has previously supported clients involved in cases with regulators, such as Trading Standards, the HSE and the Environment Agency.
Natascha has also spoken at national conferences, including the UK Hospitality Food Safety Seminar and the IOSH (Institute of Safety and Health), Food and Drink Manufacturing Health and Safety Conference.
