Strengthening Sheffield Regulatory Practice as Demand for Specialist Advice Grows 

Our regulatory practice in Sheffield has grown from strength to strength with the team growing from one to four people in just over 12 months amid increasing demand for specialist regulatory advice.

Since partner Kamal Chauhan joined the firm in May 2025 to establish and lead its regulatory practice, the Sheffield-based team has rapidly developed a national client base, advising businesses and individuals on complex regulatory, investigatory and enforcement matters across a broad range of sectors.

Over the past year, the team has defended a health and safety prosecution; represented professionals involved in professional misconduct hearings; attended numerous inquests; and supported the firm’s transactional teams on real estate and corporate matters.

It has also been instrumental in securing places on new legal panels across a range of sectors, generating more than £600,000 in revenue growth from a standing start. Its growing caseload includes a significant corporate manslaughter investigation and the defence of a water industry prosecution, with potentially wide-ranging implications.

The team’s growth has been driven by the appointments of regulatory partner Lyn Dario in January 2026, followed by legal director Marie Bourke and paralegal Alesha Tong in May 2026.

Kamal, who joined us from Knights, has more than 20 years’ experience advising on high-profile and complex regulatory matters. His expertise spans environmental law, climate change and energy regulation, health and safety, financial services regulation, professional misconduct, product liability and judicial review – acting for clients across sectors including heavy industry, energy, healthcare, financial services, real estate, utilities, and sports and entertainment.

Lyn brings extensive expertise in environmental, health and safety and wider business regulation. She advises clients on matters including environmental permitting, waste regulation, trading standards investigations, product safety, food safety, competition issues and ICO investigations – acting for businesses across sectors including construction, manufacturing, rail, and food and drink.

Marie further strengthens the team’s contentious regulatory capability, advising organisations and individuals on complex investigations and disputes involving allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption, money laundering and wider regulatory breaches. Her experience includes successfully challenging an HMRC decision denying almost £1 million in input tax during a VAT investigation, as well as advising a provider of children’s accommodation facing regulatory scrutiny where no further action was taken.

Alesha joined as a paralegal after graduating from the University of Sheffield and is helping deliver the team’s growing caseload of complex regulatory matters.

Kamal, head of regulatory and head of the Sheffield office, said:

“Since joining Shakespeare Martineau, my ambition has been to build a regulatory practice that combines technical excellence with a practical understanding of the challenges businesses and individuals face in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

“The growth of our Sheffield team reflects both the demand we’re seeing for specialist regulatory advice and our commitment to building a practice that supports clients through every stage of the regulatory process.

“Regulatory issues rarely sit in isolation – they often involve legal, operational, commercial and reputational considerations. By bringing together specialists with experience across different areas of regulation, we can provide clients with joined-up advice that helps them navigate these challenges with confidence.

“I’m delighted with the calibre of the team we’ve built. Lyn, Marie and Alesha each bring complementary expertise, and together we’re continuing to develop a practice that supports clients locally and nationally across an increasingly broad range of regulatory issues.”

This content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is not intended to address the circumstances of any individual or entity, nor should it be relied upon as a substitute for specific advice from a qualified solicitor. The information reflects the legal position as at the date specified and may be subject to change. If you require advice on a specific matter, please contact us directly.