Claire
Burrows

Claire is a specialist regulatory compliance lawyer, with expertise in health and safety, environmental, food safety, product safety, medical device regulation, Coronial Law and anti-bribery legislation. She also regularly advises clients (both national and international), about regulatory compliance issues.

A natural problem solver, Claire is often involved in complex regulatory investigations- helping clients defend regulatory enforcement action.  She is also an experienced advocate who has appeared in the Magistrates and Coroners Courts on numerous occasions.

A client centric approach

Claire enjoys having to think strategically, and coming up with practical, commercial and creative solutions to complex issues: “I help my clients sleep a little easier at night”, she says.

Claire also describes her way of working as client centric. “With the work I do, it’s all about being part of the client team. I’m not a solicitor who sits behind a desk and uses archaic language. I like to roll my sleeves up, get stuck in, get to know my client’s business and even more importantly, get to know my clients”.

This approach means that Claire has a far stronger – and more productive – working relationship with her clients, and usually has fun along the way as well. Claire notes that when she meets most of her clients for the first time, they are usually in the midst of something really challenging, so being able to lighten the mood is important.  “At the end of the day, we’re all just people, so understanding what matters to the people I work with, as well as their business is of paramount importance to me, and I can deliver the very best results for clients I am truly invested in”.

Able to ‘think on her feet’

Claire knows that the fast-paced nature of her work and dealing with varied and emerging issues often in short timescales, means she needs to be able to think on her feet.  This, along with being readily available for her clients most of the time can be challenging, but for Claire it’s all part and parcel of her role: “I fully embrace my client’s objectives and enjoy being part of the team – their success is my success, and that’s what makes it all worthwhile”.

Claire studied English Literature at university, and completed her BA (Hons) degree before making the switch to law. She is a mentor for newly qualified solicitors in the Regulatory team and has participated in the firm wide mentoring scheme for a number of years.

“Helping clients to navigate their way through their requirements and assisting them to investigate, defend or mitigate enforcement action when things go wrong, is at the heart of what I do. I enjoy being fully immersed in my clients’ businesses and offer them practical, honest and commercial advice. Being there for clients when they need it the most means they can carry on operating in accordance with the law in these challenging times.”