Ryan Gledhill

Practice Areas

Ryan advises corporates and public bodies on complex health and safety and regulatory matters arising from serious incidents, including workplace fatalities, life-changing injuries and high-risk near misses. His practice spans HSE investigations, inquests, corporate manslaughter investigations and prosecutions, as well as appeals against enforcement action and wider regulatory proceedings.

He is frequently instructed at the earliest stage following an incident, advising on immediate response, internal investigations and engagement with regulators, including guiding clients through the critical initial period, managing legal risk, preserving evidence and shaping strategy from the outset. He has experience acting in matters involving significant public scrutiny and reputational sensitivity.

Ryan has particular experience handling complex, multi-party investigations involving contractors, joint ventures and overlapping dutyholder responsibilities. He regularly advises on issues of control, supervision and allocation of responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

His work includes defending clients in Crown Court prosecutions, securing acquittals and achieving no further action outcomes in serious investigations. He also represents clients at inquests, often in cases involving complex medical or causation issues, and works closely with expert witnesses across a range of disciplines.

Ryan is known for providing clear, measured advice in high-pressure situations and for distilling complex legal and factual issues into practical guidance. He is trusted by senior leadership teams to support decision-making in challenging circumstances.

Work Highlights

Ryan has played a leading role in defending a corporate client in a high-profile corporate manslaughter prosecution arising from a fatal incident at a holiday park. The case involves complex issues of causation, expert medical evidence and the proper scope of organisational responsibility. His work has included shaping the defence strategy at an early stage, coordinating multiple expert disciplines and advising on the interplay between corporate manslaughter and Health and Safety at Work Act offences.

He has also acted for a national infrastructure contractor in Crown Court proceedings arising from a workplace fatality, securing an acquittal following a multi-week trial. The case required detailed analysis of operational systems, witness evidence and risk assessment processes, with a particular focus on how the prosecution sought to characterise control and foreseeability.

Ryan has been closely involved in a fatality investigation concerning a major hotel group, where the regulator is considering prosecution following a death involving alleged fixture failure. He has led on strategic engagement with the local authority, including detailed written representations challenging both causation and evidential integrity, as well as successfully supporting the withdrawal of enforcement action in related proceedings.

In the construction sector, Ryan acts for a joint venture principal contractor in relation to a serious incident at a major refinery project. The matter raises significant issues around the application of CDM Regulations to non-incorporated joint ventures and the correct identification of duty holders. He is advising on parallel enforcement action, including appeals against Improvement Notices and anticipated criminal proceedings.