Mary leads Osborne Clarke's top ranked specialist health and safety team.  She has a focus on crisis management and supporting clients if the worst happens but has extensive experience in also helping clients think about their health and safety risk profile, the framework they use to support safety and wellbeing in the workplace and how to interpret the law to understand legal duties and how to apply them in a practical and meaningful way in a workplace.

Mary has a particular focus on media and entertainment businesses.  She also works regularly in the energy, technology, and real estate sectors.

She has a particular interest in mental health and wellbeing and an employer's 'Duty of Care'.  Mary also regularly advises on the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and thorny questions around the application of other specific health and safety regulations to business.

Helping you succeed in tomorrow's world

As a health and safety lawyer, I work closely in our ESG team looking at how safety and wellbeing (including within supply chains) plays into the  'S' in corporate ESG agendas and planning.

As one of Osborne Clarke's two gender champion partners, I am also actively engaged in our D&I network, helping form our gender action plan and championing female progression and a modern approach to gender roles in the workplace.

I am actively involved in our Future of Work group, particularly looking at the safety and wellbeing elements of new ways of working, including hybrid working.

Mary Lawrence handles high-profile HSE and police investigations and inquests following fatal accidents and serious injuries. She also has specific strength in advising clients on crisis management. She provides counsel to clients from a number of sectors, including food and beverage, entertainment and energy. She is absolutely outstanding. She is well known and highly respected. She's very responsive to client needs - she will tailor advice to suit the audience and she's helpful and diligent.

Chambers and Partners, Health and Safety

 

RWE Npower

Instructed by RWE Npower following the partial collapse of Didcot power station in 2016.

Rail sector

Assisted with a detailed internal investigation following a serious injury and report to the board on risk.

Medical manufacturer

Support at inquests and a criminal prosecution of an individual related to medical products and services provided by the client.

Corporate client

Assisted in assessment of risk and the implementation of appropriate policies and procedures to reduce risk.

Investment bank

Provided global advice to an investment bank client and support in relation to health and safety governance issues.

TV Production Covid-19 Industry Guidance

Supported ITV in the drafting of guidance for the industry which enabled filming during Covid-19. Read more.

Vue Cinemas

Represented Vue at inquest and in a local authority prosecution following a tragic accident where a cinema-goer was trapped under a reclining seat.

Didcot Power Station Collapse

Acting for RWE in the police/ HSE investigation following the tragic fatalities following the collapse of a boiler house at Didcot during contracted demolition works.

Tangerine Confectionery and Veolia ES (UK) Limited

Acted for Tangerine in this leading health and safety appeal.