Shakespeare Martineau expands regulatory team significantly

National law firm Shakespeare Martineau has significantly strengthened its regulatory practice in Sheffield, expanding its team from one to four members in just over 12 months. This growth comes in response to rising demand for specialist regulatory advice across various sectors in the UK. Partner Kamal Chauhan founded the Sheffield practice in May 2025, and since then, the team has developed a robust national client base, providing guidance on complex regulatory, investigatory, and enforcement matters for both businesses and individuals.

Over the past year, the Sheffield team has experienced notable success, defending clients in health and safety prosecutions, representing professionals in misconduct hearings, attending numerous inquests, and assisting the firm's transactional teams in real estate and corporate issues. They have also played a crucial role in joining new legal panels across multiple sectors, resulting in more than £600,000 in revenue growth from a standing start. Current cases include a high-profile corporate manslaughter investigation and the defence of a water industry prosecution, both of which have significant implications.

Kamal Chauhan, who brings over 20 years of experience in high-profile regulatory matters, spearheads the practice alongside newly appointed regulatory partner Lyn Dario, legal director Marie Bourke, and paralegal Alesha Tong. Lyn Dario, who joined the firm in January 2026, specialises in environmental, health and safety, and broader business regulation. Her client work encompasses areas such as environmental permitting, waste regulation, and trading standards investigations. Marie Bourke enhances the team's capability, advising on complex investigations related to fraud, bribery, corruption, and money laundering, among other regulatory breaches.

Alesha joined the practice as a paralegal after graduating from the University of Sheffield and is assisting in managing the growing caseload. Highlighting the team's approach, Kamal stated, “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.” He continued, “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.”

Kamal emphasised the interconnectedness of regulatory issues, explaining, “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.” He expressed his satisfaction with the team, remarking, “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.”