The appointments bring significant legal, government and operational expertise from some of the UK’s most high-profile public inquiries and investigations, including the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, the Hillsborough Independent Panel, the Southport Inquiry and major policing and public accountability investigations.
Caroline Featherstone joins DWF as a director having held senior legal roles on major public inquiries, including as solicitor to both the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and Southport Inquiry. She brings first-hand experience of advising inquiry chairs and legal teams on the unique demands and procedures of high-profile statutory inquiries.
Victoria Neil, a director in DWF's Regulatory, Investigations and Inquiries team, joins with almost 20 years' experience at the Metropolitan Police Service. She led legal teams advising on significant and sensitive public inquiries and investigations including the Undercover Policing Inquiry, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, the Angiolini Inquiry and the Nottingham Inquiry. She also brings deep expertise in public law, crisis management and high-profile reputational issues.
Matt Lewsey has joined DWF as a consultant, bringing extensive experience at the heart of the UK Government's inquiries function. A former senior civil servant and head of the UK Government's central inquiries function, he served as Secretary to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, led the design and set-up of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, acted as Secretary to the Hillsborough Independent Panel and established the Cabinet Office's expert inquiries unit. Most recently, he led the Cabinet Office team responsible for the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, widely known as the “Hillsborough Law".
The appointments come as demand increases from public bodies, private organisations and insurers navigating the complex legal, regulatory and reputational challenges associated with large-scale inquiries, inquests and investigations. They add further depth to DWF's established Regulatory, Investigations and Inquiries team, which combines specialist lawyers, e-disclosure professionals and legal operations experts to provide an integrated service across the inquiry lifecycle, from preparedness and evidence management through to hearings, reporting and implementation of recommendations. The team has supported participants and inquiry teams across some of the UK’s most significant inquiries and investigation matters including Grenfell, Southport, Covid-19, Muckamore Abbey and Thirlwall.
Steffan Groch, Head of Public Inquiries at DWF, said: "Public inquiries sit at the intersection of law, public accountability and societal change. Clients need advisers who understand the legal, operational, political and reputational complexities of high-profile investigations and inquiries. The arrival of Caroline, Victoria and Matt significantly enhance our practice, bringing experience from some of the most significant inquiries in modern British history.
"These appointments reinforce our position as a leading provider of Public Inquiries advice in the UK. Combined with DWF's national reach, legal technology capabilities, specialist disclosure expertise, their insight further strengthens our ability to support inquiry legal teams, public bodies, organisations and core participants through every stage of the inquiry process. We are building a practice that is genuinely at the forefront of this evolving and increasingly important area of law."
