Richard Crockford
Partner
Leader In Health And Safety Law
Richard has over 30 years of experience specialising in the conduct of high-profile manslaughter, corporate manslaughter, health and safety and regulatory defence, public and other Inquiries in the rail, construction, health, local authority, public utility, waste, demolition, police, fire and rescue and other public service industries.
Legal Directories
Chambers and Partners, 2025 – ranked in Band 1
The directory observes - "Richard has for the last 15 years at least been recognised as one of the UK’s leading Health & Safety lawyers and there is little that Richard can’t do or hasn’t done."
Legal 500, 2025 – ranked in its 'Hall of Fame'
He is recognised in the Hall of Fame for lawyers considered to be at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work. Richard is also a former Times Lawyer of the Week
Experience examples
- Representing the public body and its senior managers responsible for the management of Grenfell Tower in relation to police investigations and Public Inquiry.
- Successfully defending gross negligence manslaughter prosecutions brought against the director and project manager of an engineering construction company following a fall from height during Eastbourne Pier renovation.
- Successfully defending corporate manslaughter investigation and health and safety prosecution of a tower crane company following the deaths of 3 of its employees in a crane collapse.
- Successfully defending a construction company following a gas explosion at a residential property.
- Defending a rail Infrastructure company, train operating companies and rail support companies in several rail incidents, including Police and ORR investigations, prosecutions and inquests following major fatal and non-fatal incidents.
- Successfully defending a Fire and Rescue Service Incident Commander on charges of gross negligence manslaughter following the deaths of 4 firefighters in a vegetable processing plant.
- Successfully defending Fire and Rescue Emergency drivers on separate incidents in which they were prosecuted for causing death by dangerous driving during emergency call- outs.
- Defending a major international manufacturer of aircraft structures charged with corporate manslaughter following the death of an employee when aircraft components fell from their storage area.
- Defending pub landlord on gross negligence manslaughter charges following electrocution of child at pub premises.
- Representing demolition site foreman in gross negligence manslaughter investigations following a double fatality at a demolition site.
- Representing hotel chain in police and local authority investigations following fatal carbon monoxide exposure.
- Representing companies and managers in manslaughter and health and safety investigations following two separate incidents of trench collapse.
- Regularly advises directors, SHE and HR managers on health and safety, environment and employment policies and procedures.