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Laywers.

Simon Joyston-Bechal
(Solicitor, Director)

Simon heads the Turnstone Law team as Director and has over 25 years’ experience as a solicitor. Specialising in regulatory defence, he is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading health & safety lawyers. His experience also covers fire safety, trading standards, product liability, food safety, white-collar crime, environmental defence, judicial review, human rights and commercial litigation.

D: 020 3664 8226

M: 07880 684 781

E: [email protected]

More about Simon Joyston-Bechal

Having previously qualified as a doctor, Simon is uniquely placed to deal with technical, safety and health-related legal issues.  He represented Cotswold Geotech in the first case to be brought under the Corporate Manslaughter Act, in which he managed to get manslaughter charges against the managing director dropped.  He also acted successfully for the major oil companies in the aftermath of the Buncefield Oil Terminal explosion. 

Simon advises across all sectors, with special interests in construction, energy, services, manufacturing, retail, education and restructuring. He chairs conferences and lectures regularly across the UK and in Europe, focusing on safety leadership and directors’ duties, giving practical advice on how to stay out of jail.

He is co-author of the textbook “Health & Safety Law for the Construction Industry”.  Simon’s previous roles in the City were at Clifford Chance and as a partner at Pinsent Masons, where he led their national health & safety team for 10 years.

Memberships

  • Health & Safety Lawyers’ Association – Chair of Policy and Thought Leadership Committee
  • City of London Law Society Corporate Crime Committee – member 

Education

  • MA, MB BChir Cambridge University – qualification as a doctor 1989
  • College of Law 1989 to 1991 – Common Professional Exam and Solicitors’ Final Exam
Legal 500, 2006

‘Simon Joyston-Bechal “can simplify the law for the man in the street” and “is always there when you need him“, says a client.’ 

Chambers & Partners 2021

‘Simon Joyston-Bechal is held in high regard in the health & safety field’

Legal 500, 2020

Selected as health & safety lawyer in Legal 500 ‘Hall of Fame’, which “highlights individuals who have received constant praise from their clients for continued excellence” and “who are at the pinnacle of the profession”

Chambers & Partners 2020

‘recognised for being “very knowledgeable” in the health and safety field’

Legal 500, 2016

‘Leading individual‘ for health & safety recommended for being “highly technical and supremely bright“

Chambers & Partners 2014

‘Sources laud his “great strategy and determination – he added lots of value to the case“.  Also of note are his critical thinking skills.’

Legal 500, 2014

“A star amongst health, safety and environmental lawyers”

Chambers & Partners 2013

‘One industry source said: “he must be one of the most knowledgeable and long-standing leaders of the health and safety world.”

Legal 500, 2006

‘Simon Joyston-Bechal “can simplify the law for the man in the street” and “is always there when you need him“, says a client.’ 

Chambers & Partners 2021

‘Simon Joyston-Bechal is held in high regard in the health & safety field’

Legal 500, 2020

Selected as health & safety lawyer in Legal 500 ‘Hall of Fame’, which “highlights individuals who have received constant praise from their clients for continued excellence” and “who are at the pinnacle of the profession”

Chambers & Partners 2020

‘recognised for being “very knowledgeable” in the health and safety field’

Legal 500, 2016

‘Leading individual‘ for health & safety recommended for being “highly technical and supremely bright“

Chambers & Partners 2014

‘Sources laud his “great strategy and determination – he added lots of value to the case“.  Also of note are his critical thinking skills.’

Legal 500, 2014

“A star amongst health, safety and environmental lawyers”

Chambers & Partners 2013

‘One industry source said: “he must be one of the most knowledgeable and long-standing leaders of the health and safety world.”

Legal 500, 2006

‘Simon Joyston-Bechal “can simplify the law for the man in the street” and “is always there when you need him“, says a client.’ 

Valerie Charbit
(Team Barrister) 

Valerie qualified as a barrister in 1992. In addition to her work as a Turnstone Law team barrister, she also practices through Red Lion Chambers. She has extensive experience across a wide range of criminal regulatory law, including health & safety, food safety and white collar crime.

E: [email protected]

More about Valerie Charbit

Valerie has had several notable successes in the Court of Appeal. She is on the Grade A (top tier) list of Specialist Regulatory Advocates in Health & Safety and is ranked as a leading barrister in health and safety by Chambers & Partners 2021. Her health & safety experience includes defending and prosecuting companies, NHS trusts, local authorities and individuals, including directors and trustees. 

Examples of her work include gas and chemical explosions, falls from height, electrocution and exposure to asbestos. She has been instructed in cases involving fatalities or serious injury on construction sites, care homes, hospitals, factories and railways. She has recently advised and defended a large high street retailer for food safety offences and health and safety offences. She has also prosecuted for the Office of Rail and Road.

Valerie’s white-collar crime experience includes multi-party trials of corruption and large scale fraud. She is Wellbeing Director for the Criminal Bar Association and represents the Criminal Bar Association on the Bar Council’s working party group on wellbeing. She is a part-time Tribunal Judge and an ethics and advocacy trainer for Middle Temple. She was an Ombudsman for the Financial Ombudsman Service between 2010 and 2012 and was a voluntary member of the Bar Standards Board from 2007-2013.

Legal 500

Valerie Charbit “gives clear and understandable advice in complex matters”

Chambers & Partners 2021

“An extremely talented barrister.  She is very hard-working, focused and good at getting to the heart of a case”

“A robust advocate who knows her cases inside and out”

Legal 500, 2021

Valerie is an “experienced health & safety advocate…   …meticulous in her case preparation and is excellent with clients”

Clients say she “tenaciously fights their corner”

Legal 500

Valerie Charbit “gives clear and understandable advice in complex matters”

Chambers & Partners 2021

“An extremely talented barrister.  She is very hard-working, focused and good at getting to the heart of a case”

“A robust advocate who knows her cases inside and out”

Legal 500, 2021

Valerie is an “experienced health & safety advocate…   …meticulous in her case preparation and is excellent with clients”

Clients say she “tenaciously fights their corner”

Legal 500

Valerie Charbit “gives clear and understandable advice in complex matters”

Memberships

  • Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
  • Mental Health Lawyers’ Association
  • South Eastern Circuit

Education

  • 1988-1991 Sheffield University LLB Law (Hons) 2:1
  • 1992 Awarded Middle Temple Scholarships: Sir Joseph Cantley Prize, Ravenscroft Prize
  • ​2000-2002 Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Kings College London MA in Text and Performance Studies – Merit – Distinction for dissertation

Voluntary work

  • Director/Board member of Inclusion London
  • School Governor

Fiona Horlick KC
(Team Barrister)

Fiona qualified as a barrister in 1992. In addition to her work as a Turnstone Law team barrister, she also practices through Outer Temple Chambers. 

She has experience across a wide range of criminal and regulatory law, including health & safety, fire safety, food safety, maritime and white-collar crime. She is the co-editor and contributing author of the premier international textbook on bribery, ‘Lissack and Horlick on Bribery’.

E: [email protected]

More about Fiona Horlick

Fiona has been an advocate in all courts from the Privy Council downwards. Her health & safety experience includes fatalities and serious accidents, as well as advising multinationals, utilities companies, construction companies and airlines on their compliance with regulations. She has appeared at many inquests. 

Her instructions include advising a participant at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, defending a care home in a prosecution brought by the Care Quality Commission and prosecuting a large multi-national security services company as a result of a suspected legionnaires outbreak at their premises. She is particularly sought after by clients for her strategic input into investigations pre-PACE interview with a target of achieving a result of ‘no further enforcement action’.

Her experience of business and financial crime, regulation and enforcement is wide-ranging. It includes bribery and corruption, large scale MTIC/carousel fraud, international advance fee fraud, tax fraud, fraudulent trading, mortgage fraud, money laundering and asset recovery.

Before her elevation to becoming a KC, Fiona was consistently ranked as a Band 1 (top tier) leading junior barrister, in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. She is now ranked as a respected New KC.

Chambers & Partners 2012

‘Adept at making intelligent, highly demanding clients feel that they are being well handled. Solicitors like her as she is “capable of being a rottweiler for her client if the situation calls for it.”‘

Chambers & Partners 2020

“Straight talking and easy to work with – a formidable advocate.” 
“Personable and very tough
“

Legal 500, 2020

“She is brilliant on her feet“

Chambers & Partners, 2019

“A really impressive advocate”
“Her approachable manner puts clients at their ease”
“She has a very keen eye for detail”

Legal 500, 2019

“Persuasive and appropriately firm in her advocacy, making her a fearsome opponent”

Chambers & Partners, 2018

“Incisive, intelligent and brilliant at cross-examination”

Chambers & Partners, 2017

“Her advocacy skills are second to none; most would hate to be subjected to a cross-examination by her because she’s just so good. She grasps technical issues extremely quickly and is an extremely effective advocate”

Chambers & Partners, 2017

“She has a phenomenal understanding of her cases and is always able to pick up on the key issues, regardless of the volume of information”

Chambers & Partners, 2014

“Her advocacy skills are unrivaled and she is fantastic to watch.  She knows when to have a fight and when to have people listen to you and like you.” 

Chambers & Partners 2013

“Hard-working, enthusiastic” Fiona Horlick “is someone you don’t want to be up against”, according to one impressed peer, as “she can destroy your case, very, very quickly.”

Chambers & Partners 2012

‘Adept at making intelligent, highly demanding clients feel that they are being well handled. Solicitors like her as she is “capable of being a rottweiler for her client if the situation calls for it.”‘

Chambers & Partners 2020

“Straight talking and easy to work with – a formidable advocate.” 
“Personable and very tough
“

Legal 500, 2020

“She is brilliant on her feet“

Chambers & Partners, 2019

“A really impressive advocate”
“Her approachable manner puts clients at their ease”
“She has a very keen eye for detail”

Legal 500, 2019

“Persuasive and appropriately firm in her advocacy, making her a fearsome opponent”

Chambers & Partners, 2018

“Incisive, intelligent and brilliant at cross-examination”

Chambers & Partners, 2017

“Her advocacy skills are second to none; most would hate to be subjected to a cross-examination by her because she’s just so good. She grasps technical issues extremely quickly and is an extremely effective advocate”

Chambers & Partners, 2017

“She has a phenomenal understanding of her cases and is always able to pick up on the key issues, regardless of the volume of information”

Chambers & Partners, 2014

“Her advocacy skills are unrivaled and she is fantastic to watch.  She knows when to have a fight and when to have people listen to you and like you.” 

Chambers & Partners 2013

“Hard-working, enthusiastic” Fiona Horlick “is someone you don’t want to be up against”, according to one impressed peer, as “she can destroy your case, very, very quickly.”

Chambers & Partners 2012

‘Adept at making intelligent, highly demanding clients feel that they are being well handled. Solicitors like her as she is “capable of being a rottweiler for her client if the situation calls for it.”‘

Memberships

  • Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary lawyers
  • Financial Services Law Association

Education

  • Westminster School, London
  • ​Kings College, London LLB Law

Alexandra Tampakopoulos
(Team Barrister)

Alexandra qualified as a barrister in 2007. She specialises in regulatory crime, particularly health & safety, fire safety, food safety, Coroner’s Inquests and public inquiries. She has been instructed in a number of high profile cases, including the Didcot Power Station collapse, the Manchester Arena bombing, the Grenfell Tower public inquiry, the Litvinenko inquiry, Hillsborough and the ‘SAS Inquest’ involving the death of three army reservists from heat illness in the Brecon Beacons.

In addition to her work as a Turnstone Law team barrister, she also practices at 2 Hare Court barristers’ chambers.

E: [email protected]

More about Alexandra Tampakopoulos

In the Health and Safety field, Alexandra’s practice covers the full range of offences from corporate to gross negligence manslaughter to prosecutions under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 arising from fatal and non-fatal accidents. She also advises and acts in relation to appeals against enforcement notices. She has significant experience advising and acting for clients across a wide range of sectors including energy, construction, retail, manufacturing and agriculture.

Alexandra has extensive experience advising on cases arising from food safety, hygiene and food labeling and has defended a number of prominent restaurants, food chains and manufacturers.

In addition, she has advised on fire safety law including appeals against fire safety enforcement notices.

Alexandra is a specialist defence advocate and is ranked as a leading individual in the Health & Safety section in Chambers UK 2021. She was nominated as Health and Safety Junior of the Year in the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2018 and Public Law Junior of the Year by The Legal 500 in 2018.

Chambers & Partners 2020

“She’s knowledgeable, calm, tactically aware and very good with the client”

“She thinks two or three steps ahead and is very quick at decision making”

“Enormously experienced at inquests, and is an excellent advocate who has good forensic ability”

Legal 500, 2020

“An excellent advocate who builds good rapport with clients”

Chambers & Partners, 2019

“Incredibly bright, technically very good and great at complex cases”

“She’s superb with clients and is able to master huge amounts of detail. She is completely client-focused and a pleasure to work with”

Chambers & Partners, 2018

“Fantastically good with clients and super helpful. Her advocacy is great”

Chambers & Partners, 2016

“She is just the person you want at an Inquest”

Chambers & Partners 2021

“She has a good grasp of detail and is very sharp and feisty in court”

“She is very thorough and provides sound and client-friendly advice”

Legal 500, 2021

“A brilliant next generation barrister, she combines a calm manner with a precise eye for detail.  Alex is deceptively tough, yet really good with making clients and witnesses trust her.  She is very knowledgeable and addresses issues with great authority.”

Chambers & Partners 2020

“She’s knowledgeable, calm, tactically aware and very good with the client”

“She thinks two or three steps ahead and is very quick at decision making”

“Enormously experienced at inquests, and is an excellent advocate who has good forensic ability”

Legal 500, 2020

“An excellent advocate who builds good rapport with clients”

Chambers & Partners, 2019

“Incredibly bright, technically very good and great at complex cases”

“She’s superb with clients and is able to master huge amounts of detail. She is completely client-focused and a pleasure to work with”

Chambers & Partners, 2018

“Fantastically good with clients and super helpful. Her advocacy is great”

Chambers & Partners, 2016

“She is just the person you want at an Inquest”

Chambers & Partners 2021

“She has a good grasp of detail and is very sharp and feisty in court”

“She is very thorough and provides sound and client-friendly advice”

Legal 500, 2021

“A brilliant next generation barrister, she combines a calm manner with a precise eye for detail.  Alex is deceptively tough, yet really good with making clients and witnesses trust her.  She is very knowledgeable and addresses issues with great authority.”

Chambers & Partners 2020

“She’s knowledgeable, calm, tactically aware and very good with the client”

“She thinks two or three steps ahead and is very quick at decision making”

“Enormously experienced at inquests, and is an excellent advocate who has good forensic ability”

Memberships

  • Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers

Education/Awards

  • BA (Hons) Russian and History, University College London
  • MSc Human Rights, LSE
  • CPE (Law Conversion), City of London
  • Bar Vocational Course, Inns of Court School of Law
  • Awarded the European Commission and Quintin Hogg Scholarship and Hardwicke Scholarship

Memberships

  • Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary lawyers

Education

  • 1981-1984 University College, Oxford BA (Hons) Philosophy Politics and Economics (First) 
  • Major Scholar, Inner Temple 2009
  • ‘Outstanding’ result in Bar Vocational Course 2010
Chambers & Partners 2017

“Thorough, knowledgeable and great at keeping his clients informed”

“Ben is a very calm, wise lawyer who has a proven track record of allaying the fears of clients, enabling them to engage in proceedings effectively”

Legal 500, 2021

“He works with impeccable attention to detail and engages in rigorous case preparation – well-prepared, dependable and responsive”

Chambers & Partners 2020

“The most organised barrister we work with: he makes life much easier for his instructing solicitors. He is an advocate who is up for a fight, will not be intimidated by more senior counsel and delivers brilliant results”

Chambers & Partners 2018

“Operates in a very skilled manner and demonstrates a great deal of ability”

“Professional and pragmatic, with thorough questioning of witnesses”

Chambers & Partners 2017

“Thorough, knowledgeable and great at keeping his clients informed”

“Ben is a very calm, wise lawyer who has a proven track record of allaying the fears of clients, enabling them to engage in proceedings effectively”

Legal 500, 2021

“He works with impeccable attention to detail and engages in rigorous case preparation – well-prepared, dependable and responsive”

Chambers & Partners 2020

“The most organised barrister we work with: he makes life much easier for his instructing solicitors. He is an advocate who is up for a fight, will not be intimidated by more senior counsel and delivers brilliant results”

Chambers & Partners 2018

“Operates in a very skilled manner and demonstrates a great deal of ability”

“Professional and pragmatic, with thorough questioning of witnesses”

Chambers & Partners 2017

“Thorough, knowledgeable and great at keeping his clients informed”

“Ben is a very calm, wise lawyer who has a proven track record of allaying the fears of clients, enabling them to engage in proceedings effectively”

Ben Rich
(Team Barrister)

Ben qualified as a barrister in 2010. In addition to his work as a Turnstone Law team barrister, he also practices through 2 Hare Court barristers’ chambers. He has a practice across a range of criminal regulatory work, with a particular focus on health & safety, inquests and white collar crime.

E: [email protected]
M: 07921 260742

More about Ben Rich

Ben has appeared in the Court of Appeal, High Court, Crown Court and Magistrates’ Court. He is an experienced trial advocate in front of juries and magistrates.

In 2016-2017 Ben spent over a year instructed in a complex health and safety case involving two sets of charges for separate incidents. After obtaining a number of expert reports on fire and gas safety and making sustained representations one case was dropped entirely. The second was the subject of a guilty plea on a detailed basis after which the company, with a turnover of nearly £200 million, was fined in the tens of thousands.

Ben has experience of high-value, complex fraud and other white collar work. He recently represented a company director accused of 14 counts of fraud and unfair trading. He represented another sole trader and negotiated the basis of plea in a £1m motor vehicle fraud. He previously undertook 10 months’ work on a major land-banking fraud being prosecuted by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Before switching to law, Ben had a successful career as a journalist for the BBC. As an editor at Newsnight and Deputy Editor of the Six and Ten O’clock News, his interest in health & safety was sparked by his responsibility for the safety of staff visiting hazardous environments on location. His skills as a journalist give him an edge as a lawyer when it comes to seeing behind the arguments, getting to the nub of an issue quickly and giving clear concise written advice.

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