What We Do
Ian’s legal practice in Ireland and the UK includes providing legal, compliance and practical advice and representation to organisations, businesses and individuals in his main areas of practice: food and beverages, consumer products and general consumer law, and health and safety.
This may be divided into proactive and reactive assistance.
He works with clients to proactively understand and apply the legal obligations that apply to them, their products and their businesses. This might include reviewing a new product for compliance with labelling, information, claims and composition requirements. Alternatively, it may be necessary to consider the processes and procedures that are required to operate legally and effectively, including crisis management systems. The business or a product might need to be notified to or registered with the relevant competent authority or approval from them might be required before trading can commence.
Unfortunately, in business things can go wrong and this often occurs despite having put in place measures to avoid this. When this happens, Ian is available, often at short notice to reactively work with clients to protect their interests. The competent authorities might have found a problem with a product such as a labelling error or a potential safety issue and are requiring the product to be withdrawn from the market or recalled from consumers. Time is of the essence and Ian has been involved in this type of situation where he has liaised with the client, its team of advisors and the relevant authority to manage the issue swiftly and effectively.
The ultimate reactive assistance comes when a client has received a formal enforcement notice, is subject to a criminal investigation or has received a summons to attend court. In each case, Ian has significant experience of guiding clients through the complexities of the process and advising on the most appropriate strategic response.
Ian has significant experience of successfully representing clients in courts, tribunals, inquests and at public inquiries.
Ian is a Visiting Professor at Ulster University where he provides online and on-campus lectures to undergraduate and post-graduate students on the Food and Veterinary Regulatory Affairs courses.
He also contributes to other academic courses including those at Technological University Dublin (Food Law and Policy) and Wageningen University in the Netherlands (Comparative Food Law).
He is an elected Fellow of the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology (SOFHT), a committee member of the Food Law Group, and hold memberships of the European Food Law Association, the Health and Safety Lawyers Association (HSLA) and the Institution of Occupational safety and Health (IOSH).
Ian is the author of two books: A Practical Guide to Food Law in the United Kingdom www.lawbriefpublishing.com/product/foodlaw/ and Covid-19 and the Law Relating to Food in the UK and Republic of Ireland www.lawbriefpublishing.com/product/foodlaw/
He is writing two chapters (UK and Ireland) for a book project organised by Wageningen University on Food Advertisement Law, and he is writing multiple chapters for a revised Food Law book.
Ian regularly presents at conferences and contributes to the European Food and Feed Law Review.
He is pleased to have been connected for many years with La Touche Training, Dublin and he provides training on law, evidence and practice and skills topics such as report writing, investigative interviewing, courtroom skills and cross-examination.