Julie Norris

Julie is a partner in the Regulatory Team. She predominantly acts in the professional services sector, advising law firms, solicitors and barristers as well as accountants and built environment professionals on regulatory compliance, investigations, adjudication, enforcement and prosecutions.

Julie is top ranked in both major legal directories for her work in the regulatory field.

Clients come to Julie for advice on regulatory issues that affect their ability to practice or run their organisations, as well as those regulatory issues that may impact their reputation or professional standing. 

Central to Julie’s practice is acting for law firms and partners; she is frequently instructed to advise in advance of any Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) interest or at the outset of an SRA investigation. She has conducted a number of cases arising out of the #metoo movement and has an impressive track record for halting investigations pre-hearing. Julie also advises barristers in proceedings before the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and judges in Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) investigations.

Julie regularly advises companies and organisations in inquiries and investigations instigated by regulators and charities, or commenced of their own initiative. Julie’s early career at the criminal bar and “…mastery of criminal law and procedure and its application to regulatory work...” (Chambers UK) means that Julie is particularly well placed to advise clients in regulatory investigations with a criminal angle.

Julie’s early regulatory career was in healthcare regulation; she continues to advise doctors and talking therapy professionals facing disciplinary allegations.

Julie also acts for students in university disciplinary proceedings, for both academic and non-academic misconduct.

Julie is a recognised expert in her field and regularly speaks at industry events, including for ARK, Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) and the Association of Partnership Practitioners (APP) as well as writing in journals and other publications. Julie is a Legal assessor for the British Acupuncture Council.

Julie is a champion for workplace disability inclusion. She is vice chair of the firm’s diff(ability) group and a trustee of the Lord’s Taverners, the UK's leading youth cricket and disability sport charity.

Recent work

• Undertaking an internal investigation for a law firm into serious allegations against an employee 
• Advising a law firm as to the notification requirements under the SRA Standards and Regulations
• Advising a senior partner in respect of SRA allegations into historic sexual allegations
• Advising a partner in respect of allegation of breaches of the Solicitors Accounts Rules
• Securing a non-published outcome in a drink drive conviction case for a barrister, before the BSB
• Representing a surveyor in proceedings before RICS alleged to have failed to comply with the Red Book standards
• Representing witnesses in an FCA lessons learned review
• Advising a firm of chartered surveyors on an internal investigation following the financial impropriety of a director 
• Advising an accountancy firm in ICAEW proceedings relating to the conduct of audits
• Advising an Insolvency Practitioner in disciplinary proceedings before the ICAEW
• Representing an accountant in Financial Reporting Council proceedings relating to accounting irregularities said to have misled auditors
• Successful representation of a university student alleged to have commissioned work
• Representing the CEO of a humanitarian charity in a Charity Commission statutory inquiry involving wide ranging allegations concerning financial mismanagement
• Advising a charity on the conduct of its internal investigation in respect of alleged trustee misconduct
• Acting in a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors investigation in respect of an allegation against a chartered surveyor that they had caused the death of a person due to a deficient inspection/report 
• Advising a private equity administration firm on the regulatory requirements for employees to hold practicing certificates
• Securing the closure of a student disciplinary case before a University, re. allegations of sexual touching

What clients and directories have said

"the highest accolade I could give Julie is that I would recommend her to a friend or family member in trouble. She is the consummate professional, intelligent, calm ‘under fire’ and very hardworking. A very safe pair of hands."

Legal 500 2020

"very tenacious at defending professionals, good and reassuring client manner."

Legal 500 2020

"She's very good, she's hard-working and she makes very good tactical judgements."

Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession,  2019

She has a mastery of the detail and is a great tactician.

Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession,  2018

"She is exceptional

 Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession,  2018

She is praised for her "incisive, clear and intelligent" approach to cases

Legal 500 UK 2015

“Defence work is overseen by the ‘articulate, fluid and highly skilled' Julie Norris.”

Legal 500, 2014

"razor-sharp" and "her knowledge and expertise concerning professional discipline is unrivalled."

Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession,  2017

...a highly intelligent legal mind whose ability to grasp arguments whilst remaining humane and thoughtful towards her client is profoundly impressive." 

Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession,  2016

...'She has a mastery of criminal law and procedure and its application to regulatory work – her cross-examinations are truly brilliant'.

Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession,  2014

Publications and articles

• The role of managers in promoting a good working culture within law firms, Legal Compliance Insight, April 2020
• Universities lack the skills to properly investigate sexual misconduct claims, THE, October 2019
• Innocent until proven guilty: how universities must handle sexual allegations, University Business, September 2019
• Getting disability inclusion on the agenda; being diversish is not enough…, September 2019
• Innocent until proven guilty: how universities must handle sexual allegations, University Business, September 2019
• Combatting workplace sexual harassment in accounting firms, Accountancy Age, October 2018
• GMC rethink required on anonymous complaints, PULSE, January 2016
• Professional regulatory hearings—2015 in review, Lexis PSL, December 2015
• Let's not scapegoat the GMC, PULSE, November 2015
• Dos and Don’ts of dealing with a patient complaint, Holistic Therapist Magazine, August 2015
• Fitness to practice—all change for the GMC regime? Lexis PSL Corporate Crime, April 2015
• The importance of wording in fitness to practice allegations, Lexis, PSL, Personal Injury, November 2014
• 'Close the loophole on therapists and counsellors', HSJ, November 2014
• Co-author of The Law of Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions - A practical guide, (February 2011, Oxford  University Press). Described as “an authoritative compendium of current law and practice”, it is the only text to provide comprehensive coverage of the new regulatory enforcement regime, dealing with the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 and the Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Act 2007
• Contributing editor to Kingsley Napley: Serious Fraud, Investigation and Trial, Fourth edition [2008]

Professional societies and memberships

• Committee member of Regulatory Processes Committee of the Law Society
• Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Solicitors
• Committee member of the City of London Law Society (CLLS) 
• The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
• Whitehall and Industry Group Lawyers’ Network (WIG)
• Member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL)
• Law Society of England and Wales
• Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA)
• Fellow of the Faculty of the History and Philosophy of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries

• Trustee of the Lord’s Taverners