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Health and Safety: Prosecutions of directors on the rise.
Melinka Berridge
"Melinka Berridge is extremely experienced - there are not many issues which she has not come across and tackled before. The breadth of her knowledge on regulatory issues and processes is staggering; she is a real heavyweight, and definitely someone clients want in their corner".
Legal 500 UK 2020
Melinka is a regulatory and criminal lawyer specialising in the fields of private prosecutions private prosecutions, health and safety, licensing and professional discipline. She has considerable experience of working in the leisure & hospitality, built environment and charity sectors.
Private Prosecutions
Melinka leads the team at Kingsley Napley responsible for bringing private prosecutions. She helps individuals, corporates and charities to commence criminal proceedings when the state prosecuting agencies are unable or unwilling to act. Melinka is highly ranked in the legal directories in the field of private prosecutions.
Melinka is a dual-qualified prosecutor having started her career prosecuting for the Crown Solicitor in Wellington, New Zealand, where she regularly prosecuted jury trials for serious criminal offending in both the District and High Courts.
Melinka is a founding member of the Private Prosecutors’ Association. She also sits on the Advisory Board to the Victims of Crime Association of Lawyers.
Health and Safety
Melinka acts for directors and senior officers accused of committing health and safety offences. She also advises on what constitutes effective leadership of health and safety in their organisations. She has a particular interest in health and safety management in the leisure & hospitality sectors.
Professional Discipline and Regulatory Enforcement
In the field of professional discipline and regulatory enforcement Melinka represents some of the UK’s leading national regulators. Melinka has had over ten years’ experience investigating and presenting complex and high-profile fitness to practise cases in the education and health sectors. She also helps regulators and public bodies to take proportionate enforcement action against those who fall short of their standards or break the law.
Leisure and Hospitality
Prior to joining Kingsley Napley, Melinka was the Head of Licensing for one of the UK’s leading pub companies. She continues to provide legal services to operators across the leisure & hospitality sectors. She has vast experience defending regulatory prosecutions on matters involving: trading standards, underage sales, noise nuisance, health and safety, food safety and breach of licence conditions. She advises clients on the process of obtaining licenses, including how to overcome the difficulties presented by cumulative impact policies. She has an excellent track record of obtaining new premises licences and varying existing premises licences to help operators maximise the commercial success of their business.
Melinka is the Chairperson of firm’s Diversity and Inclusion group as well as their LGBTQ* & Allies network .
What clients and directories say
Melinka Berridge is a popular choice for clients seeking to bring private prosecutions in the white-collar space, and is also recognised for her "extremely impressive" prosecution of professional discipline cases. Sources describe her as "extremely knowledgeable" and add that she has a "wealth of experience" and is a "passionate advocate for private prosecutions."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2020
"She is extremely impressive, has extensive knowledge and achieves great results for clients."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2020
'Melinka Berridge is extremely experienced - there are not many issues which she has not come across and tackled before. The breadth of her knowledge on regulatory issues and processes is staggering; she is a real heavyweight, and definitely someone clients want in their corner'.
Legal 500 UK 2020
"Her knowledge of the regulatory process and issues is excellent and her attention to detail is second to none."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2018
...in command, utterly organised and entirely efficient."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2017
"…Astute, inventive and clever.”
Legal 500 UK, 2017
“… talented, very intelligent and very well thought of in the space.”
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2016
“…Outstanding in terms of preparation and presentation.”
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2015
“… is considered ‘exceptionally well-prepared, concise, articulate, responsive and unfailingly courteous’.”
Legal 500 UK, 2014
...known for the high calibre of her work. Sources describe her as 'an unsung hero' and 'a heavyweight'...
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2014
...'“The ‘truly outstanding' Melinka Berridge, who leads the team that acts for the National College for Teaching and Leadership, is considered ‘exceptionally well-prepared, concise, articulate, responsive and unfailingly courteous'.”
Legal 500 UK 2014
“…has total command, meticulous preparation and I think she’s outstanding in all respects…”
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2013
Recent cases
- Advising a client on various matters arising out of the Grenfell Tower fire.
- Advising a corporate and its directors on a private prosecution against a number of competitor businesses regarding a conspiracy to defraud.
- Representing an individual who conducted a private prosecution against a former business partner for forgery in respect of a planning agreement.
- Advising a national charity on the merits of commencing a private prosecution in circumstances where the local authority had failed to prosecute.
- Advising two national industry regulators on the use of criminal investigation and enforcement powers in conjunction with their civil enforcement regime.
- Representing witnesses in state run criminal proceedings to ensure that their interests and reputation were protected throughout the proceedings.
- Advising a Chief Executive of a Fitness Club of his personal liability in respect of regulatory and criminal offences committed within his business.
- Defending an individual who was facing allegations of illegal or unregistered practice by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
- Acting for a several London-based private members’ clubs in respect of their licensing matters.
- Representing an individual subject to a review of their personal management licence by the Gambling Commission.
- Appearing as a presenting officer in various high profile and complex cases on behalf the regulators responsible for regulating the teaching profession in both England and Wales.
Professional societies and memberships
- Private Prosecutors’ Association
- Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL)
- Solicitors’ Association of Higher Court Advocates (SAHCA)
- International Association of Prosecutors (IAP)
- Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association
- Victims of Crime Association of Lawyers
- Whitehall and Industry Group Lawyers’ Network
-
Anglo-Australasian Lawyers’ Society (AALS)
recent publications
- New code for private prosecutions will embed their place in criminal justice, published in Law Society Gazette, 23 July 2019
- Identity Fraud, published in ICSA, 14 June 2019
- New Sentencing Guidelines Mean Reduced Sentences, published in Tomorrow’s Health and Safety, 8 June 2019
- Private prosecutions: best practice for organisations such as the RSPCA, published in Times Law, 26 May 2016
"She is absolutely excellent, approachable and a team player. She has a sharp intellect, is commercial and is a very personable colleague."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2021
"She has excellent knowledge and is flexible in her approach to issues."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2021
She is bright, knowledgeable, solution-driven and empathetic."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2021
Melinka Berridge draws on her experience as a prosecutor and former in-house lawyer to provide high quality, pragmatic advice and representation to clients . She has a keen intellect which enables her to assess complex legal and factual issues quickly. Her judgement is impeccable and she is highly sought after for the commitment she gives to clients."
Legal 500 UK 2021
Melinka Berridge is a popular choice for clients seeking to bring private prosecutions in the white-collar space, and is also recognised for her "extremely impressive" prosecution of professional discipline cases. Sources describe her as "extremely knowledgeable" and add that she has a "wealth of experience" and is a "passionate advocate for private prosecutions."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2020
She is extremely impressive, has extensive knowledge and achieves great results for clients."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2020
Her knowledge of the regulatory process and issues is excellent and her attention to detail is second to none."
Chambers UK, A Clients Guide to the UK Legal Profession, 2018
