Browne Jacobson Cardiff Appointment Strengthens Regulatory Team 2026

Key Points

• Legal directors have been appointed to Browne Jacobson’s Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory team, including Tom Walker and Caroline Barker, who are barristers.
• Mr Walker will be located in Browne Jacobson’s Cardiff office and will provide national advice to the firm’s clients.
• Mrs Barker will be based at the firm’s London office.
• Mr Walker joins the team from Blake Morgan, while Ms Barker joins the team from HCR Law.
• Mr Walker will be in charge of Browne Jacobson’s prosecution practice and will advise and represent fire authorities, local authorities, government agencies, and regulators.
• Since 2007 he specialised in regulatory work and has represented the Health and Safety Executive as a solicitor-agent.
• Mr Walker is on List B of the Specialist Regulatory Advocates List.
• Mrs Barker is an expert in regulatory healthcare law with more than 20 years’ experience of advising health and social care providers.
• This news was brought to light by Rhys Gregory of Wales247 on 7 October 2026 and by Browne Jacobson on 5 October 2026.
• Andy Hopkin leads Browne Jacobson’s Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory team.
• The team provides legal advice on investigations, enforcement, health and safety, environmental issues, consumer protection, financial crime, food and product safety.

Cardiff (Wales Times) October 07, 2026 – Law firm Browne Jacobson has strengthened its Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory team with the appointment of barrister Tom Walker as a legal director in its uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff office. The firm has also recruited Caroline Barker as a legal director in its London office, with both lawyers expected to work with clients across health and life sciences, government and corporate sectors.

As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales247, Mr Walker and Ms Barker have joined the UK and Ireland law firm to support clients in health and life sciences, government and the private sector. The Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory team is led by Andy Hopkin.

Browne Jacobson announced the recruitment on 5 October 2026, describing both lawyers as regulatory experts brought in to bolster its health, government and corporate practices.

Who is Tom Walker and what will his role be?

Tom Walker joins Browne Jacobson from Blake Morgan and will advise clients across the UK. According to the announcement reported by Wales247, he has a background in general and international criminal work, but has concentrated on specialist regulatory work since 2007.

Mr Walker has acted as a solicitor-agent for the Health and Safety Executive and is listed on List B of the Specialist Regulatory Advocates List. His work has included regulatory and corporate crime matters, representing organisations and individuals in areas including health and safety, consumer protection, food and product safety, environmental matters and local authority enforcement.

At Browne Jacobson, he will lead the firm’s prosecution practice. That practice will include advising and representing fire authorities, local authorities, government agencies and regulators.

As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales247, Mr Walker said: “Our reputation in acting for government agencies, local authorities and regulators, as well as private sector corporate clients, is well established, and I look forward to bringing my experience in regulatory prosecutions to help clients navigate what is an ever-more demanding enforcement landscape.”

He added: “The breadth of work here – from health and safety to consumer protection – is exactly where I want to be practising.”

What experience does Caroline Barker bring?

Caroline Barker joins Browne Jacobson from HCR Law and will be based in the firm’s London office. She specialises in regulatory healthcare law and acts for health and social care providers, including care homes, domiciliary care agencies, children’s homes and residential special schools.

Ms Barker has more than 20 years’ experience advising health and social care providers on their regulatory obligations and rights. Her work includes regulation by the Care Quality Commission and Ofsted.

Her appointment adds to Browne Jacobson’s health and life sciences practice, which is overseen by Gerard Hanratty. She will work with the firm’s independent health and care team, led by Vicky Tomlinson.

According to Wales247, that team’s clients include private hospitals and clinics, later-living providers, specialist and complex care operators and children’s services organisations, as well as developers, investors and funders.

As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales247, Ms Barker said: “Independent and public health and care providers are operating in a regulatory environment that is changing faster than at any point in my career.”

She said the 10-Year Health Plan commits to a more data-led Care Quality Commission, with AI-triggered rapid response inspections and extended enforcement powers. She added that these changes would affect providers that are not already considering their compliance position carefully.

Ms Barker also said: “For care homes, children’s services, domiciliary providers and specialist operators, the stakes of an adverse inspection outcome have never been higher.”

Why has Browne Jacobson made these appointments?

Browne Jacobson said the appointments reflect continued investment in its regulatory capability across health, government and the private sector. Andy Hopkin, partner and head of Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory at the firm, described Mr Walker and Ms Barker as “exceptional additions” to the team.

As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales247, Mr Hopkin said:

“Caroline and Tom are exceptional additions to our team and reflect the continued investment we are making in our regulatory capability across health government and the private sector.”

The firm’s Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory team advises corporate bodies and individuals in both the public and private sectors. Its work includes regulatory and criminal investigations and enforcement, covering both defence and prosecution.

According to Browne Jacobson’s service information, the team’s work covers health and safety, fire safety, environmental matters, trading standards, financial crime including fraud, bribery and corruption, HMRC and sanctions, counter-fraud, civil recoveries, CQC registration and investigations, planning enforcement, food safety and labelling, and public or statutory inquiries.

How does this fit Browne Jacobson’s growth?

The Cardiff appointment comes during a period of expansion for Browne Jacobson in Wales. The firm moved into a new Cardiff office at One Central Square in January 2026, according to its own news listing.

Browne Jacobson also reported that Laura Hughes, co-founder of its Cardiff office, helped grow the office from seven people to 35 in two years. The firm said the Cardiff team moved to Central Square in 2026.

The firm won National Firm of the Year at the Chambers and Partners Awards 2025. It also reported that its Chambers UK Guide and Legal 500 performance included nine Band 1 rankings, recommendations across 39 practice areas and more than 100 individual lawyer rankings.

The recruitment of Mr Walker and Ms Barker follows other recent appointments and strategic investments by the firm. Its website lists recent announcements including the appointment of Vicky Tomlinson as Head of Independent Health and Care, expansion into Northern Ireland through Davidson McDonnell, and investment in its island of Ireland platform.

What services will the strengthened team provide?

The strengthened Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory team will continue to advise organisations and individuals facing regulatory and criminal investigations or enforcement action. Its work includes both defending and prosecuting cases.

Browne Jacobson says its regulatory team includes criminal lawyers and solicitor advocates, with lawyers based in Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, London and Exeter. The firm says its practice covers the whole of the UK and extends internationally.

The firm states that regulatory non-compliance can lead to dawn raids, unannounced visits from bodies including the Health and Safety Executive, Environment Agency and Trading Standards, and potentially police involvement in investigations or prosecutions. It also says directors and officers can face personal liability for certain regulatory breaches.

Mr Walker’s appointment is expected to strengthen the firm’s work with public bodies and regulators, while Ms Barker’s appointment is focused on health and social care providers facing regulatory obligations from the CQC and Ofsted.

Background of the development

Browne Jacobson is a UK and Ireland law firm with a Criminal, Compliance and Regulatory practice serving public sector bodies, government departments, local authorities, corporates and individuals. The team advises on regulatory and criminal investigations and enforcement, including both defence and prosecution work.

The firm’s Cardiff office has been expanding. Browne Jacobson moved into One Central Square in Cardiff in January 2026, and its own reporting says the office grew from seven people to 35 within two years under the leadership of Laura Hughes.

The latest appointments add specialist regulatory experience in two areas: regulatory prosecutions and enforcement, led by Tom Walker, and healthcare and social care regulation, led by Caroline Barker. The firm says the move reflects ongoing investment in its regulatory capability for health, government and private sector clients.

Prediction: how this development can affect the audience

For businesses, public bodies and care providers in Wales, the Browne Jacobson Cardiff appointment may increase access to specialist regulatory and prosecution advice from a firm with a local Cardiff presence. Organisations facing health and safety, environmental, consumer protection, food safety or local authority enforcement matters may have another option for legal representation and advice.

For care homes, domiciliary care agencies, children’s services providers and specialist care operators, Caroline Barker’s appointment may be particularly relevant. Her experience with CQC and Ofsted regulation could be relevant to providers preparing for inspections, responding to regulatory concerns or reviewing compliance arrangements.

For local authorities, fire authorities, government agencies and regulators, Mr Walker’s leadership of the prosecution practice may provide additional capacity for enforcement-related legal work. His prior experience acting for the Health and Safety Executive and his position on the Specialist Regulatory Advocates List are relevant to that area of work.

For legal professionals and job seekers in Cardiff, the appointment may signal continued investment by Browne Jacobson in its Welsh regulatory practice. The firm’s expansion of its Cardiff office and recruitment of senior regulatory lawyers could create further opportunities for regulatory, compliance and healthcare law specialists in the region.