Speakers: Hannah Fellows (General Chiropractic Council), Guy Micklewright (5 St Andrew’s Hill Chambers), Hanne Stevens (Capsticks LLP) and Nehal Vasani (Financial Reporting Council)
Description: Join ARDL for this insightful panel discussion designed specifically for junior members (0-10 years PQE/call) looking to build and shape their careers in regulatory and disciplinary law. This webinar will explore the diverse career pathways available within the field, offering practical guidance on progression, specialisation, and making a successful transition between roles and/or areas of practice. Our panel of experienced lawyers and barristers will share their personal career journeys, key lessons learned, and advice on developing the skills, networks, and confidence needed to find the role that is right for you. Whether you are newly qualified, considering a change in direction, or simply planning your next steps, this session will provide valuable insights to help you navigate your career with clarity and purpose.
This seminar will take place virtually via Zoom. Please note that the seminar is open to members only.
The Speakers
Hannah Fellows is the Director of Fitness to Practise at the General Chiropractic Council. Hannah is an experienced regulatory lawyer with a strong background in leading complex investigations, overseeing enforcement functions and supporting high-quality, proportionate decision-making. She has worked across several health and professional regulators in senior legal and leadership roles, including directing fitness-to-practise work and providing strategic regulatory advice. Hannah also has experience as an independent panellist and chair for the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) and as a Governor sitting on PEX hearings, giving her a deep understanding of fair process, evidential standards, and public protection. In her current role, Hannah leads on all matters relating to the FtP journey from complex regulatory investigations and hearings to stakeholder relationship management.
Hannah will speak about her route into regulatory law, the roles she has undertaken over the last few years, how she secured those roles and the skills she needed to do so. She will speak about using your legal qualification or the skills you learned at law school as well as the other wider experiences to progress in your career and lead teams and organisations.
Guy Micklewright is a barrister and joint deputy head of the Professional Disciplinary Team at 5 St. Andrew’s Hill. He is a specialist fitness to practise and professional discipline barrister who represents both regulators and registrants before the healthcare, accountancy, legal, architectural and other regulators. After starting practise at the criminal Bar, Guy spent just over two and a half years working in-house at the GDC spending 12 years in-house at Blake Morgan LLP. He returned to self-employed practice in September 2021. He has a huge breadth of experience, ranging from managing complex investigations, providing strategic legal advice, and carrying out internal investigations, to presenting and defending complex cases and appearing in appeals in the High Court and Court of Appeal.
Guy will speak about his experiences working in-house at a regulator and a leading firm of solicitors, moving to the self-employed Bar, and the pros and cons of each. Guy will share his thoughts about career progression, changing from being employed to self-employed and vice-versa, and provide tips on business development and building your own brand.
Hanne Stevens is a Principal Associate barrister at Capsticks LLP. She specialises in fitness to practise within the Regulatory Team. Hanne was called the bar in 2002 and spent 10 years at 2 Hare Court as a criminal barrister before moving to a variety of different advocacy roles. Hanne worked in New York for the UK Mission to the UN as a Senior Policy Adviser on protection of civilians and the Women, Peace and Security portfolio within the Security Council. On her return to the UK, Hanne was Executive Director of Rights and Security International. Hanne then went on to become a law lecturer and Deputy Head of the law school at BPP University, Holborn Campus. Hanne has worked in-house in the Presenting Unit at the Independent Office for Police Conduct on regulation cases (2022-2024). Alongside her practise, Hanne sits on independent decision-making panel of the Bar Standards Board, making decisions about cases that may require disciplinary action against barristers or those regulated. This compliments her work for the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Social Work England and other regulatory bodies.
Hanne will speak about the transferable skills of a barrister, the broader application of advocacy skills, moving from Chambers to diplomacy and then to a law firm, shaping a career in regulatory law. Hanne will share her career journey and offer advice in finding the path that is right for you at various stages of life.
Nehal Vasani is a Senior Lawyer in the Enforcement Team at the Financial Reporting Council, where she leads complex regulatory investigations into auditors, audit firms and accountants. She has extensive experience across criminal, civil and regulatory litigation, having previously held senior roles at the Financial Conduct Authority, the Serious Fraud Office and the Government Legal Department. Nehal has led high‑profile investigations and prosecutions involving fraud, market abuse and financial misconduct, and is known for her strategic approach to complex cases and multidisciplinary team leadership. She is also an elected Council Member of the Law Society of England and Wales.
Nehal will speak about her educational background, how she became a higher rights advocate in criminal and civil law, the transferable skills she utilised to take her career from private practice criminal defence to prosecution in different areas, the benefits of networking and the value of external voluntary roles in the early part of your career.