Oliver Willmott

Health & Safety; Environmental & Maritime

Health & Safety

Oliver has experience of fatal and serious injury cases across the manufacturing, construction, agricultural and charitable sectors. Defending, he is always alert to the commercial interests of the client and his skills as a mitigator make him an effective representative for any company. Oliver is adept at explaining technical concepts to juries in plain terms, and that gives his clients an important advantage where a decision is taken to contest liability at trial.

Food Safety

Oliver has dealt with cases involving stages in the supply chain from slaughterhouses through cutting plants to caterers. His work in this area has involved prosecuting, defending, and dealing with challenges to remedial action and hygiene improvement notices. He not only has experience of dealing with the relevant domestic and European provisions, but also expert evidence in the key areas of HACCP, microbiological hazard and epidemiology.

Environmental & Maritime

Oliver is one of a very small number of advocates with significant experience of maritime criminal cases. He has dealt with cases involving collisions, fatality and allegations of breaches of health and safety at sea. He also has experience of environmental prosecutions having dealt with allegations of pollution on land and at sea.

Cases include:

• MCA v Pretty Time: Palm oil pollution off Hampshire coast
• MCA v PMB & SC Ltd & ors: RIB collision in Cardiff Bay, brain injury to child
• MCA v TN Trawlers: health and safety allegations against trawler fleet
• HSE v SCL: fatality in context of cleaning of agricultural silos
• HSE v MC & HWL: catastrophic brain injury in context of construction of lift shaft
• HSE v RNC: fatality in context of construction of milking parlour
• BCC v EH: Campylobacter poisoning; allegations of HACCP breaches
• FSA v BON: appeal against HINs; questions of whether possible to apply HACCP strictly in context of slaughterhouse
• FSA v MHJ: food safety breaches in cutting plant; allegations of HACCP breaches
• NSDC v BL: gas oven explosion

Fraud & Money Laundering; Proceeds of Crime

Oliver has experience of managing paper-heavy cases, quickly sees the issues and is skilled in making them clear to juries.

Fraud & Money Laundering

Oliver is experienced in dealing with frauds on investors, the Revenue and commercial organisations. He also deals with fraud arising in the context of personal and corporate insolvency. His experience of tax fraud extends to both direct and indirect taxation.

Proceeds of Crime

Oliver has in-depth knowledge of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He deals not only with post-conviction confiscation proceedings, but also restraint proceedings and the increasingly-common applications under s. 22 of the Act for a reappraisal of the available amount.

Cases include:

• R v LP: foreign exchange trading / fraud on investors
• R v F & ors: allegations of operating pyramid scheme contrary to Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008; to 5-month trial
• R v Dougui & ors: junior counsel; high-value fraud on multiple auction houses
• R v RJ: confiscation proceedings following conviction of multi-million pound conspiracy to burgle stately homes
• R v AT: director removing funds from insolvent company
• R v GH: high value fraud by grandson against grandmother
• R v SD: allegations of tax fraud
• R v IC: junior counsel; allegations of money laundering where no predicate offence could be proved
• R v KB: junior counsel; multiple-victim, high-quantum confidence fraud
• R v PS: building fraud on multiple householders in area extending in an arc from Cornwall to Swansea
• R v LW: application for reconsideration of available amount under s. 22 of PoCA
• R v GB: trade mark offences

Beyond regulatory crime and fraud, Oliver is in demand in a range of complex cases in areas including murder, conspiracy to supply drugs, rape and allegations of contempt of court arising out of murder trials.

Oliver delivers seminars on a wide range of topics in criminal law with a particular emphasis in recent years on joint enterprise and accessorial liability.

Cases include:

• R v SL: junior counsel, murder
• R v AL: junior counsel, murder
• R v DL: contempt of court arising out of murder trial
• R v PS: contempt of court arising out of murder trial (Divisional Court)
• R v RJ: large-scale conspiracy to supply cocaine
• R v X: allegations of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
• R v RA: ‘crash for cash’ allegations
• R v Y: allegations of rape

The directories recognise that Oliver is a powerful advocate who understands the needs and concerns of clients. He is noted for his capacity to see and make legal argument, his understanding of expert evidence and his ability as a tactician:

‘Always one step ahead in terms of strategy and tactics, with an exceptional commercial understanding.’ – Legal 500 2021 (Business and Regulatory Crime, including Health and Safety).

‘ He has an excellent command of the facts and exercises great judgement when advising clients. ’ – Legal 500 2020 (Regulatory, Health and Safety & Licensing).

‘…well known for his niche expertise in maritime health and safety matters; environmental pollution cases also feature in his workload.’ – Legal 500 2019 (Regulatory, Health and Safety & Licensing).

‘Very eloquent on his feet.’ – Legal 500 2018 (Business and Regulatory Crime, including Health and Safety).

Oliver Willmott is a key contact at Queen Square Chambers for health and safety matters and pollution cases. He is also noted for his extensive experience in maritime matters. – Legal 500 2017 (Regulatory, Health and Safety & Licensing).

‘His adept legal mind can see angles overlooked by others.’ – Legal 500 2017

‘He shows exceptional dedication and perseverance.’ Legal 500 2016 (Regulatory, Health and Safety & Licensing)

“A superlative advocate who has a thorough grasp of the law.” – Legal 500 2015 (Regulatory, Health, Safety & Licensing)

“He has great tactical judgement in his approach to a case.” – Legal 500 2015 (Crime)

“praised by peers for his impressive grasp of technical evidence” – Chambers & Partners 2014 (Environment)

“Oliver Willmott is praised for his ‘outstanding brain power, advocacy, responsiveness and client manner’, and is developing a significant regulatory practice.” – Legal 500 2012 (Health and Safety, and Regulatory)