Lucy Houston
Principal Associate
Experience
Lucy is a Principal Associate in our Advisory and Inquest Team. She has a wealth of experience advising public and private sector clients across the country in a range of legal matters, including (but not limited to) inquests, public inquiries, judicial reviews, and Court of Protection matters. Lucy is incredibly passionate about ensuring clients feel supported when navigating the complex legal processes they encounter and has been praised by clients for her exceptional client care.
Expertise
Inquests – Lucy is regularly instructed by clients to represent their interests in inquests, including inquests into unnatural deaths arising from complex circumstances, including where the deceased had a significant mental health history or where there are suggestions of bullying or coercion. Lucy is frequently called upon by clients, and those operating in the health and custody sectors, to deliver training to their teams to help demystify the world of investigations, inquests and inquiries, so they are fully informed as to what to expect, before there is a need for them to become involved.
Court of Protection – Lucy regularly assists clients in a wide variety of Court of Protection cases, in particular welfare applications, S.21A challenges and serious medical treatment cases. Lucy prides herself on her pragmatic approach, being able to spot issues early so these can be tackled head on, and streamlining tasks to ensure minimal impact in terms of time and costs for her clients.
Judicial Reviews – Lucy assists regulatory, NHS and local authority clients in relation to public law challenges. Lucy advises clients following receipt of pre-action correspondence threatening judicial review in terms of considering the risk, and works with clients to produce letters of response under the Judicial Review Pre-Action Protocol to help them head off any potential claim. Lucy also advises clients once claims have been brought in the Administrative Court, carrying out a rigorous analysis of the claims, and drafting robust responses.
Health and Justice - Lucy advises both healthcare and custody providers in the health and justice sector with a wide range of advisory queries, from inquests and investigations, to policy reviews and compliance with legislation. Lucy attends, and has been requested to speak at, numerous industry events, including the Health and Justice UK Summit in 2022 and 2023.
CSR activity
Lucy is an active member of the firm’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, leading on many of the projects within the North West.
Notable projects
- UK COVID-19 Inquiry
- Fuller Inquiry
- Brook House Inquiry
What our clients say
“I have had the pleasure of working with Lucy Houston for four years on a wide range of Court of Protection matters and general healthcare related legal enquiries. Throughout this time, nothing has ever been too big or too small—Lucy is always incredibly helpful and responsive."
Admitted as a Solicitor
2018
Qualifications
- LLB (Hons) – University of Sheffield
- LPC – University of Law, Manchester
