Ailish Oxenforth

Legal Director
Sheffield
About

Ailish Oxenforth is a Legal Director in DLA Piper’s Environment, Health & Safety and Product Compliance team, based in Sheffield. She advises clients on complex environmental and health and safety regulatory matters, with a particular focus on high‑risk situations requiring strategic judgment, technical insight and clear, pragmatic advice.

Ailish is trusted by major corporates to support them through sensitive and time‑critical issues, including incidents, investigations and regulator engagement. She is known for her calm, authoritative approach and her ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into commercially grounded solutions for boards and senior leadership teams.

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising clients across manufacturing, construction, logistics, consumer‑facing and technology sectors on contentious and advisory health and safety and environmental regulatory matters.
  • Leading major incident response, internal investigations and engagement with regulators, including managing investigations, interviews under caution, enforcement action and prosecutions.
  • Supporting clients facing complex regulatory issues involving historic liability, technical evidence and reputational risk, often in high‑pressure and time‑critical situations.
  • Advising boards and senior leadership teams on governance, risk management frameworks and regulatory compliance systems in highly regulated environments.
  • Interpreting and implementing new and evolving regulatory requirements, helping clients embed proportionate, defensible and commercially workable compliance approaches.

Awards

  • Ailish is named as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by Legal 500 with recognition from clients and peers of her key role on multiple matters.
Education
  • University of Sheffield, Law - 1st Class Honours

Insight Overview

Ailish is a frequent speaker at seminars and training events, and is a regular contributor to external publications.

Prior Experience

  • Jan 2009 to date, Legal Director, Environment, Health & Safety and Product Compliance, Litigation and Regulatory Group, DLA Piper, Sheffield
  • April 2004 - Dec 2008, DLA Piper, Associate, Safety Health and Environment/ Regulatory Group, Sheffield
  • May 2001 - April 2004, DLA Piper, Associate, Safety Health and Environment Group, Birmingham

My latest insights

Publication
Castle spiral stairs

Global Asbestos Awareness Week

27 March 2026

Publication
circular pattern

Employee welfare: Suicide and the workplace

18 February 2026

Publication

SHE Matters Winter 2023/24

9 January 2024 .1 minute read

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Connect

Phone

+44 (0)114 283 3336
(Work, Sheffield)
+44 (0)7968 558 828
(Work)