Doyle Clayton has hired Benedicte Perowne from Osborne Clarke to run its regulatory practice, with a particular focus on bullying, harassment and discrimination cases.
The appointment brings nearly 20 years of regulatory experience to the workplace law firm. Perowne, who joins as a partner, will split her time between the firm’s London and Reading offices.
Her brief centres on individual misconduct—what regulators term “non-financial misconduct”—an area that has drawn intensifying scrutiny from the Financial Conduct Authority and other bodies over the past three years. That shift reflects a broader regulatory push beyond traditional compliance breaches into workplace culture and behaviour.
Perowne built her reputation translating dense regulatory requirements into boardroom strategy. Her work spans governance frameworks, regulatory reporting, enforcement defence, whistleblowing matters and individual accountability regimes. She has run investigations for clients and advised firms navigating FCA and Prudential Regulation Authority scrutiny.
At Osborne Clarke, where she was most recently a partner, Perowne handled rule interpretation, systems and controls work, and anti-money laundering compliance. She also tracked emerging regulatory proposals for clients—horizon scanning that helps firms anticipate rather than react to rule changes.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Doyle Clayton at a time when regulatory scrutiny has become more integral than ever to how clients operate,” Perowne said. “The firm is packed full of brilliant lawyers and led by compassionate and responsible leaders, advising an incredible and busy client base. I’m looking forward to contributing to the continued success of the firm as we grow the practice, supporting existing and future clients with confident regulatory engagement.”
The hire strengthens Doyle Clayton’s regulatory capability at a moment when workplace misconduct has moved to the centre of regulatory agendas. Financial services firms, in particular, face mounting pressure to demonstrate they are addressing harassment and discrimination—not just after allegations surface, but through systems designed to prevent them.
Doyle Clayton’s existing regulatory team advises clients across insurance, banking, law, accountancy, sports and education. The firm has handled matters involving both the FCA and PRA, working with UK and international clients.
Tina Wisener, Doyle Clayton’s chief executive, framed the appointment as strategic. “We’re delighted to welcome Benedicte to Doyle Clayton,” she said. “Her exceptional regulatory expertise together with her fantastic commercial insights will be fundamental in helping our clients navigate the constantly changing, complex regulatory environment, as we continue to strengthen our capabilities and ambitions in this area.”
Founded in 1997, Doyle Clayton operates as an employee-owned business following a 2019 restructuring. The firm now employs 28 partners, two legal directors and more than 51 lawyers across three offices in London, Reading and Bristol. It specialises in workplace law, covering employment disputes, immigration and corporate matters that arise in the employment context.
The firm holds rankings in both Chambers and The Legal 500, the legal directories that assess UK law firms. It is also a founding member of ELLINT, an international network connecting specialist employment law practices.
For Perowne, the move represents a bet on a firm building out its regulatory offering at a time when demand for that expertise is climbing. Whether advising on governance structures before problems emerge or defending clients once enforcement actions begin, regulatory work has become a constant rather than an occasional need for many organisations.
The regulatory landscape she inherits is one where individual accountability has sharpened. Senior managers can face personal sanctions for failures in their areas of responsibility. Non-financial misconduct, once a secondary concern, now carries the same weight as traditional compliance breaches in regulatory examinations.
What remains to be seen is how quickly Doyle Clayton can scale its regulatory practice and whether the market for specialist workplace regulatory advice expands as firms anticipate further rule changes. For now, the hire signals ambition in an area where expertise is scarce and client demand is rising.
