Owen Robinson
Legal Director Global Regulatory
Languages
English
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
Owen Robinson is a Legal Director in our Public Law and Policy team, within the Global Regulatory Practice.
Having worked within the heart of the UK Government for 14 years, he brings a wealth of knowledge on the internal legal, policy and political workings of government. He has a broad range of experience advising clients on all aspects of public law across a wide range of sectors. His particular experience lies in constitutional, Brexit, devolution, healthcare and life sciences matters. He also has international experience in bringing human rights law challenges to the governments in India and Belize.
Owen has worked closely with UK Ministers, advising Secretaries of State and senior civil servants from across government, as well as the UK Government’s Law Officers. Most notably, he worked for the Law Officers and Cabinet Office during the constitutionally momentous 2010s. During that time he advised on the delivery of the Scottish independence referendum (and the subsequent legislation that created the current devolution settlements in Scotland and Wales) as well as the Brexit referendum. He was also responsible for preparing and drafting much of the EU withdrawal legislation that followed.
Owen advised the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. More recently he has advised on the complex legislation related to the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill. He has therefore been at the sharp-end of the biggest challenges facing government in recent years.
With this first-hand experience of government affairs, and the associated legal complexity of creating a new regulatory landscape in the UK post-Brexit, Owen has a unique ability to advise clients on how to navigate that changing landscape.
Owen is also a fee-paid judge of the Employment Tribunals, and the Mental Health Tribunal, in England and Wales.
Representative experience
Advising the Attorney General on devolution aspects of the ‘Miller 1’ Supreme Court challenge regarding Article 50, where it was argued successfully that devolved legislatures cannot veto EU exit.*
Advising the Secretary of State for Scotland on the making of the section 30 Order which facilitated the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.*
Advising the UK Government’s Law Officers on the ECtHR decision in Hirst v United Kingdom (No 2) and the proposals that became the draft Voting Eligibility (Prisoners) Bill.*
Advising the Secretary of State and Advocate General for Scotland on the further devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament, and instructing on the legislation that became the Scotland Act 2012.*
Advising the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU on the devolution-related powers of the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which facilitated the creation of retained EU law throughout the UK.*
Advising the MHRA on the implementation and application of its new enforcement, information-sharing and regulatory powers under the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021.*
Drafting the post-EU Exit reforms to the Medical Devices Regulations 2002 that will create the new medical devices regulatory regime in the UK.*
Advising the Secretary of State for Wales on the devolution of powers to Wales and leading on the creation of a new model of Welsh devolution which led to the Wales Acts 2014 and 2017.*
Advising the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the ECHR implications of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and the social distancing regulations*
Preparing the emergency legislation that gave effect to the creation of the Nightingale hospitals at the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.*
Advising the Executive Committee of the MHRA on its governance, constitution and legal risk associated with the Agency’s recent transformation programme.*
*Matter handled prior to joining Hogan Lovells.
Credentials
- QLTT (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test), BPP Law School, 2008
- Diploma in Legal Practice, University of Edinburgh, 2004
- LLB (Hons) Law, University of Edinburgh, 2003
- Solicitor, England and Wales
- Law Society of England and Wales
- Law Society of Scotland
- Council of Employment Judges