Sharon Cooney

Sharon trained to become a lawyer in Ireland. Upon qualification in 2008, she practised in Ireland for a number of years before moving to the UK and joining Hempsons in 2012. She became a partner in the London Regulatory & Crime team in 2015.

Sharon’s specialist area of practice is healthcare regulation and, over the years, she has represented healthcare professionals facing proceedings before the GDC, GMC/MPTS, GOC, local NHS England and other regulatory bodies, including the CQC. In recent years, many of her cases have involved defending allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct, dishonesty and fraud before the regulators, where the stakes are high and cases hard fought. She has experience in successfully appealing a (reported) substantive fitness to practise decision to the Administrative Court and issuing and defending judicial review proceedings. Her practice also extends to assisting those seeking first time registration, specialist list registration (and appeals), restoration and voluntary removal.

From 2017- 2018 Sharon acted as joint Legal Chair of the Assessment & Consideration Group of Practitioner Performance Advice (known at the time as the National Clinical Advice Service (NCAS)). She is a member of ARDL and DLEF.