Carl Johnson

Biography

Carl is a Partner and heads the firm’s regulatory department. The department acts for commercial and professional clients across a number of sectors including education, financial services, healthcare, professional services, social care and transport and logistics.

Carl specialises in professional discipline and regulation. He advises and defends doctors, dentists, pharmacists, chartered accountants and teachers facing regulatory action. Carl has extensive experience of dealing with the most serious aspects of professional regulation including dishonesty, financial misconduct, sexual misconduct, serious clinical incidents, serious breaches of professional standards and criminal convictions.

Carl regularly deals with cases brought by a number of regulators and professional bodies, including:

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
• General Dental Council (GDC)
• General Medical Council (GMC)
• General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)
• United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

Carl is a member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL). He is also the firm’s lead complaints partner.

What others say 

Legal 500

"Stephensons Solicitors LLP’s regulatory team is known for its defence work across various sectors, including accountancy, healthcare, education, financial services, and legal services. The group advises both professionals and organisations facing action brought by their regulatory bodies, with an active portfolio of appellate work and extensive experience in disciplinary and registration appeals. Carl Johnson leads the group and is well-regarded for his work in the healthcare, accountancy, and legal services." - 2026 edition

"Stephensons Solicitors LLP‘s ’first-rate team‘ is best known for defence-side work in the accountancy, healthcare, education, financial services and legal services sectors. The 11-strong team acts for professionals in cases brought by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, GMC, GDC, GPhC, and the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries. The Wigan-based regulatory department is led by Carl Johnson, who is ’a true veteran of fitness to practice proceedings." - 2025 edition

"Stephensons Solicitors LLP‘s ‘excellent‘ professional discipline practice is exclusively focused on defence-side work; and the team acts across several sectors, including accountancy, healthcare, education, and financial and legal services. Heading up the firm’s regulatory department, Carl Johnson‘s track record includes successfully defending cases before a wide range of professional disciplinary bodies." - 2023 edition

Chambers & Partners

Carl was recognised as a notable practitioner in the 2026 edition.

Carl Johnson is head of Stephensons' regulatory group and regularly represents regulated professionals facing dishonesty, assault and other misconduct allegations. He has noteworthy experience assisting with SRA, GMC and FCA investigations.

“Carl is incredibly knowledgeable and an astute, incisive lawyer.” 

“Carl Johnson is a very hard-working, commercially savvy lawyer who knows precisely what will and will not work with any regulator.”

"He's very straightforward and to the point and very fair. He's 100% trustworthy."

"He's so assured and so smooth. Carl knows his stuff and has really sound judgement. Clients are always in good hands with him."

"Carl is very detailed and on top of the case. He's good at providing all the answers and prepares everything very well. He gives thorough instructions and is very nice to deal with." 

“He is a very hard-working lawyer with an encyclopaedic knowledge of professional discipline. He is extremely good with clients."