Founder & Principal Consultant
Chris Fry
Legal professional, accessibility consultant, and founder of Strategic Access Advisory Limited. Sheffield-born. Court of Appeal and Supreme Court experience. Committed to turning the Equality Act 2010 from a compliance burden into a genuine operational advantage.
Who is Chris Fry?
Chris Fry is a Sheffield-born legal professional and accessibility consultant. He's the founder of Strategic Access Advisory Limited, a specialist consultancy that helps organisations in sport, music, entertainment, and live events translate the Equality Act 2010 into operational advantage.
He's known for rising to the top of every discipline he commits to, for a dry and quick sense of humour, and for a career that has consistently challenged established norms in disability rights law and accessibility practice. Colleagues describe an occasional "Icarus tendency" — a willingness to aim higher than most would dare — which has defined his most significant and personal moments, for better or for worse.
He's widely described as the go-to person in a crisis: both the sword and the shield. He carries a strong sense of social values and a genuine belief in the power of equality of opportunity to drive social mobility, shaped by a family history rooted in Sheffield's Industrial Revolution and the civic responsibility that followed.
At a Glance
- Based inSheffield, England
- FirmStrategic Access Advisory Ltd
- QualifiedCEDR-accredited Mediator
- CourtsCourt of Appeal, Supreme Court
- Former PresidentSheffield Law Society 2010/11
- RYASailing Instructor
Legal Career
Early career
Wake Smith Solicitors
Became the firm's youngest ever partner.
2010/11
Sheffield Law Society — President
Youngest ever President. Developed the Next Generation diversity initiative. Hosted a Cutlers' Hall dinner attended by Lord Justice Leveson — the largest civic event the society has hosted, with 350 guests. Trebled membership.
2010
Unity Law — Co-founder
Co-founded to make legal services more accessible and straightforward for clients.
2017
Fry Law — Founder
Focused on disability rights and equality law. Direct precursor to Strategic Access Advisory Limited.
Across his legal career, Fry trained seven legal professionals who went on to qualify and practise and qualified as a CEDR-accredited mediator. Former professional memberships and fellowships include: Regional Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine; Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL); member of the American Bar Association; and member of the Clinical Practice Board at the University of Sheffield.
Notable Cases
Fry has acted in reported cases before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, including cases that shaped disability rights law in England and Wales.
Disability — Judicial Review
| Case | Citation |
|---|---|
| R (Katherine Rowley) v Minister for the Cabinet Office | [2021] |
| Leighton v The Lord Chancellor | [2020] EWHC 336 (Admin) |
| Conway v Secretary of State for Justice | [2018] EWCA Civ 16 |
| Hamnett v Essex County Council | [2017] EWCA Civ 6 |
Disability — Private Law
| Case | Citation |
|---|---|
| Paulley v FirstGroup plc | [2017] UKSC 4 |
| Edwards v Flamingo Land Ltd | [2013] EWCA Civ 801 |
Parliamentary Contributions
- ▸Bus Services Bill written evidence (BSB 14) — co-authored with Catherine Casserley, House of Commons, March 2017.
- ▸"Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services" — Fry Law, April 2020.
Publications
- ▸Contributing author, Blackstone's Guide to the Equality Act, Blackstone Publishing, 2021.
- ▸Contributing author, Disability Rights Handbook, Disability Rights UK, 2024.
Media Coverage
Fry has been cited as a legal commentator on disability rights in national media. He was profiled in The Times as "Lawyer of the Week" on 9 February 2017, following the Supreme Court judgment in Paulley v FirstGroup plc.
ITV News · 2022
Man sues Sainsbury's for banning his assistance cat
BBC News · 2019
Royal Opera House loses appeal over viola player's hearing
BBC News · 2017
'Wheelchair v buggy': Disabled man wins Supreme Court case
BBC News · 2018
Deaf mum sues Little Mix promoter in sign language row
BBC News · 2018
Scouts pay out £42,000 over 11-year-old's autism claim
BBC News · 2018
One-legged golfer sues council-run course for discrimination
BBC News · 2016
Wheelchair dancer sues company over dance floor ban
BBC News · 2015
Halt city 'shared spaces', says report by Lord Holmes
Sailing
Away from professional life, Fry is a national-level competitive sailor in the Enterprise dinghy class and holds an RYA Instructor qualification. He raced as part of the Hallamshire Sailing Club team and was sponsored by McNamara Sails, Speed Sails, JJ Boats, Oakley, and Ronstan.
He holds multiple wins at the Southport 24-Hour Race and competed in the 2010 Endeavour Trophy, the UK's premier inter-class sailing championship. He's Enterprise Fleet Captain at Ogston Sailing Club, Derbyshire, and leads the club's 24-hour race team. He's also the founder of Advanced Race Coaching Limited.
He held membership at the Royal Windermere Yacht Club, where he sailed an RS100 and crewed in a Flying Fifteen.
Enterprise GBR 20900 at Ogston Reservoir
Work with Chris
Strategic Access Advisory Limited works with organisations in sport, music, entertainment, and live events to turn Equality Act compliance into genuine operational advantage.
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