Sarah-Jane Watson

Sarah-Jane drafts employment contracts, service agreements, and consultancy agreements for employer clients, and reviews, advises, and negotiates the same for her senior executive clients.

• Drafted a bespoke consultancy agreement for a technology-driven estate agency operating across London and prime country markets.
• Reviewed and amended employment contracts for an international risk management group of companies, including advising on consulting with UK employees to agree new terms.
• Advised and negotiated the terms of a senior executive’s service agreement.
• Advised a senior executive on their restrictive covenants in their employment contract, the enforceability of the provisions, and ensuring compliance on departure from their employer.

Sarah-Jane is experienced in advising on dismissals and redundancy processes. She drafts, advises on, and negotiates the terms of settlement agreements to ensure smooth exits for both employers and employees.

• Advised an employer on the termination of a director and shareholder and drafted and negotiated a complex settlement agreement.
• Advised an international charity on dismissing an employee on long-term sickness absence on capability grounds while minimising the risk of legal claims.
• Advised an employer on making redundancies, including advice on the process, drafting all relevant communications to employees, and drafting and negotiating the terms of a settlement agreement.

Sarah-Jane conducts Employment Tribunal litigation on behalf of both her employer and senior executive clients and has dealt with claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination (disability, sex, sexual orientation, race, age, and pregnancy and maternity) and whistleblowing detriment.

• Advised a senior executive on her sexual harassment claim against her employer and negotiated a generous settlement package.
• Advised an employee on long-term sickness absence on her constructive dismissal, disability discrimination, and claims for failure to make reasonable adjustments.
• Conducted Tribunal claims on behalf of an international charity.
• Advised an employer on a Tribunal claim of sexual orientation discrimination brought by a former employee.
• Advised a senior executive on his whistleblowing detriment claim against a bank and conducted Tribunal litigation on his behalf.

Sarah-Jane is a specialist advisor to the education sector, drawing on in-depth knowledge gained during secondments to Imperial College London and Eton College. In addition to advising on employment issues in the education sector, she advises higher education institutions on scientific misconduct, student disciplinary matters including sexual misconduct and student complaints, as well as advising independent schools on pupil exclusions, parental complaints, and data subject access requests. She also advises senior members of teaching staff on disciplinary processes, including in respect of safeguarding allegations and parental complaints, grievances and dismissals, and negotiates severance packages.

• Reviewed and amended the employment sections of the statutes and regulations of a top collegiate university.

• Conducted a Tribunal case on behalf of a group of independent schools and successfully defended a claim made by a former employee for unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, and religious discrimination.
• Advised a top independent school on a student exclusion and parental complaint, and dealt with a subject access request made by the parents.
• Advised a top world-ranking London university on a TUPE transfer.
• Defended Employment Tribunal claims against a university for unfair dismissal, disability discrimination, and failure to make reasonable adjustments.
• Advised a university on a complaint by a student to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator including drafting the university’s response.
• Carried out an independent investigation on behalf of a British university into sexual misconduct allegations made by one student against another.
• Reviewed and amended the employment contracts and policies and procedures for a university.
• Advised an assistant head on a parental complaint made against them, the disciplinary process conducted by their independent school, and negotiated a settlement package.

Sarah-Jane advises clients in the charity sector on employment contracts, policies and procedures, disciplinary and grievance matters, managing sickness absence, dismissals, and Employment Tribunal litigation and settlement of claims.

• Advised a UK charity on exiting its CEO during their sickness absence, including negotiating their severance package and the terms of a settlement agreement.
• Advised a UK charity on handling grievance and disciplinary matters, managing sickness absence, and the dismissal of staff.
• Advised a charity on the formation of a new alliance between its international branches and the TUPE implications of such, including negotiating a memorandum of understanding regarding the treatment of staff after the formation of the new foundation.
• Advised the CEO and board of trustees of an international charity on governance issues.
• Reviewed and amended the employment policies and procedures for an environmental charity.

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Employment 2026

Member of the Employment Lawyers Association

Member of the Industrial Law Society

Previous Trustee of a UK charity supporting children and young people with mental health challenges