Emma Clark

Emma advises on complex employment disputes, supporting clients through Employment Tribunal proceedings especially whistleblowing and discrimination claims, internal HR investigations, and negotiating termination packages, settlement agreements, and retirement deeds. 

• Defended a claim for an energy company of perceived religious discrimination (claim settled out of court). 
• Acted for senior executives in the banking and legal sector regarding maternity and pregnancy discrimination claims (with claims settled for substantial six-figure sums). 
• Defended claims for manufacturing company regarding alleged failure to inform and consult under TUPE and automatic unfair dismissal claims. 
• Brought successful claims for disability discrimination against a local authority. 
• Brought successful claims for unfair dismissal and unlawful deduction from wages for senior individuals. 
• Conducted claims for discrimination, whistleblowing, restrictive covenants, injunctions and unfair dismissal claims. 
• Provided confidential advice regarding potential restructuring and whistleblowing matters for a private school. 
• Successfully advised on a complex unfair dismissal and disability discrimination claim against a multinational corporation. 
• Advised on issues related to complex whistleblowing and disability discrimination issues, as well as carried interest plans. The individual was off on long-term sick leave and the matter proceeded to the Employment Tribunal. 
• Advised a male senior executive on an equal pay and sex discrimination claim against an energy company. 
• Defended a whistleblowing claim for a small financial services company whose employee was dismissed during their probationary period – the employee ended up withdrawing their claim in the Employment Tribunal without any compensation. 

Emma advises SMEs, senior executives, and international clients on all aspects of employment law, policy implementation, guiding contract negotiations, executive appointments, relocations, team moves, and complex remuneration and exit arrangements. 

• Negotiated appointments, terminations, retirement deeds, and settlement agreements on behalf of both senior executives and employers/LLPs. 
• Drafted contracts, policies and handbooks. 
• Advised on flexible-working and family-friendly rights. 
• Advised on managing out poor performers. 
• Advised on long-term sickness absence. 
• Advised private schools on removing senior staff. 
• Facilitated amicable exits for partners and LLP members on behalf of both the individuals and the firms 
• Advised LLP members on proposed offer letters and LLP agreements, including the consequences of moving from fixed share to equity. 
• Successfully managed team moves in the legal and insurance sectors. 
• Advised international organisations on setting up in the UK and overseas 
• Trained teams on UK employment law and on diversity in the workplace 
• Regularly worked with colleagues to advise senior executives on complex remuneration structures related to their entry or exit in the financial services industry 
• Carried out four client secondments/sabbaticals  including: 
• 3-month secondment as the in-house employment lawyer in an oil and gas plc; 
• 6-month secondment as part of the in-house employment team at an investment bank;  
• regular ad hoc secondment days as the employment lawyer within the HR team of an investment bank; 
• 2-month sabbatical cover for a partner in a City law firm to support their corporate colleagues on the employment needs of their clients including high-profile M&A deals. 
• Advised a client on his service agreement as the new CEO and on his equity arrangements. The matter was unusual due to the confidential size of the deal and remuneration which was complex and required careful negotiation. 
• Provided advice on various employment law aspects on an ongoing and reported high-value whistleblowing claim. 
• Advised an LLP member client on her exit from a US and UK LLP on negotiations in light of potential reputational impact and the provisions in the relevant LLP agreement. Matter settled. 
• Advised and successfully settled an LLP member client on her departure from a transatlantic law firm on combined claims relating to equal pay and discrimination law.  

Emma advises international and UK clients on corporate transactions, TUPE obligations, restructurings, and GDPR matters, M&A deals, outsourcing, and high-value executive appointments. 

• Supported corporate lawyers on all aspects of share and asset acquisitions, complex TUPE-related issues, and training for the lawyers and their clients 
• Navigated purchasers and administrative receivers through acquiring, selling and running insolvent companies. 
• Coordinated advice on extensive overseas employment issues. 
• Provided strategic and successful employment law advice to SME on outsourcing/TUPE issues. 
• Advised numerous clients on M&A deals including a range of employment law support for high-profile PLC clients, from negotiating warranties and indemnities to advising on TUPE processes, as well as supporting corporate colleagues at Keystone and in other law firms (where they do not have in-house employment lawyers) on employment law advice on share and asset sales of SMEs. 
• Advised numerous clients on service agreements as the new board members of a private equity company and equity arrangements. 

Emma advises charities and not-for-profits on employment law and organisational changes, including managing dismissals, redundancies, and complex HR issues while safeguarding missions and values. 

• Advised a religious charity on data protection, dismissals, redundancies 
• Acted for a leading UK charity for girls and young women. 
• Acted for a charity supporting children worldwide. 
• Acted for a leading global charity that supports the health and education of children. 
• Advised a global charity supporting safe water and new development programmes. 
• Advised discretely and successfully numerous board members on their exits from charities. 

Emma advises senior executives and boards in the energy sector on employment disputes, whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, contract negotiations, and day-to-day HR matters. 

• Advised a board member of a Middle Eastern oil and gas company on breach of contract, unfair dismissal and whistleblowing claims in the Employment Tribunal. 
• Advised a senior employee on his exit from, and settlement agreement with, an Indian oil and gas company which ended up being an amicable departure 
• Advised a senior executive of a multinational oil and gas company on the termination of his employment and unfair dismissal rights and currently negotiating amicable terms of exit. 
• Defended a claim for an energy company of perceived religious discrimination (claim settled out of court). 
• Advised a British multinational oil and gas company on day-to-day employment-related matters, grievances, disciplinaries, contracts of employment, and workplace policies. 

Emma advises educational institutions on the full range of employment law and data protection matters, including managing dismissals, redundancies, and complex HR issues. 

• Provided confidential advice regarding potential restructuring and whistleblowing matters for a private school. 
• Advised private schools on removing senior staff. 
• Acted for a leading global charity that supports the health and education of children. 
• Advised a head teacher on their exit from a private school. 
• Advised senior employees at a private school on their sensitive departures. 

Emma advises professional practices clients on the full range of employment law and data protection matters, including managing dismissals, redundancies, and complex HR issues. 

• Advised numerous  LLP members on their exits from a US and UK LLP on negotiations in light of potential reputational impact and the provisions in the relevant LLP agreement. Matters all settled in detailed settlement agreements and in advance of any employment tribunal claims being submitted. 
• Advised and successfully settled an LLP member client on her departure from a transatlantic law firm on combined claims relating to equal pay and discrimination law. 
• Facilitated amicable exits for partners and LLP members on behalf of both the individuals and the firms. 
• Advised an LLP (a law firm) on managing the performance and conduct issues of a disabled employee.  
• Advised an LLP (in financial services) on issues arising from partnership promotions and on proposed changes to their retirement age. 

Recognised by Chambers UK for Employment: Senior Executives 2026-2027

Recognised by Chambers UK for Partnership 2027

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Employment: Partnership 2020–2027

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Employment: Senior Executives and Employers 2022–2027

Recognised by The Legal 500 as Recommended for Employment: Employers 2025

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Employment 2020–2024Recognised by Chambers UK for Employment: Senior Executives 2022–2024

Acknowledged by Chambers UK 2025 for advising high-profile employees on a broad spectrum of work spanning senior exit agreements through to discrimination claims

Member of the Employment Lawyers Association