Jacqueline McDermott

Jacqueline represents employers and employees in complex disputes, including High Court and Tribunal claims involving discrimination, whistleblowing, restrictive covenants, and bonuses. She is experienced in disciplinary matters, grievances, and negotiated executive exits.

• Successfully defending a high-value bonus claim in the High Court.
• Enforcing restrictive covenants in the High Court against two former directors and successfully defending their constructive dismissal claims in the employment tribunal.
• Provided advice on various employment aspects to inventor in relation to his patented inventions for paper packaging after a dispute arose with a company when the patent was developed and licensed to them.

Jacqueline advises on all areas of employment law, from drafting contracts and policies to managing restructures, TUPE, and data protection. She provides practical HR support and delivers in-house training and seminars.

• Advised an international client on restructuring of UK business.
• Successfully defending an HMRC challenge regarding the employment status of several thousand staff for an international company.
• Advised an international client on a union recognition agreement.
• Provided specialist employment contract advice in respect of purchase of the entire share capital of a club, which owns a prestigious London nightclub one of the capital’s most high profile venues.
• Provided advice on various employment aspects to media company on many of their contractual matters and IP matters including contributor contracts and the interpretation of IP clauses, contractual arrangements with IT contractors.
• Advised an independent publisher of many well-known leisure and special interest magazines and digital products in relation to employment contracts.

Jacqueline advises schools, colleges, and universities on governance, employment, and student matters. Her experience includes staff relations, policy drafting, safeguarding, and equality issues, ensuring compliance and best practice within the education sector.

• Acted for various schools and colleges, including defending a group action equal pay claim for the John Madejski Academy.
• Advised on employment-related matters, including corporate transactions for a global provider of AI-based edge video analytics, IoT technologies, and cybersecurity, in an acquisition of a global provider of video analytics technology, and supported the notification of the deal under the NSI Act.
• Advised on employment-related matters, including corporate transactions for the acquisition of the technology of Sequeestor Limited, a cross-border acquisition by a NASDAQ company of the intellectual property rights of a UK-based global provider of video analytics technology.

Recognised by Best Lawyers UK for Employment Law 2014 – 2025

Member of the Employment Lawyers’ Association.