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Michelle Last

Partner

England & Wales

020 3319 3700

michelle.last@keystonelaw.co.uk

“Michelle is a pleasure to work with, no nonsense, measured advice, very professional. ”

- Liz Emmott, CRO

Michelle is a skilled and highly regarded employment lawyer, with over twenty years’ experience in non-contentious and contentious employment law matters for individuals and businesses. She has particular expertise advising on settlement agreements and exits, Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal litigation concerning whistleblowing and discrimination claims and High Court litigation on restrictive covenants, confidential information and team moves.

Michelle also specialises in cases involving sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace and drafts policies and hosts training on these topics.

Described as a “key influencer” on LinkedIn, Michelle regularly writes for newspapers and trade publications, including the BBC, The Times, The Sunday Times, HR Magazine and Personnel Today. She is also an avid speaker on employment law issues relating to sexual assault and harassment, TUPE, discrimination, restrictive covenants and redundancy and has appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Essex, and LBC.

Michelle has worked on several high-profile cases including Sophie Brook v Royal Navy, Samantha Decombel v EU Commission, Forse v Secarma, Philip v Working Partners and Harper Collins Publishers and Allonby v Accrington & Rossendale College.

Expertise

Michelle advises businesses on employment contracts, employment status, business structuring, consultancy law, outsourcing, and restrictive covenant issues.

Experience

  • Advised numerous businesses on employment rules, employment status, contractual terms and restrictive covenant disputes.
  • Author of Relationships at Work policy intended to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
  • Advised a large insurance broker on harmonising terms and conditions affecting thousands of staff, to include drafting new employment terms.

Michelle regularly advises on discrimination, harassment, and sexual assault claims in the workplace.

Experience

  • Conducted a disciplinary investigation for a retail business concerning allegations of a relationship between a CEO and a Marketing Director.
  • Advised an individual on her claim for pregnancy discrimination against the European Commission, which attracted global media attention.
  • Successfully secured a substantial six-figure settlement in a disability discrimination case brought by a cancer patient against a financial services institution.
  • Acted for a business defending a claim for pregnancy and maternity discrimination before the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal.
  • Acted for Sophie Brook, the UK’s former most senior submariner, on her reported sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault and personal injury claim against the Royal Navy, resulting in a formal apology from the First Sea Lord in October 2024 in person and on live news.
  • Successfully represented an employer defending a claim for ADHD disability discrimination brought by a trans female worker found to have been moonlighting posting sexually explicit content on OnlyFans and hosting fetish events.
  • Advised a senior HR Director in a FTSE financial services company on her grievance and exit following sexual harassment by the CEO.

Michelle advises on exits, settlement agreements, restrictive covenants, and high-value employment disputes across the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and High Court.

Experience

  • Represented a client in a dispute with an employment agency regarding temp-to-permanent fees.
  • Represented a recruitment consultant in a High Court claim relating to alleged breach of covenants and misuse of confidential information in establishing his own recruitment practice.
  • Advised the editor of a leading global news website on her exit and settlement.
  • Represented multiple victims of rape and sexual assault in the workplace in their claims against their employers in the Employment Tribunal.
  • Successfully represented a book packager in defending a claim brought by a claimant who posted political anti-trans comments on a corporate Twitter page, in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Session.
  • Acted for a business defending a claim for pregnancy and maternity discrimination before the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal.
  • Acted for Sophie Brook, the UK’s former most senior submariner, on her reported sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault and personal injury claim against the Royal Navy, resulting in a formal apology from the First Sea Lord in October 2024 in person and on live news.
  • Successfully represented an employer defending a claim for ADHD disability discrimination brought by a trans female worker found to have been moonlighting posting sexually explicit content on OnlyFans and hosting fetish events.
  • Acted for the alleged “recruiting sergeant” in a leading team move case; Forse v Secarma.
  • Acted for a banker in her pregnancy and maternity discrimination claim in the Employment Tribunal.
  • Successfully secured a substantial six-figure settlement in a whistleblowing allegation against a financial services institution.
  • Acted for one of the world’s largest insurance brokers in four separate High Court interim-relief applications for misuse of confidential information and breaches of restrictive covenants, including drafting witness statements, pleadings, correspondence and settlement agreements, and conducting disclosure exercises.

Michelle advises on collective and individual redundancies, TUPE transfers, and employment issues arising from business restructurings.

Experience

  • Regularly advise employers on their options for terminating the employment of one or more employees, to include advising on options for termination, process, pooling, selection and scoring.
  • Advised a production company on the redundancy and termination of employment of staff.
  • Advised a global mining company on a collective redundancy process and TUPE process arising from the relocation of services from London to India.
  • Advised a team of seven employees on the termination of their employment by Nomura following a redundancy exercise.
  • Advised the administrators of Comet on employment law issues related to the collective redundancy of 6,500 employees and complex TUPE matters.
  • Represented the payroll team being made redundant following the outsourcing of their work by a Big Four employer.
  • Advised employee representatives and over 40 employees on employment law aspects of the transfer of their employment from JP Morgan to Mercuria.

Michelle advises businesses, buyers and sellers on employment law aspects associated with corporate deals, such as TUPE, due diligence and drafting warranties and indemnities.

Experience

  • Carried out the employment due diligence for a large insurance broker on the acquisition of a smaller insurance broker.
  • Drafted global outsourcing provisions for one of the UK’s largest outsourced services provider.
  • Drafted employment warranties and indemnities for a large insurance broker and also advised on changing terms and conditions of employment.

Michelle advises employers on Working Time Regulations issues arising from contractor engagement and disputes concerning holiday pay entitlements.

Experience

  • Advised a media employer on Working Time Regulations issues when engaging contractors.
  • Represented a freelancer business in an Employment Tribunal claim brought by a freelancer on their claims for holiday pay under the Working Time Regulations.

Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.

Recognition

Recognised by The Legal 500  for Employment: Senior Executives 2021-2022 & 2026-2027

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Employment: Employers 2020

Member of the Employment Lawyers Association

“Michelle has taken a great deal of time to thoroughly explain everything that is happening and what it means for the case. As this was my first time needing legal help, I had a lot of questions, and she made me feel comfortable asking everything without judgment. She is incredibly knowledgeable, which has made me feel supported throughout.”

The Legal 500 2027

Michelle qualified as a solicitor in 2004. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2015, she worked at the following firms:

  • Stevens & Bolton
  • Mayer Brown International
  • McGrigors

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