Employment

No matter the sector, we fully understand the potential challenges of negotiating executive appointments and exits. We work closely with employers and senior executives advising them on the statutory duties of Directors and we are always on hand to help resolve any boardroom or shareholder disputes should they arise.

Our dedicated team of employment lawyers are experts when it comes to employment rights and often guide through disciplinary, grievance and other internal proceedings. They are also on hand to provide training to managers to ensure that no discrimination, unfair dismissal or wrongful termination claims are brought against them.

Our team has extensive experience working alongside Diocesan Secretaries, Heads of HR, Bishops and Archdeacons across the UK, on a range of HR and clergy related matters. This has given us extensive knowledge and experience of how the Church of England operates.

Every business is different. We work closely with our clients to draft tailored employment contracts to suit their individual needs and understand the importance of having adequate policies in place. Working hand in hand with our clients to fully grasp their business needs, we produce bespoke policies and handbooks for our clients on an individual basis.

Working closely with employers and individuals, we have considerable expertise in resolving workplace disputes through mediation, negotiating settlement agreements, through to representation on a full range of claims in the Employment Tribunal.

Our team has particular expertise in dealing with clients in the financial services sector who are strictly regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). We understand their specific needs and guide them through all employment related regulation by which they may be affected.

Our team has particular expertise in dealing with clients in the financial services sector who are strictly regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We understand their specific needs and guide them through all employment related regulation by which they may be affected.

Unfortunately, employers sometimes face the task of needing to manage an employee whose performance and/ or absence record is not up to scratch. We work with these employers advising them through the process including ones that may involve an employee with a disability.

• Acted for a client advising on a complex and sensitive whistleblowing and unfair dismissal matter against a large organisation.
• Advised a private hospital in Hertfordshire in their defence of an employment tribunal claim for sex and disability discrimination.
• Advised an UHNWI and her family on existing employee relations and draft documentation to restructure the domestic staffing arrangements within the household.
• Advised a family-owned large construction business on a reorganisation following Covid-19 to avoid making employees redundant.
• Acted for an ex-equity partner in major City law firm, who is being investigated by the SRA.
• Navigated smooth exits for a group of senior LLP members at a big-four accountancy firm, avoiding expensive litigation and the enforcement of aggressive post-termination restrictions.
• Advised a hotel owner/operator on the employment law implications of acquiring 50 hotels and advising on the process for consulting with staff and managing the acquisition.
• Acted for the claimant in a high-profile whistleblowing claim against the NHS (Chowdhury vs Ealing Hospital NHS Trust) where the claimant was awarded a rare interim relief order securing her full pay, despite her dismissal, until trial.
• Acted for an online platform based recruitment business, Stint, on employment law issues and terms and conditions with hirers and work-seekers relating to its app-based business and designed an employment business model to enable them to operate in the most effective way
• Advised a freelance consultancy business on the key employment law issues and issues relating to Conduct Regulations, to help restructure the business operation, to include drafting terms and conditions of employment with hirers and work-seekers
• 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
• Represented a departing director as part of a complex and highly sensitive team move case in the High Court
• Acted for a retail business defending a claim for pregnancy and maternity discrimination before the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal
• Advised on a settlement agreement case involving the editorship of leading global news website
• Advised three trade associations, Financial Fraud Action Limited, The UK Cards Association Limited and Payments UK Management Limited, on the employment aspect of their ‘mega merger’ to form UK Finance.
• Acted for the buyer Dutch Group 4PS in completing the sale and purchase of the entire shareholding in Metaphorix Ltd which was formerly the Group’s British partner.
• Responsible for the legal assistance to the member’s scheme for the TBA’s 2,500 members, including advice on employment issues, debt recovery, horse sales issues, insurance and personal injury. The scheme is an important resource to TBA members and breeders in the UK.
• Defended a 10-day claim of race discrimination brought by a former principal of a national orchestra who was removed for reasons related to conduct but who claimed it was for reasons related to race.
• Advised the senior management team and board on achieving the seamless agreed departure process of a long-serving chief executive of a household-name travel company covering announcement timings, handover, compensation, bonuses and incentive arrangements.
• Advised a client with respect to her tribunal claim of sexual harassment against one of the Big 4 Accountancy firms and an individual partner. The client was also harassed by a partner of an overseas office of the same brand.
• Acted for a CEO of a Premier League football club on their exit.
• Advised a client in their claim against a well-known bank for sex discrimination, harassment and whistleblowing.
• Provided advice in relation to whistleblowing, subsequent grievance and disciplinary procedures, and settlement prior to issue of claims.
• Provided general employment advice to an international law firm, including advising about mutual complaints by colleagues about each other’s behaviour, potential redundancies, part-time working and holiday pay calculations.
• Acted for the private office of a high-profile ultra-high-net-worth client on UK employment laws and regulations. Drafted all relevant employment documentation to manage and protect the client’s reputation, with an overriding emphasis on privacy.
• Advised on an extremely complex internal enquiry involving the client who is a leading academic within the Law Department of a prestigious English university.
• Settled the terms on which the outgoing CEO of a food products organisation left, as well as the contract for his replacement.
• Defended a City IT services company in an “associative” discrimination claim relating to the disability of a former director’s wife.
• Acted for a potential claimant in connection with a harassment complaint against JP Morgan.
• Advised a senior executive employed by the BBC over a very prolonged period during which he was the subject of internal enquiries into allegations of bullying and harassment and eventually negotiating an exit arrangement.
• Acted for Sam Rush, Derby County FC, Former Managing Director in bringing proceedings for breach of contract in the High Court for compensation of £6mn, for unfair dismissal in the Employment Tribunal and defending counterclaims for over £7mn based on alleged breach of fiduciary duty and misconduct.
• Acted for a senior female Hedge Fund executive in an employment tribunal proceedings for sexual harassment and sexual discrimination against a major Hedge Fund.
• Acted for a senior Manager in a top 6 Premier League football club.
• Acting for a senior whistleblower in a high profile whistleblowing matter about FCA regulatory breaches involving one of the largest UK financial institutions.
• Advised a public relations firm on a variety of employment-related matters, including in relation to GDPR, the recruitment of staff, dismissals, a sabbatical policy, and in relation to a disgruntled former consultant who was posting defamatory comments about the company’s employers and officers online.
• Acted for four long-serving senior members of a Premier League football team’s coaching staff on the termination of their employment following the high-profile departure of former manager.
• Provided strategic and successful employment law advice to SME on outsourcing/TUPE issues.
• Provided confidential advice regarding potential restructuring and whistleblowing matters for a private school.

• Advising and assisting businesses with their internal immigration processes to ensure they are compliant with the prevention of illegal working provisions as well as their sponsorship duties.
• Assisted businesses with large group assignments following high-profile commercial transactions.
• Assisted with visa and leave-to-remain applications for high-net-worth individuals in both the investor and entrepreneur categories. Highlights include assisting with an investor visa application for an investment bank owner.
• Assisted with a large number of family-based and European applications. Highlights include an application for leave to remain for a very well-known international sports person.
• Advised on how to incorporate an acquired company’s Sponsor Licence into the global acquirer’s Licence, which included managing a large transaction internationally, with multiple parties and stringent deadlines, as well as the transfer of several hundred employees.
• Advised on a complex private client case for a Tier 1 Investor extension application. This involved challenging the Immigration Rules and Policy Guidance regarding supporting documentation for co-ownership and successfully arguing that the Policy Guidance was vague and that it required redrafting, which the Home Office confirmed.
• Successfully obtained Citizenship for an individual outside the Immigration Rules on a discretionary basis, owing to excessive absences from the UK. This involved detailed representations as to the nature of the absences and successfully arguing in the applicant’s favour.
• Succeeded in an application to the Home Office for the Tier 2 CEO of an international bank in circumstances which would otherwise have left him waiting for permanent residence for a further three years.
• Delivered a series of Brexit-related talks to an internationally renowned UK university for its 900 EU staff.
• Assisted a large Middle Eastern family office with immigration applications, enabling family members to exceptionally switch status within the UK, bypassing the need for them to apply overseas at a time when it was dangerous to return to their home country.
• Successfully unravelled an out-of-status entrepreneur in circumstances which had left her unable to travel to compete as an international Olympian.