Strategic Advice

Long-term commercial, IP, IT and data protection advice

We have worked with our client for over 16 years acting as an outsourced in-house legal function for all business and day to day legal matters, supporting on all commercial, employment issues and property matters. Our ongoing legal support helps to minimise risks across the business.

Employment Law

Advice on gender reassignment and Equality Act

We advised a long-term client in the hospitality and leisure sector on the interpretation of gender reassignment in the context of Equality Act protected characteristics.

Employment Law

Advising business on unauthorised software use by former employee

The client identified that a recently departed member of staff had assisted a current member to install unauthorised software onto the system. We advised on the legal issues and obtaining the required legal undertakings to resolve the matter without any wider data breach issues. The matter was very important in terms of the client’s integrity and potential damage to reputation.

Employment Law

Advising large consultancy group on dismissal of employee during Covid19

We successfully defended our client company against an unfair dismissal claim issued by a former employee following redundancy as a result of the impact of Covid 19. A favorable decision was crucial for our client because it deterred further similar claims and acted as a formal recognition that their processes were fair and reasonable.

Employment Law

Advice to cruise operator on obligations to international workforce

Our client operates a number of cruise vessels in various international locations. It employs an international crew. We provided advice on the client’s employment obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) and other international and local regulations.

Employment Law

Defending high profile organisation against unfair dismissal claim

Our client faced claims by a former self-employed member of their team who issued claims for unfair dismissal, statutory redundancy pay and unpaid holiday on the basis he was an employee or ‘worker’. The employment status issues were critical due to other agreements being terminated in a similar matter. We reached a cost-effective settlement before attending the Employment Tribunal which successfully prevented numerous similar claims being brought against the client.

Employment Law

Managing corporate reputation following allegations against senior manager

We were asked to advise on serious allegations of sexual harassment made against a senior manager of our client by several current and former employees. Our role was to manage significant reputational risks for both the senior manager and client as well as to ensure our client’s discharged its duty of care to individuals who made the allegations. A report we commissioned externally substantiated the majority of the allegations. Disciplinary proceedings against the senior manager were commenced, and a final warning and demotion given.

Employment Law

Securing injunction to deal with ex director joining competitor

A senior ex-director left our client company and joined a competitor taking several clients with him. Our client suspected there had been a pattern of deception leading to the departure and this was eventually established following our multiple requests for disclosure of relevant documentation. We sought and obtained a High Court injunction to limit the actions of the ex-director. This outcome was crucial for the client as a means of deterring others from acting in a similar, highly damaging way.

Employment Law

Advice on dismissal for gross misconduct

We advised on the dismissal of an employee for gross misconduct, in circumstances where the individual had attended work when a household member had tested positive for Coronavirus and the employee should have been isolating under local guidance in place at that time. The employee had refused the Covid vaccination because of personal beliefs. The case was a challenging one, advising on areas of law that had not yet been tested, firstly in terms of the dismissal following a breach of Covid guidance and secondly in respect of the impact of the dismissed employee’s personal views and beliefs on vaccination. Our role was to guide the client through these legal issues, advising them on the risks and assisting them to identify the right issues to focus on in the dismissal to minimise risk.

Employment Tribunal

Successfully defending a national charity in two full tribunal hearings and providing TUPE advice relating to the organisation’s contracting with the NHS and local authority commissioners.