Stephen is a Partner in the London employment team. Stephen’s work for his clients covers all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious; the law relating to partnerships and shareholders, and the recovery of the proceeds of fraud. He acts primarily, but not exclusively, for employers and companies.
Although he usually hopes to keep his clients out of court, his contentious work includes regular Senior Court litigation to enforce post termination restrictions and obligations of confidentiality, or to defend their alleged breach; bringing and defending claims for bonus and commission; bringing and defending claims of Unfair Prejudice under the Companies Act 2006 and recovering the proceeds of frauds against companies and partnerships. He regularly appears in the Employment Tribunals in claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination and worker status. Stephen was an advocate in the first reported case to consider the 2006 TUPE Regulations, and another of his cases was the subject of a leader article in the Times.
His non-contentious work includes drafting contracts of employment and incentive schemes for senior employees. He has a particular expertise in post termination restrictions, their effectiveness and enforcement, and both advises his clients about their existing PTRs and drafts and implements new ones. He advises on shareholders’ agreements, on the structure of proposed TUPE transfers and drafts the relevant contractual terms.
He has many years’ experience dealing with issues of worker status and of the law which applies to recruitment businesses and agencies. He was consulted by (the then) Department of Trade and Industry when it drafted the current Conduct of Employment Agencies etc Regulations 2003. Stephen regularly advises his recruitment clients on the aspects of employment law that apply, uniquely, to them and regularly drafts terms and conditions for the supply of permanent and temporary agency candidates. He also advises professional services clients such as architects and designers on the term of their consultancy agreements with their clients in the construction sector.
Stephen qualified as a solicitor in 1990.