Joanna is a Partner in the Employment Department where she handles all areas of contentious and non-contentious employment law. This includes executive terminations, discrimination, wrongful and unfair dismissal, TUPE, large scale reorganisations and contract issues. She regularly advises LLPs on partnership matters and is well versed in the issues that affect their members. Further afield Joanna’s expertise also covers the employment aspects of mergers, acquisitions and flotations. Joanna’s clients are both employers and employees and are drawn from all aspects of business, including investment banks, private equity, financial institutions, fashion and luxury goods houses, telecoms, record and television companies, plc directors and bankers. Her career, spanning more than 20 years, includes significant experience in the Employment Tribunal and High Court, and has seen her make new law in a landmark case in the Supreme Court.
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Chair of the Partnership and Partner. Advises on all aspects of employment and partnership law. Particular areas of interest include board issues, contested dismissals and redundancy, partnership issues, business transfers, employment tribunal claims and advice aimed at preventing employment disputes and ensuring compliance with statutory regulations. His practice is highly international, dealing with both UK clients' employment law needs globally and with UK issues for clients in numerous other jurisdictions.
Founding partner of our employment team specialising in all aspects of employment law with a special interest in international employment law; discrimination law (particularly age discrimination); and TUPE.
PartnerPeter is an employment lawyer specialising in managing high profile, complex disputes.
Jane is a partner in the employment department, specialising in all aspects of employment law for employers, senior executives and partners with a particular focus on the financial, insurance and professional services sectors. Handles complex and difficult matters which require experience, judgement and a deep knowledge of the many different aspects of law relating to human resources. Expert in dealing with complex employment litigation for both employers and individuals.
Nick is a very experienced employment solicitor who advises on the full range of employment issues for employers. Since 1988 he has advised employers both in relation to commercial and advisory matters, and matters involving litigation between employers and employees. Nick has represented employers in the Court of Appeal, the High Court, County Court, the Employment Tribunal and the Central Arbitration Committee as well as at ACAS. His experience includes advising on matters relating to individual employees and on collective matters, such as restructuring and collective redundancies. Nick has also represented senior executives joining and leaving employers, or looking to move to new roles with competitors. As a trained mediator, Nick also resolves disputes using alternative dispute resolution methods where possible.
David is head of the Employment team. He has wide experience of advising commercial and institutional clients including newspapers, magazines, banks and academic establishments. David advises on restructuring and redundancy programmes and on the complexities of the Transfer of Undertakings Regulations, as well as handling industrial disputes, team moves and individual cases. He is a regular author of Croner’s publications and writes chapters for both Butterworths Commercial and Tolley’s Personnel precedents. David was runner-up in the Employment Lawyer of the Year award sponsored by the Insiders Guide to Employment Lawyers and is given a four star rating in the same guide. He is rated as a leading expert in the field by both Chambers and Legal 500.
Charles Wynn-Evans, head of the employment practice in London, focuses on all contentious and non-contentious employment -related matters. His practice includes handling issues relating to redundancy, unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, unlawful discrimination, industrial action, boardroom disputes, restrictive covenants, agreed terminations, tax issues and all kinds of employment-related litigation as well as employment aspects of corporate transactions.
Julian has considerable experience of working with leading city financial institutionsand international organisations. He advises on the full range of employment law and human resource issues including advising on the strategic issues associated with reorganisations and restructuring, advising on collective consultation, redundancy programmes and outsourcing arrangements, and drafting related contractual and employment documentation. He also has extensive experience of High Court and tribunal litigation on a wide range of employment and general commercial matters. Julian regularly leads seminars and workshops on employment law issues. He is the head of Employment Law Training and is involved in training programmes for both clients and lawyers.
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Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
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Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Partner. Kelly advises on complex international and national employment matters, with particular focus on outsourcing, restructuring and the people aspects of organisational change. She works alongside clients' HR and Legal teams in developing and implementing strategies for the recruitment, retention and motivation of employees. She has a focus on 'employee engagement' and is passionate about issues of diversity and inclusion. Kelly develops and provides training and seminars for clients' HR, legal and business teams and co-delivers RPC's regular seminars and roundtables on a variety of topics. She is a frequent contributor to practitioner and academic publications. Kelly was part of the successful RPC team in the UK's leading case on restrictive covenants -Egon Zehnder v Tillman. This 2019 case is the first time in a century that the highest UK court has considered the issue of non-compete covenants and the judgment sets the law in this area.
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Partner and Head of the firm's Investigations and Regulatory group and sits on the Firm's Strategy Board. Karen specialises in employment and partnership law and regularly conducts complex and highly sensitive workplace investigations, alongside her advisory work.Karen has a wealth of experience advising major companies and LLPs, in relation to the employment law issues they face, and routinely conducts complex and highly sensitive investigations, both within the UK and internationally. Karen has a diverse client base, with a particular emphasis towards advising major domestic and international law firms and other professional services organisations on all aspects of their relationships with their employees and members/partners. This includes resolving issues such as contentious team moves, the enforcement of restrictive covenants and the use of alternative dispute resolution. Karen also acts for senior executives and individual partners/members.Karen prides herself in taking a pragmatic, commercial, and business-focused approach to all of her work. She particularly enjoys resolving high-value disputes, both before and after the commencement of litigation, including sensitive discrimination cases, whistleblowing claims, and those involving regulatory matters. Karen also advises on workplace restructures, negotiates employment documentation, such as contracts and settlement agreements, and provides training on all of these issues.EmploymentA typical day might include advising her clients on issues such as how to deal with allegations of discrimination or harassment, redundancies and complex grievances or disciplinary matters. Karen also manages and advises on all aspects of outsourcing arrangements, including the application of TUPE, and any Employment Tribunal claims faced by her clients. Examples of some of her recent work include: advising a major international law firm on a significant restructuring and outsourcing project successfully resolving a discrimination dispute between directors of a plc successfully defending a multi-Respondent disability discrimination claim advising a major supermarket in relation to board level issues advising a bank faced with multiple whistleblowing claims Investigations and Regulatory Karen's investigations work typically involves allegations of serious wrongdoing and/or allegations against very senior employees or partners. This work requires careful and sensitive handling to ensure that all the facts are uncovered in a fair, proportionate and even-handed way. This work includes interviewing witnesses, identifying and locating other forms of evidence, and providing a report setting out the evidence obtained which enables the organisation to respond appropriately to the findings made. Many of the investigations that she has conducted relate to regulated industries, so she is able to ensure that the corporate response meets the requirements and expectations of the relevant regulator. Some recent examples of her work include: investigating allegations of discrimination made against very senior executives in a household name business investigating allegations of sexual assault against a law firm partner investigations allegations of bullying made by one board member against another investigating multiple allegations against a partner of a law firm investigating allegations relating to bullying and discrimination on the set of a film production investigating allegations of expenses fraud by a senior executive investigating allegations of sexual, emotional and physical abuse against a religious leader Partnerships & LLPs Karen's clients include a number of the leading international law firms and LLPs. She regularly advises these organisations in relation to matters such as team moves, the rights and obligations of partners, and partnership disputes. Karen also acts for partners in dispute with their current or former partnership or LLP. Some recent examples of her advisory work include: advising a major law firm on the fall-out following a hotly contested management election advising in relation to partnership retirement issues and allegations of age discrimination advising a major law firm in relation to an arbitration arising out of a team move advising in relation to a partner exit which involved allegations of disability discrimination advising a team of partners on their rights and obligations towards their LLP ahead of a planned team move advising a law firm on near shoring its back office function
Claire advises individuals and organisations on employment, shareholder and partnership law across a wide range of business sectors including financial services, insurance, IT, property development, media, fashion and art. Claire is a High Court litigation specialist with High Court cases being at the core of her practice. She is regularly instructed on High Court claims, for senior executives and companies, and has considerable experience acting in disputes between shareholders in owner managed businesses. She acted for the successful petitioner in the leading shareholder case of Croly v Good and is currently advising on several High Court contractual disputes. She understands the need for clear, commercial advice and has an excellent track record in negotiating settlements for her clients, including formal mediated settlements. Her team covers a broad range of issues for both employers and employees, notably contractual disputes, disciplinary matters, unfair and wrongful dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, post termination restrictions and confidentiality issues (drafting and enforcement). She is recommended as an employment lawyer in Legal 500 2019. She was also recognised as a foreign expert in Chambers Global 2014 for her work for Italian companies and their UK subsidiaries and UK domiciled Italian executives. She advises Italian companies and works closely with executives, particularly those in financial services and the IT sector, and those who are relocating from Italy to the UK.
Partner: Advises many areas of employment and partnership law. Has a particular focus on dealing with high level disputes in the employment tribunal, high court and through arbitration often, in the professional services sector and involving issues of discrimination.
Chris advises on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious matters. His advisory experience includes recruitment and termination of executives; team moves; restructuring programmes, including collective and individual consultation; business transfers and outsourcing; and the implications of the Business Transfer Regulations. His litigation experience includes defending discrimination and unfair dismissal claims in the employment tribunal, and defending and pursuing breach of contract claims in the High Court and the Court of Appeal. He successfully represented the employers in the restrictive covenant cases of: Arbuthnot Fund Managers v. Rawlings (2003) and TFS Derivatives v. Morgan (2005) and, more recently, in the team move case of QBE Management Services v Dymoke (2012).
Suzanne Horne is a partner and head of the International Employment practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s London office. She has a broad-ranging practice covering all aspects of employment law and employment-related matters advising both U.K. and international clients. Ms. Horne provides practical and commercially driven advice on both contentious and non-contentious matters with a focus on business transfers, outsourcings, insolvencies, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, investments, and the application of TUPE (U.K. business transfer legislation). On the international front, Ms. Horne also has extensive experience in cross-border, pan-European, and multinational projects including business reorganization, integrations, redundancies, hiring and firing. She has a special interest in advising employers on employee related data protection and privacy matters and high-level litigation.
As labor and employment practice group leader in London, Matthew Howse represents clients in the financial services, media, legal, and insurance industries in High Court and employment tribunal litigation and in class actions, collective actions, and group litigation. His experience includes employment law as well as privacy and cybersecurity law. In addition to litigating both contentious and noncontentious issues, Matthew provides strategic employment law advice and counsels clients on the employment law aspects of transactions. For more information, view Karl’s bio at https://www.morganlewis.com/bios/mhowse.
Susannah is a Partner in the Firm’s Employment Department. She acts for employers and employees on contentious and non-contentious matters with experience of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court and Employment Tribunal. She works at the forefront of the legal landscape advising clients on matters arising out of the “gig” economy and is a recognised commentator in both the press and legal profession on matters relating to worker status. Susannah acted for Pimlico Plumbers in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal in the landmark case on worker status and holiday pay respectively. Susannah frequently advises businesses and individuals in relation to restrictive covenant, theft of confidential information and team move cases, including in respect of applications for injunctive relief. She is recognised in this area and has authored a chapter on the subject in the pre-eminent employment practitioners' textbook: Harvey on Industrial Relations and Employment Law. Susannah also advises both businesses and senior individuals in relation to (and conducts) investigations, particularly (but not exclusively) in circumstances where there is a regulatory and/or serious reputational risk for her clients. Susannah advises on strategic issues as well as on terminations, redundancies, settlement agreements, all aspects of discrimination and whistleblowing legislation, restrictive covenants, executive remuneration issues and corporate strategy and structuring issues. Susannah also has experience of advising on confidentiality and privacy issues in relation to both Court and Tribunal proceedings. Susannah frequently advises C-Suite Executives on a wide-range of employment-related issues. Susannah is recognised as having a strategic, pragmatic and commercial approach by her clients who come from a range of sectors including financial services, private equity, insurance, professional services, Fin Tech, design, fashion and recruitment. Susannah is a member of the Firm’s Technology Group, Retail and Fashion Group and Recruitment Services Group and advises on start-up and scale-up issues for companies. Susannah is also a member of the Employment Lawyers’ Association and a board member of Cosmetic Executive Women. . Susannah undertakes regular pro-bono work. She represented the Jewish Labour Movement in relation to the referral of the Labour Party to the Equality and Human Rights Commission on issues of antisemitism. Susannah also advised the Criminal Bar Association in respect of the Equality Act issues arising out of the proposed extended operating hours. She also acted for the family of Siham Hamud in connection with the legal proceedings threatened by her school following her refusal to comply with the school's uniform policy on the grounds of her religious belief. For her involvement in some of the biggest employment cases in recent years, Susannah has been recognised by The Lawyer’s Hot 100 2020 as a standout lawyer shaping the legal profession in the UK.
PartnerTim is an employment and partnership lawyer in the London Employment team.
Partner and Head of the Employment Litigation Team. Specialising in employment law, Toni is a highly skilled and experienced litigator with an international practice and advises companies and LLPs on the protection of business interests, including confidential information, restrictive covenants and fiduciary duties, contested dismissals and high value Employment Tribunal claims including discrimination and whistle blowing claims. Toni is a CEDR accredited mediator and has acted as a mediator in a number of disputes. He has worked with many international clients and is heavily involved in Ius Laboris, the Global Alliance of Human Resources Lawyers.
Joint managing partner in employment, reward and immigration department. Particular focus on media and financial services sectors. Specialisms in high-value litigation, including senior executive terminations, High Court claims (such as restrictive covenant disputes, bonus claims, claims for breach of confidentiality and fiduciary duties, and team moves), whistle blowing, and restructuring. CEDR-accredited mediator.
Daniel is a Partner and Chair of the Employment department, sitting on the Management Board. He is one of the pre-eminent London employment lawyers, working for corporates, LLPs and senior executives in contentious and non-contentious matters that range from High Court and Employment Tribunal litigation to advice on recruitment, termination, discrimination and competition issues. He has over 25 years of experience and in that time has litigated many landmark cases up to Supreme Court level and is a recognised expert on restrictive covenant enforcement, team moves, discrimination, whistleblowing and employee reorganisation and restructuring. Daniel has made a particular name for himself in financial services, including investment banking, private equity and hedge funds, and recruitment, media and sport.
Sharon is a Partner in the Employment department with significant experience advising on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law. She brings a commercial and strategic approach to the increasing array of employment issues that clients face, and is adept at handling matters ranging from executive contract negotiations/exit arrangements, business restructurings and redundancies to Remuneration Code issues and the operation of forfeiture provisions (malus and claw-back). Sharon has particular expertise in complex, high-value Employment Tribunal disputes, and High Court litigation, including team moves and the enforcement of restrictive covenants, as well as bonus, discrimination and whistleblowing claims. She has advised LLPs on partnership matters and is well-versed in the issues that affect their members. She also has a breadth of experience advising on the employment aspects of domestic and multi-jurisdictional corporate transactions, and in managing international projects involving complex legal issues and sensitive business considerations. Her client base spans multiple business sectors and includes financial and private equity institutions, manufacturers, insurers, sporting organisations, charitable foundations and online businesses. Clients range from well-known global brands and internationally listed organisations to entrepreneurial businesses. Recognised as a leading employment lawyer by Chambers UK and Legal 500, Sharon is the subject of excellent reviews, with clients and peers citing her in these publications as “a tremendously clever lawyer” who is “really on the ball”, "supportive and commercial" and “on top of the case”. Chambers UK states: 'Sharon Tan has a comprehensive grasp of the entire spectrum of employment law, attaining effusive recommendations from senior market sources. To cite one client, "she gets the relevant points very quickly and takes time to understand our business."' Sharon is also one of only two employment lawyers to be named in The Lawyer Hot 100 2016 and has been recognised by Who's Who Legal: Labour, Employment & Benefits every year since 2016 as a leading practitioner in the employment law field. Sharon also advises on data privacy and data security laws, and the creation and deployment of data privacy programmes, with a particular focus on the applicability of such laws to the personal data of employees.
PartnerChristine specialises in employment law, advising on contentious, transactional and advisory matters.
Andrea advises clients on a variety of employment law issues. She works closely with clients, who include major financial institutions and multinational corporates, advising them on day-to-day human resources matters. She has experience of drafting contractual and individual bonus arrangements; advising on disciplinary and grievance procedures; managing long-term sickness issues; individual and collective redundancy processes; and negotiating departures. Andrea has also advised clients in respect of a variety of employment tribunal and High Court claims including claims for race and sex discrimination, equal pay, whistleblowing, unfair dismissal and breach of contract.