Partner. With over 35 years’ experience, Elaine is an acknowledged leader in her field with first class City credentials. Renowned for her work with senior executives, directors of FTSE 100 & 250 companies; senior bankers (she has acted for 18 bank chief executives); principals and senior management in private equity houses, equity backed firms, hedge funds and other boutiques. Advising on employment and partnership matters, she acts against the world's leading global and UK institutions. She is a highly credible operator, known for representing her clients with great commitment and for formulating imaginative and powerful arguments in her clients' cause. Elaine also advises clients in non-contentious matters. When joining organisations, she ensures clients enter into new relations well aware of the legal implications that are relevant to them. Described as ‘tenacious and intelligent’, a ‘keen strategist and tactician’ and a ‘formidable opponent’, Elaine regularly leads multi-disciplinary teams and advises on a wide range of issues.
Senior executives
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
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.
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.
Meriel is head of the global employment team and advises both employers and senior executives on all aspects of employment and LLP law. Meriel frequently advises on complex, international and delicate issues for high profile clients such as household name charities, renowned brands and CEOs embroiled in board disputes involving listed companies. Over the past year, she has advised on substantial whistleblowing and discrimination cases, internal investigations into bullying, contract negotiations, issues arising out of the #MeToo and Black lives matter movements as well as sensitive grievances. She is also a trained mediator. Meriel is quick to grasp complex detail and devise strategies that get clients what they want. She is valued by both clients and peers for her experience, creative solutions and unique insight. Regarded as a 'superb lawyer', clients attest to her 'calm and wise counsel' and 'excellent commercial and practical advice'. She is also widely recognised as a leading individual for her advice to both senior executives and employers in many legal directories.
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.
Rising stars
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Alice advises clients on a wide range of employment matters, both contentious and non-contentious. She has experience of conducting Employment Tribunal litigation (including a number of high-value claims) from the initial presentation of a claim through to a hearing or settlement. She is experienced in providing day-to-day advisory support to clients, giving prompt advice on issues as they arise. She also assists clients embarking on longer-term projects such as redundancy exercises. Alice regularly advises employers and employees on employment contracts, compromise agreements, policies and procedures and other employment-related documents.
Managing Associate: Laetitia advises senior individuals across all sectors, with particular experience acting for those in financial services. Laetitia also assists employer clients on a wide range of issues, from day-to-day advice, to providing guidance on grievance and disciplinary investigations, to managing all the delicate issues arising out of senior exits. Laetitia has experience of fighting complex, high value and sensitive cases. Clients value the results she obtains for them – whether that is an early, confidential, settlement, on the best possible terms, or some other form of desirable outcome. Examples of his recent work include acting for: an asset manager in relation to a case of whistleblowing; a senior individual in a case involving claims of equal pay, race discrimination, sex discrimination, victimisation and unfair dismissal; and a global technology company in relation to claims of equal pay, sex and race discrimination. Laetitia's work also has an international element – over and above the multi-jurisdictional nature of advice to globally mobile senior executives. She speaks French and has a significant number of French clients. She acts for companies with an established presence in the UK as well as those who are setting up an office in the UK for the first time. She also acts for and advises French-speaking senior executives.
James is a partner in the employment team. James is an adviser, negotiator and – when required – a determined litigator. Dual qualified in New York and England & Wales, James advises senior executives, partners, founders and employers on all aspects of employment and partnership law. He is often instructed by clients with complex cross-border issues, which he handles with an adept understanding of the international issues that often arise. James assists clients at all stages of the employment / partnership relationship, whether it be advising on documentation at the start, addressing issues that arise throughout, or planning exit strategies and negotiating severance packages when they come to an end. He often leads multi-disciplinary teams (including employment, corporate, reputation management, regulatory, tax and immigration) and is at his best when he is helping his clients out of a hole, whether that be difficult employment terminations, resignations/removals from partnership or supporting clients through disciplinary investigations. James has experience of litigating in the Employment Tribunal, High Court, County Court and Court of Appeal, as well as regularly resolving client disputes via alternative means such as mediation. Clients comment that he is 'an exceptional operator' who is 'enormously knowledgeable', 'exceptionally good on technical details' and 'fantastic at dealing with cross-border matters'.
Nick specialises in employment and discrimination law. His work encompasses pre-claim advice to litigation at an appeals level. Nick has reputation of being able to achieve substantial settlements for clients, often without the need to commence litigation or attend trial. He has particular expertise in disability discrimination cases (including a successful ‘landmark’ reasonable adjustments claim), sex, sexual orientation and age discrimination cases, whistleblowing, complex unfair dismissal cases, and has acted in a number of extremely sensitive, high profile cases involving sexual harassment. He regularly advises on individual equal pay cases and reorganisations and redundancies. Nick also assists senior executives in high value negotiated exits and contractual disputes, most notably the enforcement of restrictive covenants. Nick appeared before the Women and Equalities Select Committee to give evidence on how effective the EHRC is in the enforcement of the Equality Act.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Peter Daly is a Partner within the employment team with a track record of pursuing high profile and complex litigation, and of resolving disputes effectively. His work pushes the boundaries of discrimination and whistleblowing law and both Chambers and The Legal 500 rank him as one of the UK’s leading employment lawyers with reviews including: "He is one of the best employment lawyers out there on the claimant side in terms of technical knowledge and skill; his approach to strategy is second to none." … "He has novel arguments and is willing to go the extra mile for his clients."… "He's a very good lawyer and he is very creative." Chambers and Partners 2021 “Peter Daly is an exceptionally smart lawyer, technically strong and eminently pragmatic. From a client perspective, during what was an emotionally charged time, he showed compassion whilst never losing sight of achieving a good client outcome.” The Legal 500 2021 “Peter Daly has an encyclopaedic knowledge of employment practice as well as a very effective strategic mind.” The Legal 500 2020 “imaginative yet sensitive to the immediate needs of any client' and has 'strong attention to detail.” The Legal 500 2017 “an excellent legal mind and analytical skills” The Legal 500 2016
Partner, Employment Lawyer Claire acts for senior executives, professionals, directors and LLP members in a variety of sectors including financial services, professional services, multinational organisations, healthcare and technology. Types of work undertaken: Advice to individuals joining new businesses on their contractual arrangements Advice on restrictive covenants and team moves Negotiation of senior exits Discrimination Whistleblowing High Court litigation including employee competition and breach of contract claims Claire is skilled at reaching favourable negotiated outcomes where appropriate as well as fighting high value cases in the Employment Tribunal and High Court. Claire has a particular interest in issues facing women at work including pregnancy and maternity discrimination, the gender pay gap and sexual harassment. Claire frequently advises individuals with physical and mental health conditions in relation to disability discrimination and income protection disputes. She is expert at assisting her clients to navigate internal grievance, disciplinary and performance processes.
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.
Rachel is a Partner specialising in employment law. She advises household name corporates and charities on complex discrimination and whistleblowing matters, worker status issues, handling breach of restrictive covenants including enforcement action and managing boardroom disputes. She also advises senior executives in the financial sector on new contracts including bonus provisions as well as negotiating favourable exit packages.
Emma is a Partner in the Employment Department with significant experience providing strategic and commercial advice to businesses and individuals across the full range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters. Her clients are from a variety of industry sectors including financial services, media and entertainment, real estate, hospitality, charity, manufacturing, education, and local authorities.Emma regularly handles complex and high profile discrimination claims with a particular specialism in disability discrimination. Her clients praise her for being an “outstanding lawyer providing clear, honest and pragmatic advice coupled with an empathetic and measured approach”, “incredibly supportive” and having an “excellent grasp of strategy and tactics”.
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.
As an expert in employment law, Jane advises both businesses and senior executives from a variety of different industries such as fitness, advertising and charities. Jane’s experience includes advising senior executives on navigating difficult situations in the workplace, negotiating an exit under a settlement agreement and defending against allegations of breaches of restrictive covenants. She assists businesses with implementing redundancies and restructures, the removal of senior/board level individuals and also deals with employment tribunal claims. Jane also regularly trains HR and line managers on how to deal with difficult issues such as performance management and sickness absence.
Leading individuals
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Corinne has specialised in employment law for over 30 years working both for senior executives and employers. Corinne’s practice covers the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious employment related issues. Corinne has particular experience in dealing with board room disputes, discrimination issues in the workplace including those arising out of Me Too, grievances, disciplinary investigations and acting in tribunal and High Court claims. Corinne works often within financial and professional services but she is active in a wide range of other sectors. Corinne also advises partners, LLPs and partnerships.
Trevor deals with all aspects of employment law, from contract drafting to termination issues, both contentious and non-contentious. He also deals with post-termination restraint of trade issues, whistleblowing, discrimination, industrial relations disputes and the employment law aspects of transfers of undertakings and outsourcing. He has particular interests in managing discipline and grievances at work and executive severance arrangements, especially in the financial services, employment agencies and recruitment sectors. He also advises on change management, including collective redundancy and TUPE consultation processes. Trevor acts for a variety of clients, including investment management businesses and hedge funds, employment agencies, engineering businesses, professional partnerships and LLPs, and senior executives. He has recently been recognised as an expert in the 2014 'Guide to the World’s Leading Labour and Employment Lawyers'.
Peter is a partner specialising in all areas of employment law. He has particular expertise in advising on the enforcement of restrictive covenants, team moves and bonus claims in the High Court. He is regularly involved in the resolution of boardroom disputes and in high value and complex employment tribunal cases concerning discrimination and whistleblowing.
Richard is a hugely experienced employment practitioner who has specialised in representing employers and employees on a broad range of employment issues for the last 25 years. He advises clients on matters including confidentiality and restrictive covenants, executive pay, bonus and severance arrangements, unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing and redundancy programmes. He is frequently asked to advise in situations involving allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace following the rise of the #MeToo movement, and the cases that have followed. This includes conducting (as investigator) and advising on investigations into such conduct.
Partner, Employment. Advises on all areas of employment law with particular focus on contractual, discrimination and whistleblowing claims for senior executives (employees and partners) in the financial sector. Also, advises employers notably on acquisitions and restructurings and TUPE/outsourcing.
Naylah is an experienced employment and commercial litigator representing both individuals and businesses. For individuals, Naylah assists them to navigate employment difficulties, such as discrimination, whistleblowing or restrictive covenants, and will negotiate and advise on exits and high-value settlement agreements. She also deals with the full spectrum of Employment Tribunal claims. Naylah will also review and negotiate contracts, packages and/or bonus arrangements for those moving into new roles. For businesses, Naylah advises clients on strategy and resolution of contentious situations, including negotiating solutions or defending tribunal claims. Naylah also works closely with clients and HR professionals to provide advice and support in relation to employee management, and employment documentation and policy. Naylah also specialises in Commercial Litigation, with a particular interest in enforceability of restrictive covenants and remedies for breach, injunctions, bonus claims and boardroom disputes. There is often an international element to Naylah’s matters, such as cross-border, jurisdictional issues or advice to businesses with international interests. In non-contentious matters Naylah has an extensive background in transactional work, TUPE and other employment aspects of corporate restructures. Testimonials Naylah Hamour is extremely savvy and able to see round corners to ensure winning strategies at all times. Naylah Hamour really tries to achieve the best result for her clients. I value Naylah Hamour’s technical expertise, her strategies and very importantly her warmth and empathy. I contacted a few firms before settling for Naylah Hamour. The main reason I chose her was the personal attention to my care. Naylah was readily available, a listening ear, comforting and patient, understanding and compassionate. All qualities who made her not just personable but - even more importantly - trustworthy. Naylah Hamour is an outstanding lawyer for senior individuals. She has a rare tenacity and creativity. Naylah Hamour is a passionate fighter for her clients and gets outstanding results. Naylah Hamour is a great advisor and handled my case really well
Clive is an expert in employment and partnership law, with particular expertise advising individuals on contentious exits, whistleblowing and discrimination claims, often within the financial sector and professional services. In addition, he has extensive experience advising senior individuals in the media sector. Throughout his career, Clive has gained outstanding results and is well known for representing female senior executives and partners on discrimination cases relating to hostility faced as they seek to advance their careers, for example after maternity leave. He also acts for partners, and partnerships, in profit share disputes or in respect of individuals moving between firms. Clive advises on both domestic and international cases with cross-border issues including in dealing with US whistleblowing ‘bounty’ claims.
Howard acts for both employers and senior executives in relation to contentious and non-contentious employment law issues and has a wide breadth of experience across a range of sectors, including the Professional Services, Financial services, Sports and the NHS.Howard has developed one of the leading practices acting for individuals in conducting high-value personal injury stress claims in the High Court, as well as bullying and discrimination cases in the Employment Tribunal.He regularly advises on senior executive terminations, director/shareholder disputes, Team Moves, TUPE matters and provides strategic input to HR departments.He is a regular contributor to national broad sheet newspapers and the HR trade press, commentating upon work place stress legal issues and developments, most recently upon the impact of long hours work culture and home working in the context of the COVID -19 pandemic
Peter is the co-head of the Employment department. He has many years of experience in advising senior individuals, companies, partnerships, charities and professional bodies on all aspects of employment law. He is well known for advising on sensitive and complex employment-issues. Senior individuals for whom he acts are drawn predominantly from banking, finance, insurance, the legal and medical professions and the creative world of advertising, marketing, the wider media and fashion. His work addresses the reputational and regulatory aspects of the employment relationship. He advises regularly on disciplinary, discrimination and health issues from the perspective of both employers and employees. His client base is built upon client and contact referral and stems predominantly from the banking and financial sector. His specialisms are on reputational and health issues. Much of the reputational work involves the FCA and other professional regulators. He also advises employers on all matters relating to the employment relationship and its formation or termination. He acts for a range of employers including "celebrity" employers and a number of professional bodies and charities on employment-related disputes. He has high level links to health professionals, particularly in psychiatry.
Jennifer is a Partner in the Employment department, specialising in complex discrimination and whistleblowing claims, High Court injunctions, workplace investigations and partnership disputes. She is best known for advising a number of journalists at the BBC, including Carrie Gracie, on high-profile allegations of equal pay and sex discrimination against the Corporation. Jennifer frequently advises LLPs and their members in the professional and financial services sectors, and has long-standing experience advising the recruitment sector. Jennifer is adept at handling large-scale litigation both in the Employment Tribunal and beyond through the appellate Courts, and has substantial experience in High Court litigation, from high-value breach of contract and bonus disputes to injunction proceedings. Understanding the particular challenges of unfair competition disputes, she prosecutes and defends complex and fast-paced cases involving breaches of restrictive covenants, data theft, team moves and the use of social media. Such cases often involve multi-party claims of breach of contract, breach of confidence, inducement to breach and conspiracy. She is experienced in advising on application of remedies for injunctive relief, including mandatory injunctions such as delivery up and forensic IT searches, prohibitory injunctions such as enforcement of restrictive covenants and springboard relief. Jennifer also has experience of arbitrations under LLP and partnership agreements. As well as providing commercial and strategic advice to HR teams, in-house counsel and boards, Jennifer advises on complex and high-value settlements for senior individuals – employees, directors, LLP members and partners – exiting businesses in a wide variety of sectors. Jennifer frequently advises on the investigation of workplace misconduct, and acts for senior executives defending such allegations. She also has significant experience in conducting workplace investigations, including independent investigations for employers for whom the firm does not act. Jennifer has a leading role in the firm's cross-departmental Recruitment Services Group. She formed part of the Employment Lawyers’ Association’s working parties to respond to the government’s 2016 and 2021 consultations on reform of the law of restrictive covenants and is regularly published in the employment press, quoted in various broadsheet newspapers, and has appeared on news programmes including Newsnight, BBC News, Channel 4, Radio 5 Live, CNN and Sky News to discuss equal pay and gender pay reporting. For her work in the highly topical debate on Gender Pay Equality, Jennifer was named Human Resources: Individual of the year for London in the Legal 500 Awards 2020 and recognised in The Lawyer Hot 100 Awards 2019. She is also ranked as a Leading Individual for Employment: Senior Executives in Chambers 2022 (Band 2), as a Global Leader Labour, Employment & Benefits in Who's Who Legal 2021 and as a Next Generation Partner in Legal 500 202
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.