Caroline is a Partner and head of Fox & Partners’ litigation practice. Caroline frequently acts in high-value and sensitive City disputes arising from a fall-out between (i) employers or professional firms (LLPs and traditional partnerships) on the one hand and (ii) employees, shareholders and directors or LLP members/partners on the other, and in senior executive and partner moves.
Advising partners and firms, typically in the professional services and financial services sector, such as complex hedge fund and private equity structures, is the cornerstone of Fox & Partners’ practice. A great deal of Caroline’s time is spent acting on disputes arising out of breaches of partnership agreements (often relating to actual and threatened expulsions or compulsory retirements, changes to remuneration and decision-making processes), performance and misconduct investigations, unfairly prejudicial conduct, alleged discrimination and whistleblowing.
Caroline regularly advises on business protection cases, providing strategic advice in relation to team moves, restrictive covenants, fiduciary obligations and duties of confidentiality. She has significant experience defending and enforcing such provisions, including by obtaining and defending interim injunctions. With experience acting for employers/firms (former and recruiting employers) and moving employees or partners, she offers a unique perspective and understanding of the pressures on both sides.
Caroline is recognised by the independent guides to the legal profession for her work representing employees and partners before the employment tribunal and courts. Restrictive covenants are a noted area of strength. One client observed: “she is strategically astute and does not neglect any aspect of the case before her…she is also very supportive and empathetic, making her an ideal legal adviser to navigate uniquely complex legal situations” (Chambers UK 2021).
Caroline was included in Management Today’s prestigious 35 women under 35 list in 2018.
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Catriona Watt is a Partner specialising in contentious partnership law as well as employment and discrimination law. She advises professional firms, partners, senior executives and employers, focusing primarily on the financial, insurance, private equity and professional services sectors. Her unique experience of acting on both sides of disputes stands her in good stead to understand the pressures and leverage of each.
Catriona has a wealth of experience in advising on complex team move situations in which there are usually allegations of breach of restrictive covenants and fiduciary duties and potential forfeiture claims. Catriona brings a strategic and commercial approach to advising on senior and board level disputes and contentious exits from partnership structures. She advises on other contentious senior level employment and partnership issues and has particular experience in dealing with private equity partnership disputes. Catriona often advises on misconduct investigations, including harassment, involving senior individuals in regulated sectors including legal and financial services, working with regulatory and PR specialists where necessary.
Where litigation cannot be avoided, Catriona draws on her varied experience of litigating partnership and employment disputes in the High Court, Employment Tribunal and in arbitration.
Catriona is recognised in Chambers UK and the Legal 500 for her expertise in contentious partnership and employment law: “She’s good at developing strategy for litigation and is creative about identifying legal avenues we can use in addition to being very thorough with her preparation. “Catriona is endlessly patient with clients and really takes her time to find out what they need or want to achieve in litigation, as well as being intelligent and creative in getting them to the position they need to be in.” “She is very calm, sees the bigger picture and takes strategic oversight of the matter.” (Chambers 2022)
Dean is a partner who brings more than 30 years’ experience as a solicitor to advise on partnership, employment and shareholder disputes. He counsels professional firms and individual partners, employers and employees, companies and shareholders alike on their rights and obligations, with a focus on high-value matters involving strategic, regulatory, financial or reputational risk.
Dean acts for respondent employers, LLP members and employees in connection with team moves, partnership disputes, restrictive covenant claims and wrongful dismissal, breach of contract, discrimination and whistleblowing complaints. He also has extensive experience advising on the employment aspects of a wide variety of private equity, M&A and outsourcing transactions, as well as workforce restructurings.
Dean has a keen interest in corporate governance and compliance issues and has advised companies, limited partnerships, senior executives and LLP members on their responsibilities under the SMCR, UK Corporate Governance Code, FCA/PRA Remuneration Codes and recommended best practice.
Dean is regularly asked to advise on the corporate aspects of employment and partnership law. He advises on partnership conversions and supports firms looking to ensure their constitutional documents (and associated policies and Codes of Conduct), and indeed business models, are fit for purpose and facilitate the objectives of the business. He is often praised by clients for his pragmatic and solution-driven approach.
Ivor is a highly experienced, specialist contentious employment and partnership lawyer, acting predominately for senior executives and partners within a wide range of sectors including professional practice, financial services, insurance, sport, education and healthcare. He also acts for employers and firms handling reputationally sensitive matters. His highlights this year include:
Employer:
Conducting a major independent investigation for a high-profile institution involving dozens of witnesses and substantial testimony, addressing sensitive issues with potential serious consequences for the professionals involved, and preparing a report with extensive findings and recommendations.
Acting for a London Club in relation to a sensitive matter leading to a claim brought by the executors of the estate of a former senior employee.
Acting for an employer in relation to tribunal proceedings involving health and safety and whistleblowing claims in the context of Covid-19 related concerns.
Advising an asset management business in the aviation sector in relation to the redundancy of a senior professional.
Partnership:
Acting for a magic circle law firm partner in relation to a complex cross border dispute involving personal injury, breach of contract employment tribunal jurisdiction issues. The matter also involved the navigation of complex regulatory challenges.
Acting for a partner at an asset management firm with focus on maximising financial compensation and protecting their position on exit.
Advising a partner at a large accountancy practice in relation to their compulsory retirement.
Senior Executive:
Acting for a number of c-suite executives from the same employer in relation to their actual or threatened dismissals or voluntary resignations to protect very valuable incentive arrangements and maximise financial compensation on exit.
Acting for a senior executive in relation to a substantial bonus dispute against an international bank arising from termination.
Advising a senior executive options trader in relation to a dispute over their employment status and alleged membership of a partnership with tax and restrictive covenant implications, focussed on negotiating terms and a move to a new employer.
Advising a c-suite executive in the fintech sector in relation to their employment with focus on negotiating favourable contractual terms.
Advising a senior female executive in the insurance industry in relation to sex and age discrimination and bullying issues.
Ivor has written and commented in several articles on employment law and practice, including on founder disputes, on bullying and neurodiversity issues and has been interviewed by international publications
Shoshana is a highly experienced Senior Associate specialising in the full range of contentious and non - contentious employment law matters and legal issues relating to partnerships, LLPs and their members. Shoshana advises across a number of sectors, including the financial, legal and other professional services sectors. Shoshana has led high value, sensitive and highly charged matters to a successful conclusion through both the Employment Tribunals and alternative dispute resolution.
Shoshana is regularly instructed to advise on disputes arising out of breaches of partnership or members’ agreements, including the actual or threatened expulsion of partners/members from LLPs and traditional partnerships, changes to partners’ remuneration or other rights, decision-making processes and breaches of restrictive covenants. She advises employees and workers in relation to conduct investigations, performance management, reorganisations, restrictive covenants and dismissals. Bringing and defending discrimination and whistleblowing allegations is a core area of her practice. Shoshana often advises on misconduct investigations, including harassment, involving senior individuals in regulated sectors, working with regulatory and PR specialists where necessary. Shoshana also has experience being appointed as independent external investigator for sensitive confidential investigations.
Shoshana has significant experience negotiating and improving settlement terms and exit deeds in relation to sensitive disputes for senior executives and partners. She has also developed expertise in workplace disputes involving private members’ clubs and religious institutions.
Shoshana combines professionalism and commercial awareness with compassion. She focuses on understanding her clients’ goals so that she can provide tailored strategies to achieve their objectives.
Shoshana is recognised in the Legal 500 for her expertise in Partnership law. She has been ranked as a Rising Star by the Legal 500 since (2020).