Ashley Hunt
Director, Employment Team
Lawson-West
lawson-west.co.uklawson-west.co.ukLawyers
Kate Lea
Kate Lea is a Senior Associate Solicitor and Head of the Employment Law team at Lawson West Solicitors in Leicestershire.
Kate commenced her training at a regional practice and was admitted as a solicitor in 2001. She then moved to Thompsons Solicitors where she oversaw the delivery of employment law services to the trade union movement across the East and West Midlands. She ran legally and politically strategic cases for trade unions and their members.
Kate has extensive experience advising unions and their members in the event of structural reorganisation of the workplace. Whether that be the result of a transfer of a business or the in/outsourcing of services or, the closure of a business, in whole or part. Amid Covid, Kate was instrumental in providing advice to trade unions and their members and most notably at mass meetings of members following the administration of Flybe and Causal Dining Ltd which resulted in thousands losing their jobs and pursuing successful claims for compensation. Kate continues to work in conjunction with our insolvency and dispute resolution team to provide a comprehensive service to our commercial and individual clients who continue to be affected by such issues.
Phoebe Skarlatos
Head of Probate, Wills and Trusts, Lawson West Solicitors
Sejal Patel
Senior Associate Solicitor
Vaishali Thakerar
Vaishali Thakerar qualified as a solicitor in 2005, she has specialised in employment law for over 20 years. Vaishali has acted in cases before the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Court of Appeal. Vaishali excels at building strong client relationships and has significantly grown our team’s client-base as a result. Her personable approach and down-to-earth attitude enables her to clearly explain the legal complexities of all aspects of employment law. She is an excellent negotiator, a skill she puts to good use when consulting on termination packages and undertaking mediation.
Vaishali comments, “I am experienced in working with clients on challenging negotiations and can support them with their employment issues, help to find solutions to problems and help them achieve their goals, whether straightforward or not. I explain complex employment law issues in straight-forward language and provide clients with tailored, comprehensive advice to ensure they achieve their commercial aim without unexpected and costly repercussions. This allows my clients to focus on what they do best.”
Vaishali Thakerar is a Director of Lawson West and brings extensive experience to the firm, overseeing both the Employment and Dispute Resolution teams within the business. As a confident litigator, Vaishali deals with all aspects of employment law ranging from tribunal claims for unfair dismissal and breach of contract to more complex claims of TUPE, Working Time Regulations and complex discrimination claims. She also understands the importance of the employer-employee relationship and has a clear ability to look at the bigger picture.