Eversheds Sutherland

David is a principal associate and works as a member of the education employment team advising clients across the education sector on both contentious and non-contentious matters.

David has advised Higher and Further Education Institutions on a whole range of issues including strategic and day to day people management issues. This includes advice in the complicated area of discrimination legislation as well as dealing with redundancies/restructurings, mergers, TUPE transfers, disciplinary and grievance issues and managing ill health and capability. David is also involved in drafting and advising on employment contracts and HR policies and procedures, drafting settlement agreements and advising in relation to settlements and termination payments.

He advises on complex employment tribunal claims, providing tactical advice, conducting employment tribunal advocacy and negotiating settlements. David is a regular advocate before the Employment Tribunal and has recently successfully represented institutions in a number of multi-day discrimination claims. David has also appeared in the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

David also provides advice to education clients on immigration legislation and requirements in respect of both staff and students including providing advice on both Tier 2 and Tier 4 issues. David has supported institutions who have had their sponsor licence suspended or revoked and made representations which has resulted in those institutions retaining their sponsor licence. David is a regular speaker at conferences covering institutions obligations under immigration legislation.

In 2002, David was a founder member of the Eversheds Employment Law Training Team and regularly delivers a whole range of employment law training courses to education institutions. David has also spoken at events organised by the Employment Lawyers Association, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the Universities and Colleges Employers Associations, the Association of Colleges and the Sixth Form Colleges Association.

Principal Associate