Yvette Genn

Yvette Genn is a specialist employment lawyer with in-depth expertise in complex equal pay claims, and all aspects of discrimination law and equality issues. She is also an acknowledged expert in personal injury and clinical negligence claims of the utmost severity, with over 15 years’ experience in serious traumatic brain and spinal injury cases acting on behalf of claimants. Known for her practical and assertive approach and her ability to master detail, whilst keeping sight of the bigger picture, she acts for both claimants and respondents in employment matters and is sought by a diverse range of companies, local authorities, senior employees and charitable organisations. She is regularly instructed to act on behalf of healthcare institutions, particularly in relation to disability discrimination claims – most recently on the meaning of disability (Saad v University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Health Education England UKEAT/0184/14) – and in relation to what constitutes a recurring condition (Wolfe v North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust UKEAT/0065/14/MC. Yvette also acted for the former deputy director of Haringey’s Childrens’ Service in her successful claim (Hitchen v LB Haringey (2014) (and see Baby P: The Untold Story – BBC 1, transmitted 27th October 2014). Her expertise is recognised by the Academy of European Law, inviting her to conduct workshops in equal pay and sex discrimination for European judges in Trier. Yvette has had major successes in high-value complex personal injury and clinical negligence claims, most often as sole counsel, but notably as junior in BXAX v University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust case no. HQ 09X03952 (2014) in which the child claimant received substantial damages, and also achieved successful settlement in a complex spinal surgical injury case where breach and causation were denied (Hilder v Kings College Hospital London (2015)). She is known for her commitment to claimants in taking on difficult cases, particularly cases concerning failure to diagnose (Kolker v Queen Elizabeth Hospitals). Yvette’s extensive judicial experience, as a recorder in civil and private family law matters and as a deputy district judge and a former part-time judge in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SEND), gives her an unrivalled understanding of the way in which judges make decisions, and provides a valuable extra dimension to her advice and advocacy.

BA Hons; Dip Law.