Leigh Day

Nick Webster

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.

Liana Wood

Liana is a senior associate in the employment department at Leigh Day. Liana specialises in representing claimants in employment and discrimination disputes often in complex, multi-party actions.   Liana often acts for claimants working in the gig economy.  Liana has particular expertise in modern slavery and trafficking cases and assists clients to obtain compensation for unlawful treatment from their employers and / or traffickers. Liana is a frequent public speaker and is regularly asked to provide comment to the media on issues relating to modern slavery.

Chris Benson

Although a specialist in all areas of discrimination, Chris has particular expertise in disability discrimination, equal pay and pensions. He also has substantial Appeal and High Court experience, as set out below. He also has a wealth of experience acting for claimants who are part of multi party and large group actions. Chris is also instructed by trade unions. He provides head office and high level advice to UNISON and the GMB and provides legal advice to both unions in relation to all areas including internal HR, membership, internal employment, the rule book, claims before the certification officer and advice on industrial action. Chris also provides advice to trade union members in complex cases. Chris also provides advice to the British Association of Journalists and its members. Chris is currently advising around 5000 claimants in a number of multi party and individual equal pay claims for both Trade Union and on a private basis. He brought the first equal pay claims in the civil courts, successfully in Abdulla v Birmingham City Council [2012] UKSC 47 on 24 October last year. The case was hailed as a landmark in equality law. It meant that equal pay cases can be heard in civil courts, with the result that individuals have up to six years after leaving an employer to start proceedings, rather than only six months in an employment tribunal. Leigh day’s employment team was nominated employment team of the year at the legal business awards as a result of the case and their on-going equal pay work. Chris is also instructed by the GMB in relation to the unlawful Blacklisting of construction workers by 42 of the UK’s leading construction companies, including Carillion, McAlpine and Tarmac. The unlawful action has led to the loss of livelihoods for thousands of workers and the damages may run into millions of pounds. The activities of the construction companies are currently being investigated by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee and receives constant media coverage. The claim on behalf of more than 100 individuals is being brought in the High Court (McPherson & Others v Carillion & Others (HQ13X02998 & Others)). Chris represents over a 100 fee paid judges in relation to their claims that they were denied access to the MOJ pension scheme on the basis they work part time (Miller & Others ET case Number 1700853/2007). Chris also advises fee paid judges in appeals to the EAT in relation to part time pensions claims brought by fee paid judges. The first appeals relate to medical members, arising from the ET judgment of Moultrie & Others v MOJ (claim no 2001158/2012) and the second an appeal is on behalf of 71 judges in Gibb & others v MOJ (UKEAT/PA/0142/14). Chris is also instructed by in excess of 100 full-time salaried judges including those from the High Court, Crown Courts and Employment Tribunals in a challenge to the Ministry of Justice’s discriminatory changes to judicial pensions which have a negative impact on a range of judges on grounds of age, gender and BME background. Chris has also represented the claimant in a number of leading employment cases while at Leigh Day, outside the discrimination field, including: (A) Bailey v R & R Plant Hire (Peterborough) Limited, [2012] EWCA Civ 410 – age discrimination; (B) Parekh v London Borough of Brent [2012] EWCA – case management orders; (C) Garratt v Mirror Group Newspapers Limited [2011] EWCA Civ 425 (breach of contract); (D) RSA Consulting v Evans [2010] EWCA Civ 866 (strike out applications); (E) Regent Security Services v Power [2007] EWCA Civ 1188 (TUPE).

Emma Satyamurti

Emma has over 18 years’ experience advising and representing clients on the full spectrum of employment law issues for senior employees. She became a partner at Leigh Day in 2015 and is ranked in Band 2 in Chambers 2021 where she is described as “very technically knowledgeable, strategic, detailed and always a pleasure to work with." She was described in Chambers 2019 as  having “an extensive profile of complex employment cases, particularly regarding discrimination” and as being “extremely astute, on the ball and well respected in the area.” The Legal 500 has described Emma as “unbelievably knowledgeable” and “an absolutely fantastic discrimination lawyer”.  Specialisations include discrimination and equal pay.  She adopts a pragmatic, client-focused approach and always strives to achieve the best outcome according to her clients’ goals, at the least cost (financial and emotional). She heads a strong team of experienced senior lawyers serving a broad spectrum of individual clients in a wide variety of often complex employment matters and sectors including financial, education, emergency services, health, leisure, pharmaceuticals and catering. Her team has a long track record of achieving successful outcomes for their clients including high-value settlements and positive tribunal decisions. Emma’s own current focus current is on group equal pay litigation as she leads a multiple claim against Morrisons supermarket assisted by a team of solicitors and paralegals. She is also invited to speak on equal pay among other topics, most recently by the ILS for whom she gave a talk titled Equal Pay - The Legal and Practical Challenges alongside Jane Fielding of Gowling WLG. Emma set up and chairs Leigh Day’s Disability & Allies Committee, which runs a network for staff with disabilities and health conditions and their allies. Earlier this year she chaired the Committee’s launch event Disability and Invisibility through the Prism of Coronavirus with a panel of distinguished speakers from the worlds of politics, academia and disability rights activism. In January 2021 Emma took on the role of joint head of the department with fellow partner Nigel Mackay.

Nigel MacKay

Nigel is a partner and joint head of the Employment Department at Leigh Day. Nigel deals with all aspects of employment and discrimination law. He represents employees, senior executives and trade union clients in claims before the Employment Tribunal all the way up to the Supreme Court. Nigel also advises on contracts, restrictive covenants and bonus issues. Nigel has particular expertise in advising senior directors and executives, as well as those working in the gig economy. Nigel is a frequent public speaker on employment law issues and is regularly asked to provide comment to the media.