Lewis Silkin

Michael Burd

Chair of the Partnership and Partner. Advises on all aspects of employment and partnership law. Particular areas of interest include board issues, contested dismissals and redundancy, partnership issues, business transfers, employment tribunal claims and advice aimed at preventing employment disputes and ensuring compliance with statutory regulations. His practice is highly international, dealing with both UK clients' employment law needs globally and with UK issues for clients in numerous other jurisdictions.

James Davies

Founding partner of our employment team specialising in all aspects of employment law with a special interest in international employment law; discrimination law (particularly age discrimination); and TUPE.

Karen Baxter

Partner and Head of the firm's Investigations and Regulatory group and sits on the Firm's Strategy Board. Karen specialises in employment and partnership law and regularly conducts complex and highly sensitive workplace investigations, alongside her advisory work.Karen has a wealth of experience advising major companies and LLPs, in relation to the employment law issues they face, and routinely conducts complex and highly sensitive investigations, both within the UK and internationally. Karen has a diverse client base, with a particular emphasis towards advising major domestic and international law firms and other professional services organisations on all aspects of their relationships with their employees and members/partners. This includes resolving issues such as contentious team moves, the enforcement of restrictive covenants and the use of alternative dispute resolution. Karen also acts for senior executives and individual partners/members.Karen prides herself in taking a pragmatic, commercial, and business-focused approach to all of her work. She particularly enjoys resolving high-value disputes, both before and after the commencement of litigation, including sensitive discrimination cases, whistleblowing claims, and those involving regulatory matters. Karen also advises on workplace restructures, negotiates employment documentation, such as contracts and settlement agreements, and provides training on all of these issues.EmploymentA typical day might include advising her clients on issues such as how to deal with allegations of discrimination or harassment, redundancies and complex grievances or disciplinary matters. Karen also manages and advises on all aspects of outsourcing arrangements, including the application of TUPE, and any Employment Tribunal claims faced by her clients. Examples of some of her recent work include: advising a major international law firm on a significant restructuring and outsourcing project successfully resolving a discrimination dispute between directors of a plc successfully defending a multi-Respondent disability discrimination claim advising a major supermarket in relation to board level issues advising a bank faced with multiple whistleblowing claims Investigations and Regulatory Karen's investigations work typically involves allegations of serious wrongdoing and/or allegations against very senior employees or partners. This work requires careful and sensitive handling to ensure that all the facts are uncovered in a fair, proportionate and even-handed way. This work includes interviewing witnesses, identifying and locating other forms of evidence, and providing a report setting out the evidence obtained which enables the organisation to respond appropriately to the findings made. Many of the investigations that she has conducted relate to regulated industries, so she is able to ensure that the corporate response meets the requirements and expectations of the relevant regulator. Some recent examples of her work include: investigating allegations of discrimination made against very senior executives in a household name business investigating allegations of sexual assault against a law firm partner investigations allegations of bullying made by one board member against another investigating multiple allegations against a partner of a law firm investigating allegations relating to bullying and discrimination on the set of a film production investigating allegations of expenses fraud by a senior executive investigating allegations of sexual, emotional and physical abuse against a religious leader Partnerships & LLPs Karen's clients include a number of the leading international law firms and LLPs. She regularly advises these organisations in relation to matters such as team moves, the rights and obligations of partners, and partnership disputes. Karen also acts for partners in dispute with their current or former partnership or LLP. Some recent examples of her advisory work include: advising a major law firm on the fall-out following a hotly contested management election advising in relation to partnership retirement issues and allegations of age discrimination advising a major law firm in relation to an arbitration arising out of a team move advising in relation to a partner exit which involved allegations of disability discrimination advising a team of partners on their rights and obligations towards their LLP ahead of a planned team move advising a law firm on near shoring its back office function

Shalina Crossley

Partner: Advises many areas of employment and partnership law. Has a particular focus on dealing with high level disputes in the employment tribunal, high court and through arbitration often, in the professional services sector and involving issues of discrimination.

Toni Lorenzo

Partner and Head of the Employment Litigation Team. Specialising in employment law, Toni is a highly skilled and experienced litigator with an international practice and advises companies and LLPs on the protection of business interests, including confidential information, restrictive covenants and fiduciary duties, contested dismissals and high value Employment Tribunal claims including discrimination and whistle blowing claims. Toni is a CEDR accredited mediator and has acted as a mediator in a number of disputes. He has worked with many international clients and is heavily involved in Ius Laboris, the Global Alliance of Human Resources Lawyers.

Richard Miskella

Joint managing partner in employment, reward and immigration department. Particular focus on media and financial services sectors. Specialisms in high-value litigation, including senior executive terminations, High Court claims (such as restrictive covenant disputes, bonus claims, claims for breach of confidentiality and fiduciary duties, and team moves), whistle blowing, and restructuring. CEDR-accredited mediator.