Offering ‘very honest and comprehensive advice’, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP has strength assisting clients in the implementation of employee strategy, handling restructurings and employment disputes, and employment corporate transaction matters, including TUPEs. The practice, based in Guildford, is led by Michael Cole, ’a consummate professional’, who is highly regarded for his work in contentious and non-contentious matters, including discrimination claims, redundancy processes and high-value transactional support. Liz Cardy was recently promoted to managing associate and is regularly instructed by both employers and employees to handle Employment Tribunal matters, as well as settlement deals.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Very responsive - at a time when working from home can create a dislocation between companies and their clients, they are managing to provide a very integrated service.’

  • ‘Offers very honest and comprehensive advice.’

  • ‘Always considerate of all points of views and work with a commercial sense, as well as pragmatic approaches, whilst outlining the pros and cons of every situation. Their policy/employment principles approach is always considered, prompt and accurate.’

  • ‘Michael Cole is one of the most personable and approachable that I have encountered, ensuring the ability to work with him, explore all eventualities and options is maximised. A consummate professional.’

  • ‘I have turned to Mike Cole at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP for all my business and employment guidance for many years. I am grateful to him and his team for their practical and common-sense approach to our fast-changing corporate world.’

  • ‘Sympathetic, empathetic with a robust understanding of "real world" HR and employment issues. Mike Cole has been a steadfast and reliable mentor and coach on the people-led parts of my businesses.’

  • ‘Pennington's are responsive, curious and pragmatic. Their advice is risk based and solutions focused and enables us to make an informed decision about available options.’

  • ‘Mike Coles and Liz Cardy are extremally accessible and responsive, they make an effort to get to know us as an organisation and HR team visiting the team, providing a regular employment law update and keeping in touch with wider developments across our sector.'

Key clients

  • Wurth UK Limited
  • Walsh Associates Limited
  • St Mary’s University, Twickenham
  • Surevine Limited
  • Elmdene International Limited
  • CBRE Investment Management Limited
  • Polymax Limited
  • Go Pensions Limited
  • Maintel Europe Limited (trading subsidiary of Maintel Holdings plc
  • Kent Pharma UK Limited
  • Beyond Retail Limited
  • Ultromics Limited

Work highlights

  • Acting for Maintel Europe Limited regarding a request for Union recognition, which went to a hearing before the Central Arbitration Committee where the request was successfully resisted.
  • Acting for Wurth UK Limited, dealing with employment tribunal claims for unfair dismissal and discrimination, as well as disciplinary and grievance procedures, threatened claims and defamatory action and seeking the return of company property.
  • Providing regular legal updates to Surrey and Sussex HR forum.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Michael Cole

Other key lawyers

Liz Cardy