Areas of Service | Key Contacts

Practical solutions to employment problems

Employers and employees are aware of increasingly complex employment law affecting all aspects of the workplace. Our national employment team will make sure those rights and responsibilities are understood, protected and where necessary upheld by litigation.
We combine our experience and expertise with the essential element of a commercial awareness to make us the first choice for many corporate and institutional clients of all sizes. Our focus is on the desired outcome and pragmatic solutions to ensure a real cost benefit in using our service.

Employment advice includes advice on restructures, business transfers and strategic planning, as well as day-to-day guidance through dynamic, sometimes volatile HR issues. This, together with our experience of policies, procedures and the drafting of contracts, makes sure our clients succeed with their business objectives.

As a national multi-disciplinary corporate practice clients will have the benefit of across the board support in every aspect of commercial transactions.  

Whatever the situation, the Employment Department find solutions that are positive, cost effective and that fit your commercial necessities.

Our reputation for employment law expertise means that we are regular contributors to trade magazines, HR journals, conferences, plus local and national newspapers. 

Our work includes

Company contract reviews Compromise Agreements Corporate Support Covenants Drafting Policies Handbook  reviews

Injunctions Redundancy Programmes Senior Executive Terminations Tribunals TUPE  Union recognition

Advice and Support to HR for Line Managers

We have very substantial experience drawn from advising clients in a wide range of industry sectors meaning that we are well placed to provide practical and commercial advice on ongoing HR issues.

Contentious Employment Work

This is a key feature of our profile. Handling substantial numbers of tribunal cases annually, primarily for respondents, puts us in the ideal position to offer you objective and practical advice. We handle the full range of Tribunal work from unfair dismissal to whistle blowing, from the straightforward financial claims to multi party and lengthy discrimination cases of all types.

We always provide advice which takes account of the merits of a particular claim and also the financial and HR implications of pursuing a case to a full hearing.

In addition, we are experienced in pursuing and defending wrongful dismissal actions in both the Tribunal and County Court and have particular expertise in dealing with interlocutory injunctive work arising out of breach of restrictive covenants and confidentiality clauses.

We can offer a number of flexible funding options to help minimise the risks associated with litigation costs..

Executive terminations

Our specialist solicitors handle some of the highest profile senior executive terminations. Our clients say they are impressed with our firmness and tenacity in negotiations. The availability of in-house tax and share option expertise adds an extra dimension to our capability to put forward innovative, effective solutions to serve our clients' needs.

Equal opportunities

This is an increasingly active area of employment law. The Department has drafted policies from many clients setting out their key responsibilities in order to help prevent discrimination claims rising and protecting the client where they do. We are used to working with clients to find practical solutions, for example by way of mediation, recognising the difficulty of managing ongoing discrimination particularly with competing rights where employees remain in the workplace.

Transfer Regulations

Advising businesses on the transfer of employees' rights and claims under TUPE when a business transfers to a new owner is a particular strength of ours. We use our skill and knowledge to steer those involved to the proper outcome, working with our in-house corporate solicitors to apportion costs and risks whilst limiting potential liability. We are well used to the drafting of indemnities and warranties to realistically apportion risk and make sure a transaction proceeds.

Drafting Employment Contracts, Policies and Handbooks

We produce clear, plain English documents that are easy to understand. They go a very long way to protecting a business from spurious claims and optimise the opportunity for employers to manage and regulate the workforce in a fair and efficient manner.

Clarity in documentation creates transparency in the employment relationships so helping to create an accurate understanding between the parties and lessening the prospect of dispute. We make sure each document complements and is consistent with the other to prevent conflicts.

Making Technology Work for you

Using a secure web portal we regularly provide on-line management information that is updated in real time to report and measure all aspects of our work for larger clients. We believe in transparency and our in house IT team enjoy the challenge of presenting the information you want in an easy to obtain manner as quickly as possible.

Employment Law Training

We run a rolling programme of Law Society accredited training seminars, courses and in-house talks. Detailed notes are provided and case studies provide practical examples for delegates to work through with our employment solicitors.  

In addition to keeping up with the latest employment law developments the training is aimed at helping those working in HR and those with management responsibilities to recognise potential problems early and to take effective action to protect the business. Such training not only helps managers to deal with their staff, but can serve as compelling evidence of a non-discriminatory workplace. All our training can be tailored to your exact requirements, based on the conditions that operate in your workplace.

 

Stephen Hills
Head of Employment
Tel: 0161 618 4565