BA (Hons) Law

LLM Advanced Litigation (now LLM in Advanced Litigation and Dispute Management)

Dip IM (ADR) - (Diploma in International Mediation - Alternative Dispute Resolution)

Accredited Mediator - accredited by Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; MTVM; ADR Group and ADR Chambers.

In March 2004 I was one of the first of a group of Barristers to qualify under the Direct Public Access rules.

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Member of:

-    Employment Law Bar Association

-    Employment Lawyers Association 

-    Public Access Bar Association (Also a member of the original PABA Steering Committee)

-    Civil Mediation Council

Listed on the Bar Council's list of Barrister Mediators    

Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Panel of Commercial Mediators 

Appointed Visiting Fellow of Kingston University, School of Law in 2007

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I have specialised in employment and contract law since being called to the bar early in 1979 and in mediation since the 1980s.

In 1980 I was appointed Employment Law Adviser to Institute of Personnel Management (now the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development); a position in which I remained until mid-1994. As such I advised the Institute and its members on day-to-day employment law, industrial relations, dispute resolution and associated matters. This was a part-time time appointment and during this time I also advised and represented members and their companies in employment matters both to avoid tribunals and at tribunals and EAT. Because of my position with the CIPD the emphasis of my work was primarily on respondent work.

I have acted for companies and organisations of all sizes and in all areas of operation from Government Departments, Local Authorities, Health Authorities, national organisations responsible for areas of the arts, large charitable trusts, professional firms and companies with many thousands of employees right down to small firms with only a few employees.  

I have been involved in numerous mediations as a workplace mediator (ie: while employment is still continuing), employment mediator (at or after the termination of employment) and as a family mediator and as a commercial and civil mediator as a well as acting as a representative in mediations. I have also acted as an arbitrator dealing with employment and employment law issues including recently being appointed by a private National Association to chair appeals from internal grievances.

From 1992 I began to advise and represent the Serco plc group of companies, a major facilities management group with about 35,000 employees worldwide, I became increasing involved with the Serco group and was formally appointed In-House Counsel for Serco in 1999; a position in which I remained until late 2005 when I decided to set up my own Chambers to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the  direct public access rules; although I do still retain links with Serco.

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Representation - primarily at tribunal and EAT. Throughout my career I've represented mainly respondents; although I have also represented many claimants. As an employed Barrister I have invariably had the conduct of the cases in which I have acted (up to Court of Appeal level). This means that I am in an excellent position to act for clients under the direct public access provisions  without needing them to provide very much by way of additional input. I act in cases in all areas of employment law including: unfair dismissal, discrimination of all types - whether race discrimination, sex discrimination, sexual orientation, disability discrimination, age discrimination and religious discrimination as well as breach of contract, wrongful deductions from wages, transfers of undertakings, trade union matters and redundancy.  

Mediation - both acting as a mediator and as a representative in workplace, employment, family, civil and commercial mediations. (For more on my mediation work click Mediation)

Compromise Agreements - involved in drafting and negotiating compromise agreements on behalf of both employers and employees in all sectors from investment banking,  insurance and financial services companies, professional firms, public and government bodies and major plc's. Represented individual employees from senior directors,  professionals and managers at all levels to shop and manual employees. From MDs of public companies to cleaners.  Each organisation and each employee has their own individual interests and needs in arriving at a compromise and it is important that each achieves a result which is appropriate for them in their particular circumstances. This can be a last chance for both sides to reach an amicable resolution or an agreed termination. Often employees look for an employment solicitor / employment law solicitor to act on their behalf; at Park Chambers we can offer a direct public access barrister to represent you and to act on your behalf.

Drafting contracts of employment and Handbooks - Advising on, drafting and implementation of contracts at all levels, HR policies and procedures for newly set up organisations, as well as those which are seeking to optimise their policies and procedures on expansion and otherwise - including drafting appropriate employee handbooks and giving management guidance and training.

Discipline, grievances and disputes procedures - drafting, training, implementing and advising on such procedures and their practical implementation. I have also acted as a mediator in internal procedures and processes. In many cases an external person's independence and experience can be a crucial factor in achieving a result in such cases which is acceptable to all concerned. I have also acted as an independent arbitrator in internal employment arbitration. 

Redundancies - dealing with redundancies from setting up the selection, consultation and redundancy payments options to dealing with appeals from selection as an independent arbitrator.

Arbitrations  and chairing hearings - I have sat as an arbitrator and acted as a representative in employment arbitrations. and hearings. I was recently appointed by a private National Association to chair internal grievance appeals.

Equal opportunities: including drafting and training on Equal Opportunities Policies, advising clients in respect of proposed new legislation, and all types of discrimination advice and representation including mediating to try to resolve harassment allegations. (I was involved in an advisory capacity with the CIPD's first official guidance on sexual harassment).

Transfers of undertakings – including transfers out and transfers into organisations, as well as intra group transfers, terms of transfers, timing particularly of intra group transfers. Setting up terms and conditions - dealing with employment law and IR aspects of transfers.

Negotiating with trades unions and setting up negotiating strategies for companies in relation to recognition demands and industrial disputes.

Training in all aspects of employment law, mediation,  industrial relations and good industrial practice.

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My “Guide  to the Wages Act 1986” was the first publication to point out the possibility of an action lying under the Wages Act 1986 for failure to pay in lieu of notice (See IDS Brief review). The position was not conclusively decided until the House of Lords decision in: Delaney v  Staples (t/a De Montfort Recruitment) [1992] 1 All ER 944, [1992] IRLR 191.

Following the publication of my “Guide to the Wages Act 1986” I was invited to advise the Irish Government on its proposed Wages legislation.

Whilst engaged as the CIPD’s Legal Adviser I was involved in drafting and advising on CIPD responses to various legislative proposals as well as in putting together many of its employment policy documents. This included involvement in its first policy on sexual harassment; one of the first applications of a mediation style approach to the resolution of employment based issues.

In 2002 and early 2003 I was involved in providing advice, on behalf of a client, on the Draft Equality (Religion and Beliefs) Regulations 2003. As a result of my advice the DTI agreed to change the wording of Regulation 3 of the Regulations.

I acted for the appellant in the first case in which the Court of Appeal considered the effect of the repeal of s 196 Employment Rights Act 1996 on territorial jurisdiction: Lawson v Serco  [2004] EWCA Civ 12, [2004] IRLR 206, [2004] ICR 204^*.

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Coaching for Mediation Training - ADR Chambers October 2010

Kingston University:  Visiting Fellow, of the School of Law (appointed 2007)

City University: (1980 - 1982) Employment law for personnel professionals and trades unionists.

Holborn Law Tutors: (1978 - 1984) Senior Lecturer in Contract, Labour and Social Security Law teaching LLB, Law Society and Bar Finals students.

I also lecture from time to time at various colleges and Universities including Redwood College, part of Southbank University and Barnett College, business school.

In-House training on various aspects of Employment law. 

Local and National conferences and other ad hoc courses for:                                       

·      Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

·      British Institute of Management    

·      Institute of Certified Accountants

·      Humane Technology

·      British Telecom

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"Costs Impact of Delaying Mediation" (2010) 76 Arbitration 180 Considers the effect on costs awards of delaying mediation unduly.

"Discussion Required? Report on the Move Towards Enforced Mediation - part 2", (2008) 158 New Law Journal pp 1562-1563 (Lexis Nexis abstract link for Lexis Nexis subscribers) considers the impact of the move towards enforcing mediation agreements and whether the courts should enforce mediation agreements

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"A Guide to Employment Law Statutes" 8th ed Chartered Institute of  Personnel and Development 2005 (previous seven editions published as: The Employment Law Checklist) For more information visit:   http://www.ipd.co.uk/Bookstore/_catalogue/EmploymentLaw/1843981378.htm

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Employment Law Service - updating 1998-2005. Contributor of recruitment and contracts of employment sections, original editor of and consulting editor to the work. Jordans.

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Employment Law Manual - (1987-1990) General Editor of this updating encyclopaedia of Employment Law - Gower.

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Labour Law Teaching Manual Holborn Law Tutors 1981 300pp

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Other articles

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