Employment
The Employment Law Group is well established across all levels of call. Acting for both employers and employees we undertake work in Employment Tribunals and the civil courts, as well as at appellate level throughout the UK, and in the European Court of Justice.
Members of the Group have in-depth experience of both advisory and contentious employment work in relation to the full range of statutory employment rights, including unfair dismissal and redundancy, discrimination, equal pay, whistleblowing, TUPE, employee/worker status, and working time. Members are equally at home advising on employee competition matters and other common-law employment disputes.
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Recent high profile cases at higher appellate level include Hospital Medical Group v Westwood (CA – worker status), Autoclenz v Belcher (SC – employee status), and King v Sash Window Workshop (CA and ECJ – holiday pay).
The breadth of practice areas across chambers means that many of the employment team also have considerable experience in areas relevant to the employment relationship, such as IP, partnership/shareholder issues, workplace health and safety, and employer’s liability. Members are used to working on complex cases which require teamwork with other disciplines and a sympathetic understanding of overall commercial and social objectives.
Several junior members of the group have in house experience with City and national solicitors firms. A number of more senior members are qualified mediators, are cited as leading juniors in the legal directories, and hold part-time judicial appointments, including as Employment Judge.
Patrick Green and Adam Heppinstall are authors of “The Manual of Employment Appeals”, (Jordans), which has been favourably cited in the Court of Appeal.
Contact the Employment clerking team.
If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team.
Call - +44 (0)20 7583 9020
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Representative cases
grid list-
King v The Sash Window Workshop Ltd C-214/16
This landmark case concerns working time and a worker’s entitlement to a payment in lieu on termination for accrued but untaken holiday, particularly in cases where employment status has been miscategorised.
The ECJ delivered its judgment in November 2017, whereupon the case returned to the Court of Appeal. James has acted for Mr King as sole counsel at every stage since the ET1 was drafted in 2012. In the EAT the case also considered questions of compensation in discrimination claims: see [2015] IRLR 348. James has acted pro bono in this case since the end of 2014.