Employment and Workplace

Neil is a highly experienced Employment mediator and, when a practising solicitor, Employment Tribunal advocate. He has dealt extensively in employment law matters, including dismissal, redundancy, discrimination and transfer of undertakings cases, and has advised on trade union issues. Cases that Neil dealt with on behalf of clients included matters before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. He has appeared on local television and radio in Yorkshire as an expert in this area.

Examples of recent cases as mediator include:

  • Disputes relating to sex and race discrimination involving senior employees where the amounts in dispute exceeded £1.5m.
  • A dispute between a senior employee and an employer in the finance sector regarding whether and, if so, on what terms he was to leave his employment where the amount in dispute exceeded £1.3m.
  • A dispute relating to alleged breaches of a contract of employment and the enforceability of post termination restrictions where the amount in issue exceeded £1m.
  • A working relationship issue between a manager and one of the people reporting to them.
  • A dispute arising from a claim for disability and sex discrimination, constructive dismissal and “whistleblowing” where the amount claimed was approximately £850,000.
  • A dispute relating to a claim of wrongful and unfair dismissal, where there were issue about termination, bonus entitlement and share options, where the amount claimed was in excess of £890,000.
  • A dispute relating to disability discrimination and personal injury arising from alleged bullying and harassment at work where the amount in dispute was approximately £350,000.
  • A claim by a director/shareholder for breach of contract, wrongful and unfair dismissal, equal pay and sex discrimination where the amount in dispute exceeded £350,000.
  • A dispute involving allegations of breach of contract of employment by senior employee including misuse of employer’s intellectual property and alleged breach by employee of the contract of employment by establishing competing business where the amount in dispute exceeded £100,000.
  • Industrial dispute involving a number of employees, supported by their Trade Union, arising from proposed new terms and conditions of employment.
  • Claim that ex senior employees had established a substantial competing business in breach of post termination restrictions and the ex-employees’ counterclaim for monies unpaid pursuant to the contract of employment.
  • Dispute following the “transfer” of a contract between two commercial organisations, regarding the application of TUPE and the impact of employment contract covenants.
  • Breakdown in workplace relationships against a background of potential claims for breach of contract, sex discrimination and disability discrimination.
  • Claim by a former employer that employee had been in breach of fiduciary and fidelity obligations as well as breaching post termination restrictions against a background of an interim injunction. Amount in dispute was over £200,000.
  • Workplace dispute between employee and line manager regarding allegations of bullying and breach of contract.
  • A workplace dispute following a long-standing breakdown in the working relationship between two senior staff members.
  • Employment dispute relating to race discrimination and allegations of losses arising from breach of contract.
  • Dispute between a senior employee claim in unfair and wrongful dismissal.
  • Employment dispute relating to claims for constructive dismissal, public interest disclosure and shareholding.
  • Dispute relating to allegations unfair dismissal and sex discrimination arising from an employee’s return from maternity leave and then made redundant.