Claire is recommended for Employment in the forthcoming Chambers and Partners UK 2011. Other fields of expertise include discrimination, general commercial, contract, Information Law (including employment-related issues arising under the Data Protection Act 1998), human rights, and public law, particularly education law.
Claire acts for a wide range of clients in all areas of employment and discrimination law, including TUPE, equal pay, bonus entitlements, restrictive covenants, high-value contract claims and collective employment matters.
Claire is regularly instructed in complex and high profile discrimination claims. She also advises on discrimination in the provision of goods and services, and is the author of the Practical Law Company’s guide to this area of law.
Claire appears in Employment Tribunals across the UK, and in the County Court and High Court. She regularly appears in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, and her recent cases of note include: J v DLA Piper UK LLP (leading case on the meaning of disability, with James Laddie), Reddy & Ors v South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (important case on collective grievances, with Antony White QC) and Clarkson v Pensher Security Doors Ltd, LTL 1/10/2009 (on the approach to the “business undertaking” exception). Claire is a member of the Employment Lawyers Appeals Advice Scheme (“ELAAS”), and regularly represents Appellants in the Employment Appeal Tribunal pro bono under this scheme.
Claire’s education practice includes special educational needs, admissions, discrimination and judicial review claims. She regularly appears in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (now part of the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber (HESC)) and sits as a member on an Education Admissions Appeal Panel for a County Council.
She has experience of working for the Treasury Solicitor, and has provided advice and litigation assistance to a number of central government departments including the Ministry of Defence, Department of Transport, Department for Children, Schools and Families, and the Home Office in both education and employment matters.
Claire regularly gives talks and seminars to solicitors and HR professionals on employment and discrimination law. She recently lectured on Post-transfer issues: contractual variations and unfair dismissal at the LexisNexis Butterworths Employment Law Conference on “New TUPE” in April and October 2009.
Claire regularly undertakes pro bono work on behalf of the Bar Pro Bono Unit, A4ID and IPSEA (the Independent Panel for Special Educational Advice), and is happy to take on cases on a pro bono basis where appropriate.