Hayley Webster

Contact Hayley: HayleyWebster@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447

Contact Hayley's Practice Team (Team M): TeamM@matrixlaw.co.uk

Hayley joined Matrix in 2024 following the successful completion of her traineeship. She accepts instructions in all of Matrix’s practice areas, with a particular emphasis on media law, employment law, and human rights. 

As a trainee, Hayley was supervised by Sara Mansoori KC, Ian Helme, Edward Kemp KC, Vedrana Pehar, and Paul Skinner.

Media Law

Hayley is currently developing a practice in all aspects of media and information law including defamation, misuse of private information, and data protection. Hayley’s media law experience includes:

Defamation:

• Assisting the claimant counsel team in the Blake v Fox defamation trial.
• Drafting advice on merits and quantum for a claimant in a defamation claim against a local newspaper.
• Successfully settling defamation claims against high-profile media organisations.
• Acting as junior counsel with Hugh Tomlinson KC in a defamation case against a high-profile media organisation.

Data protection:

• Drafting take down letters relying on the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 (assisting Sara Mansoori KC).
• Drafting a defence for the respondent in a data breach claim.
• Drafting an advice on the intersection between data protection law and the Disclosure and Barring service.
• Drafting an advice on merits and quantum for a data protection claim on behalf of a child.
• Drafting an advice and particulars of claim in a data breach claim against the police.

Misuse of Private Information

• Acting as junior counsel with Guy Vassall-Adams KC and Anthony Hudson KC in a case involving misuse of private information and data protection breaches against a high-profile media organisation.
• Acting as junior counsel with Hugh Tomlinson KC and Kirsten SjØvoll for various claimants in phone hacking litigation.
• Acting as junior counsel with Sara Mansoori KC in a misuse of private information claim against the police.
• Acting as junior counsel with Anthony Hudson KC in a misuse of private information claim against a high-profile organisation.

Other

• Drafting an advice on the compatibility of an advertisement with UK advertising standards, and whether it constituted animal cruelty.
• Drafting advice for Members of Parliament subjected to online abuse (assisting Sara Mansoori KC)
• Before joining Matrix Hayley worked for one year as an assistant to a media law barrister at Doughty Street Chambers.
• Hayley has worked with the in-house legal team of The Times and The Sunday Times.
• Hayley has written articles on media law for the Inforrm blog.
• Hayley has provided pre-publication advice to ITV on the “Big Brother” live stream, and to the Observer newspaper.
• Hayley is a member of the legal reference panel for the Centre for Women’s justice, and has provided advice on matters involving media law.

Employment Law

Hayley accepts instructions in all areas of employment law for both Claimants and Respondents /Defendants.

Her recent experience includes:

• Successfully representing the Respondent in an 8-day unfair dismissal, harassment, victimisation, disability disclination, and failure to make reasonable adjustments claim. All claims were dismissed
• Advising on a complex employment matter about the lawfulness of only recruiting candidates with ‘lived experience’ of immigration and asylum.
• Assisting with advice on the lawfulness of workplace dress codes in relation to Article 9 and freedom of religion (with Karon Monaghan KC).
• Drafting a skeleton argument for an abuse of process application hearing in the Jersey Employment and Discrimination Tribunal (assisting Edward Kemp KC).
• Advising on a complex multi-jurisdictional employment matter involving issues of foreign law, breach of contract and the tort of negligence (assisting Edward Kemp KC).
• Drafting a skeleton argument for a case concerning the territorial jurisdiction of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (assisting Edward Kemp KC).
• Acting as junior counsel alongside Thomas Kibling in Airey v Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP EA 2201751/2023 , a case concerning constructive dismissal.
• Drafting advice and particulars of claim in a constructive dismissal claim involving a claim for an unpaid profit share.

Private International Law and Group Litigation

Acting for a Nigerian community in litigation against Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary in respect of alleged ongoing environmental pollution from Shell’s operations (led by Jeremy Hyam KC).

Actions Against The Police

• Assisting James Stansfeld with drafting an advance on using S.59 CJA 2001 to retrieve property seized by the police.
• Successful in a part 18 application hearing in the County Court requesting further information from the police.
• Hayley has extensive experience of drafting advice on the merits and quantum for actions against the police involving illegal searches, unlawful arrest and detention, the use of force, trespass, and breach of human rights.
• Hayley has experience in applications for permission to bring proceedings under s.329 Criminal Justice Act 2003.
• Hayley is on the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s list of approved counsel, and has acted as independent counsel in relation to seized material sifts.

Education Law

• Hayley has experience in representing claimants in fitness to practise/fitness to study hearings conducted by universities. In one case, she successfully persuaded a panel to find a disabled student fit to continue study. In another case, she persuaded an appeal panel to quash the lower panel’s decision to expel the student and secured a re-hearing for the client.
• Hayley also has experience in advising universities about procedural matters in fitness to practise/fitness to study hearings.
• Drafting grounds of residence for a responsible body in a disability discrimination SEND case.
• Drafting advice about whether selection criteria for entry to a private school was discriminatory against black candidates.
• Successfully defended a teacher in a teacher disciplinary hearing after they were accused of using excessive force against a pupil.
• Successfully defended a teacher in a teacher disciplinary hearing after they were accused of making inappropriate comments to pupils.
• Hayley has experience representing claimants in the SEND tribunal.

Public Law

Hayley has experience of community care matters, working in Court of Protection proceedings and judicial review.

Qualifications and Awards

Bar Practice Course, ICCA, (2022) – awarded Inner Temple exhibition scholarship

BA in Jurisprudence, University of Oxford, Harris Manchester College, (2021) – first class honours, Wronker Prize in Administrative Law

PhD in Philosophy, University of Massachusetts (2018)

MLitt In Philosophy, University of Aberdeen (2012) – distinction, awarded the Carnegie Trust postgraduate scholarship

MA in English Literature and Philosophy, University of Aberdeen (2010) – first class honours, Seafield medal for best English literature student in final exams, Bain medal for best philosophy student in final exams, George Bruce medal for creative writing

Hayley is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to her clients, including advice and representation services, Hayley needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes her client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which she is instructed. To read Hayley’s privacy notice in full, please see here