"Highly analytical, and provides clear and considered advice, showing shrewd insight and levels of realism and ingenuity that are very rare in someone of his call level."
Mark has a broad practice with a particular focus on Employment, Education, Public, Competition and Commercial law. He has appeared at all levels of court up to and including the Supreme Court.
Mark is recommended for Employment and Education law in Chambers and Partners and Employment law in the Legal 500, having been described as “showing shrewd insight and levels of realism and ingenuity that are very rare in someone of his call level.”
He is a member of both the Attorney General’s C Panel of Treasury Counsel and the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Counsel.
Mark has appeared unled in the Employment Tribunal, EAT and High Court in matters across the full spectrum of employment litigation. He has acted as sole counsel in cases pleaded in excess of £1m and as junior counsel in cases with a value of more than £10m. Since January 2017 he has been the author of the Working Time chapter in Tolley’s Employment Law (loose-leaf).
Mark has acted in or advised on matters concerning: discrimination (disability, religion or belief, race, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, and pregnancy and maternity); harassment; victimisation; unfair dismissal; wrongful dismissal; whistleblowing; redundancy; employment and worker status; restrictive covenants; TUPE; holiday pay; equal pay; wages; pensions; territorial jurisdiction; res judicata; anonymity and restricted reporting orders; interim relief; strike out and deposit orders; and costs.
Mark’s recent employment law experience includes:
Mark regularly appears before the First-tier Tribunal (Special Education Needs and Disability), county court, and the administrative court in education law matters. He has particular expertise in cases concerning special educational needs, discrimination and school exclusion.
Mark is one of the three editors of the Education Law Reports and the co-author of the education chapter in “National Security Law, Procedure and Practice” (Oxford University Press, 2021). In 2018 Mark completed a one-year part-time secondment with Ofsted’s legal services team with a focus on issues concerning independent schools and equality law. Mark is a governor of a primary school in the London Borough of Haringey.
Mark has been instructed, both led and unled, in judicial review challenges concerning education matters. Led by Sarah Hannett QC, Mark was junior counsel in a series of high-profile judicial review claims concerning the use of isolation to discipline pupils which received significant media coverage. Mark also acted as junior counsel to Sarah Hannett QC in a judicial review challenge concerning the rebrokerage of an academy which centred on alleged breaches of Article 9 and Article 2, Protocol 1 of the ECHR.
Mark regularly represents clients in appeals relating to the contents of EHC Plans (Sections B, F and I and National Trial cases). In one post-19 case, Mark successfully persuaded the Tribunal to order a 38-week residential placement at a specialist independent college offering a waking day curriculum, together with a 14-week residential social care placement. The total cost of this placement (together with the provision ordered) was over £140,000 per year.
Mark has considerable experience of exclusion cases and has acted for both parents and schools in cases involving both maintained and independent schools. Mark was instructed by the EHRC to train over 100 SENDIASS advisers on challenging discriminatory exclusions. Prior to coming to the bar, Mark was the Chief Student Director of the School Exclusion Project, an award-winning pro bono unit for exclusion cases.
In the higher education sector, Mark is frequently instructed by both universities and students. For example, he acted for a university in relation to a breach of contract and negligence claim with a pleaded value of up to £50,000. Mark has advised a number of university students on applications for judicial review against their universities and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, particularly concerning allegations of plagiarism.
Mark is regularly instructed, both as sole and junior counsel, in the Administrative Court in a wide range of public law challenges. He has particular expertise in claims under the Equality Act 2010 and those concerning devolution issues.
Mark’s recent notable cases include:
In addition to litigation, Mark regularly advises on public law matters, particularly those with an education law element. He has recently provided advice on matters including grammar school independent admission appeals, the legal implications of a merger of two separate schools, and safeguarding issues concerning an independent boarding school.
Mark welcomes instructions in all competition law matters, but has particular experience of cases in the transport sector.
For example, Mark was instructed in a major Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 claim in the High Court, led by Rhodri Thompson QC, brought by an importer against a port operator. Mark also assisted the ORR with a market study into the supply of rail signalling systems.
Mark has been instructed in a number of commercial and company law matters, in addition to his employment and competition law cases which cross-over with these areas.
For example, he recently advised a large organisation on a complex contractual dispute worth over £100,000 which engaged issues of incorporation, variation, and estoppel; advised a brokerage firm in relation to a claim for a debt worth over USD 50,000 that centred on the implication of terms; and, acting for a major energy supplier, succeeded at trial in having the claimant’s claims for breach of contract dismissed in their entirety.
Before coming to the Bar, Mark read Classics at Jesus College, Oxford where he received several academic honours, including the Holbrooke Scholarship, the Viscount Sankey Scholarship and the William Montgomerie Prize for Greek Philosophy. At City University, Mark completed the GDL (Distinction, fifth overall and first in Public Law) and the BPTC (Outstanding) as a Bedingfield Scholar of Gray’s Inn, the top merit-based award. He was also awarded the Michael Beloff QC Administrative Law Essay Prize by Gray’s Inn for his piece on reform of the Human Rights Act 1998. Prior to commencing his legal studies, Mark completed a Mandarin Chinese course at Beijing Language and Culture University.
In his spare time, Mark enjoys rock climbing, cycling and theatre.
Mark is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to his clients, including advice and representation services, Mark needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes his client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which he is instructed. To read Mark’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"A junior barrister whose knowledge and experience means that he is one to watch for the future." "He is brilliant - really strategic, manages expectations well, is really responsive and easy to work with."
"He easily gets to the nub of complex matters and he has a skill base which belies his call." "He is understanding and patient and he continues to impress with his analytical mind and the clarity of his advice." "He has excellent attention to detail, we can rely on him to know the case inside out, he has a good manner with clients and he is able to provide clear, commercially focused advice that is not overly technical."
"Always willing to go the extra mile. "
"Highly analytical, and provides clear and considered advice, showing shrewd insight and levels of realism and ingenuity that are very rare in someone of his call level."
"He’s highly analytical, personable and very easy to work with.” “He does a very good job and gets to grips with a complex case very quickly."
"He is super responsive, really diligent and has a lovely manner.” “Very caring and understands the nuances of each case."
"Highly analytical, and provides clear and considered advice, showing shrewd insight and levels of realism and ingenuity that are very rare in someone of his call level."
Legal 500 2021
Contact Mark: markgreaves@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447
Contact Mark's Practice Team (Team M): TeamM@matrixlaw.co.uk
Mark has a broad practice with a particular focus on Employment, Education, Public, Competition and Commercial law. He has appeared at all levels of court up to and including the Supreme Court.
Mark is recommended for Employment and Education law in Chambers and Partners and Employment law in the Legal 500, having been described as “showing shrewd insight and levels of realism and ingenuity that are very rare in someone of his call level.”
He is a member of both the Attorney General’s C Panel of Treasury Counsel and the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Counsel.
Mark is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to his clients, including advice and representation services, Mark needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes his client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which he is instructed. To read Mark’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"A junior barrister whose knowledge and experience means that he is one to watch for the future." "He is brilliant - really strategic, manages expectations well, is really responsive and easy to work with."
"He easily gets to the nub of complex matters and he has a skill base which belies his call." "He is understanding and patient and he continues to impress with his analytical mind and the clarity of his advice." "He has excellent attention to detail, we can rely on him to know the case inside out, he has a good manner with clients and he is able to provide clear, commercially focused advice that is not overly technical."
"Always willing to go the extra mile. "
"Highly analytical, and provides clear and considered advice, showing shrewd insight and levels of realism and ingenuity that are very rare in someone of his call level."
"He’s highly analytical, personable and very easy to work with.” “He does a very good job and gets to grips with a complex case very quickly."
"He is super responsive, really diligent and has a lovely manner.” “Very caring and understands the nuances of each case."