MEET:
Mark Greaves
“Mark is perhaps the best junior at the employment law bar. He is phenomenally bright, wise, and insightful. A team player par excellence: charming, hard-working and proactive"
Legal 500 2026
Mark has a broad practice with a particular focus on Employment, Education, Public, Competition, and Sports law. He has appeared in courts and tribunals at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court.
Ranked in the legal directories for Employment law, Industrial Relations law, and Education law, Mark has been described as:
- “perhaps the best junior at the employment law bar” (Legal 500, 2026)
- “proactive, insightful, wise and fiercely intelligent” (Chambers & Partners, 2026).
- “everything you want – technically superb, always meticulously prepared, pragmatic and calm” (Chambers & Partners, 2025).
He is a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Counsel, having been initially appointed to the C panel in his first year of eligibility and subsequently appointed to the B Panel.
Mark has appeared unled in the Employment Tribunal, EAT and High Court in matters across the full spectrum of employment litigation. Instructed as sole counsel, Mark has obtained sums of over £1m for Claimants and successfully defended claims of over £10m for Respondents.
As sole counsel, Mark has handled the following: whistleblowing claims, including those involving interim relief applications; claims alleging breach of confidence; injunction applications concerning the enforcement of restrictive covenants; claims for discrimination, harassment and victimisation involving each of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010; unfair dismissal claims; TUPE claims; redundancy claims; cases involving employment and worker status issues; all types of wages claims including for unlawful deductions, holiday pay and equal pay; disputes as to the applicable law for an employment dispute, and the ET’s territorial reach; applications for anonymity and restricted reporting orders; applications for intermediary assessment and support; applications for strike out and deposit orders; and applications for costs.
Since January 2017 Mark has been the author of the Working Time chapter in Tolley’s Employment Law (loose-leaf).
Mark’s reported appellate and High Court cases include:
- Tesco Stores Ltd v Ms K Element & Others [2025] EAT 26; [2025] EAT 159 – Acted for the Respondent employer (led by Tom Coghlin KC) in two appeals concerning expert evidence in a high-profile equal pay claim involving over 50,000 claimants.
- Vassallo v Mizuho International plc and another [2024] EAT 170 – Acted for the Respondent employer in an appeal against an amendment decision. Having successfully defended the appeal, obtained an award for costs against the Claimant.
- Jump Trading International Limited v (1) Damien Couture and (2) Verition Advisors (UK Partners) LLP [2023] EWHC 1305 (KB) – Acted for the Claimant employer (led by James Laddie KC and Edward Kemp) in an application for an interim injunction to enforce an unusual non-compete covenant with a variable non-compete period.
- Robinson v Al-Qasimi [2021] IRLR 774 – Acted for the Respondent before the Court of Appeal (led by James Laddie KC) in a case concerning the application of the illegality defence in an employment context, and the operation of the interim relief regime in the Employment Tribunal.
- Driscoll v V&P Global Ltd & Anor [2021] IRLR 891 – Acted for the Respondents in an EAT appeal which established that constructive dismissal can constitute an act of harassment.
- Ince Gordon Dadds LLP v Tunstall [2020] ICR 124 – Successfully resisted an appeal to the EAT in a case concerning an issue, never previously determined, as to the scope of the statutory moratorium which applies to legal proceedings against a company in administration. The case featured in The Times, The Lawyer and The Law Gazette.
Mark’s Employment Tribunal cases include:
- Employee v Financial Services Company [2024] – Represented the Claimant in a multi-million pound unlawful deduction from wages claim (likely the highest value claim of this type ever issued in the Employment Tribunal), concerning a deferred bonus.
- Employee v Financial Services Company [2023] – Represented the Claimant in a whistleblowing and sex discrimination claim for career long-losses.
- Ms H J Lehtonen and Others v Hansbiomed Europe Ltd [2023] – Represented the Respondent in a complex group claim for whistleblowing and discrimination in which the Employment Tribunal made a finding that the Claimants had forged key evidence.
- Group Finance Director v Fintech Unicorn [2022] – Acted for the Respondent, a billion-dollar fintech “unicorn”, in a multi-million pound discrimination and whistleblowing claim brought by its former Group Finance Director.
- O’Connor v Brooke & Anor [2022] – Represented the Respondent in a £6.6m whistleblowing claim brought by the former CFO of a high-profile peer-to-peer loan startup.
- Employee v Global Brokerage [2022] – Represented the Claimant in a high value sexual harassment claim involving allegations against her former manager.
Recommended by both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 as a leading junior for education law, Mark has been described as:
- “a bright and personable barrister…[with] in-depth knowledge of the inspection system and experience of school clients” (Legal 500, 2026).
- “a very bright and a clear communicator, who has proven that he can give effective commercial advice in high-pressured situations” (Chambers & Partners, 2026).
- “an exceptionally talented junior who displays excellent client care skills” (Chambers & Partners, 2026).
Mark’s practice encompasses claims for judicial review, challenges to inspection decisions by Ofsted and ISI, discrimination claims before the SEND Tribunal, civil claims, and internal disciplinary procedures at schools and universities.
Mark is a former editor 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 his first year in practice, Mark completed a one-year part-time secondment with Ofsted’s legal services team.
Mark’s Upper Tribunal and High Court experience includes:
- MM (as alternative person for C) v Royal Borough of Greenwich [2024] UKUT 179 (AAC) – an Upper Tribunal appeal in which detailed guidance was given as to the approach to recommendations concerning health and social care needs/provision in EHC Plans.
- R (AA) v a University [2024] (led by Sam Grodzinski KC) – a judicial review claim concerning exam arrangements which clashed with a religious holy day, challenged under Article 9, and Article 14 read with Article 9 of the ECHR.
- R (AA) v BB Academies Trust [2021] (Led by Sarah Hannett KC) – A judicial review claim concerning the use of isolation booths to discipline pupils.
- R (AA & Ors) v Secretary of State for Education [2021] (Led by Sarah Hannett KC) – A judicial review claim concerning the rebrokerage of an academy which centred on alleged breaches of the parents’ and pupil’s rights under Article 9 and Article 2, Protocol 1 of the ECHR.
- R (AA) v London Borough of Hackney [2021] – A judicial review claim (including an application for an interim injunction) brought in respect of a failure by the Local Authority to put in place suitable education for a pupil.
- R (AA) v OIA & a University [2021] – A judicial review claim concerning a decision to exclude a student from an Adult Nursing course.
Mark’s higher education experience includes:
- Student v University [2025] – Instructed by a university to review a student complaint about sexual misconduct by an academic.
- Professor v University [2024] – Instructed by a university in relation to a breach of contract claim brought by a professor.
- Student v University [2022] – Instructed by a student in a successful appeal to the Deputy Vice Chancellor against a decision to permanently exclude her from the University for plagiarism.
- Investigation for an Oxbridge College [2022] – Conducted an independent investigation on behalf of an Oxbridge College into sexual harassment allegations brought by students against a member of staff.
- Legal Advice to the Disciplinary Committee of an Oxbridge College [2022] – Advised the Disciplinary Committee of an Oxbridge College considering allegations of sexual assault brought by one student against another.
In addition to litigation, Mark is frequently instructed by independent schools on all manner of education issues, particularly those concerning inspection challenges, admissions, and exclusions. For example, he has assisted multiple independent schools in challenging inspection reports; advised an independent boarding school on its response to sensitive safeguarding issues; and conducted a wholesale review of the admissions arrangements for an independent school to ensure they were compliant with the Equality Act 2010.
Mark is regularly instructed, both as sole and junior counsel, in the Administrative Court and has also appeared before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He has particular expertise in claims under the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010.
Mark’s notable cases include:
- R (AA) v a University [2024] (led by Sam Grodzinski KC) – a judicial review claim concerning exam arrangements which clashed with a religious holy day, challenged under Article 9, and Article 14 read with Article 9 of the ECHR.
- R (Counsel General for Wales) v Secretary of State for Business [2022] EWCA Civ 118 (led by Helen Mountfield KC and Christian Howells) – An appeal to the Court of Appeal in relation to a judicial review challenge of the UK Internal Market Act 2020.
- REFERENCE by the Attorney General and the Advocate General for Scotland – United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill [2021] UKSC 42 (led by Helen Mountfield KC and Christian Howells) – A reference to the Supreme Court in relation to the devolved legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.
- R (AA) v BB Academies Trust [2021]: (Led by Sarah Hannett KC) – A judicial review claim concerning the use of isolation booths to discipline pupils.
- R (AA & Ors) v Secretary of State for Education [2021] (Led by Sarah Hannett KC) – A judicial review claim concerning the rebrokerage of an academy which centred on alleged breaches of the parents’ and pupil’s rights under Article 9 and Article 2, Protocol 1 of the ECHR.
Mark has been instructed in a number of commercial and company law matters, in addition to his employment cases which cross-over with these areas. Mark is comfortable assisting in both civil and arbitral proceedings.
For example, Mark advised an individual in relation to a multi-million pound contractual dispute subject to mandatory mediation and arbitration; advised a large organisation on a complex contractual dispute worth which engaged issues of incorporation, variation, and estoppel; and advised a brokerage firm in relation to a claim for a debt that centred on the implication of terms.
A keen sportsman himself, Mark welcomes instructions in all areas of sports law.
Mark is able to draw on his experience from a range of related areas when acting in sports law cases: Mark has experience of commercial arbitrations (principally involving allegations of breach of confidence); has acted for professional football and rowing clubs in employment disputes and investigations; and has been involved in a number of education law matters involving safeguarding, including assisting Ofsted with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
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 and served as the Chief Student Director of the School Exclusion Project, an award-winning pro bono unit.
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 their clients, including advice and representation services, Mark needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes their client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which they are instructed. To read Mark’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"Mark Greaves is a talented junior with a track record of acting in impressive industrial relations matters. In particular, he is well versed in trade union detriment and dismissal claims and equal pay claims, and often appears in the Employment Tribunal, Court of Appeal and higher courts." "Mark Greaves was robust, flexible, good in court and did a very good job for his client in difficult circumstances." "Greaves is highly intelligent and articulate. He consistently delivers detailed and insightful advice, even under the most demanding time constraints." "Mark provides consistently high-quality advice and drafting. He is a pleasure to work with, being responsive, calm and clear."
"Mark Greaves' advocacy is excellent and his ability to adapt to the circumstances is hugely impressive." "Mark Greaves is proactive, insightful, wise and fiercely intelligent." "Mark Greaves has an impressive authority about him coupled with a charm and diplomatic manner than makes him work incredibly well in a team."
"Mark is very bright and a clear communicator, who has proven that he can give effective commercial advice in high-pressured situations." "Mark is very knowledgeable and thorough." "Mark Greaves is an exceptionally talented junior who displays excellent client care skills."
"Mark is perhaps the best junior at the employment law bar. He is phenomenally bright, wise, and insightful. A team player par excellence: charming, hard-working and proactive."
"Mark is a bright and personable barrister. He provided us with excellent support on a particularly difficult education matter and his in-depth knowledge of the inspection system and experience of school clients was invaluable."
"Mark is excellent. His work is thorough and fair, and he certainly wins the trust of both parties. His written outcome is well reasoned, clear and helpfully structured."
"Mark is brilliant to work with. He is bright, personable and confident." "Mark is everything you want - technically superb, always meticulously prepared, pragmatic and calm."
"Mark is incredibly knowledgeable and always keeps calm and maintains his humour." "Mark Greaves is excellent."
"Mark is really brilliant. His written work was very clear and concise, and he succinctly dealt with a huge volume of documents and complex issues."
"Mark is an excellent junior. He has meticulous attention to detail, is very responsive, provides practical, commercially-focused advice and is also a pleasure to work with."
"Mark is just brilliant. He is extremely bright, creative and meticulous in his preparation. Nothing is ever too much trouble for him and he is a fantastic team player." "Mark is a pleasure to work with and a very tenacious advocate who has a great commercial approach. He has an excellent ability to apply technical legal issues particularly to sophisticated matters." "Mark is an excellent junior. He has meticulous attention to detail, is very responsive and provides practical, commercially-focused advice. He is definitely one of my go-to barristers for employment tribunal work."
"Mark cuts through all of the noise to focus on the key issues in a clear, concise and user-friendly way." "Mark is fantastic - super smart, responsive and very client-friendly."
"Mark has good analytical skills and provides excellent support." "Mark has a meticulous eye for detail and a commercial, practical and client-focused approach."
"A very client friendly barrister, Mark is extremely smart and has brilliant drafting skills."
"Mark is bright, sharp and thorough. He is excellent at understanding and applying the technical aspects of the law and sticking to the key issues of the case. He is a superb advocate, and likeable to clients and the tribunal while robust at cross-examination."
"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."
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE:
+44 (0)20 7404 3447
“Mark is perhaps the best junior at the employment law bar. He is phenomenally bright, wise, and insightful. A team player par excellence: charming, hard-working and proactive"
Legal 500 2026
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE
- Commercial Law
- Competition
- Education Law
- Election Law
- Employment Law
- Civil Liberties and Human Rights
- Investigations
- Public Law
- Sports Law
- Health and Social Care (including welfare benefits)
- Commercial Public Law
- Equality and Discrimination Law
- Competition and EU
Mark Greaves
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 Sports law. He has appeared in courts and tribunals at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court.
Ranked in the legal directories for Employment law, Industrial Relations law, and Education law, Mark has been described as:
- “perhaps the best junior at the employment law bar” (Legal 500, 2026)
- “proactive, insightful, wise and fiercely intelligent” (Chambers & Partners, 2026).
- “everything you want – technically superb, always meticulously prepared, pragmatic and calm” (Chambers & Partners, 2025).
He is a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Counsel, having been initially appointed to the C panel in his first year of eligibility and subsequently appointed to the B Panel.
Employment Law
Mark has appeared unled in the Employment Tribunal, EAT and High Court in matters across the full spectrum of employment litigation. Instructed as sole counsel, Mark has obtained sums of over £1m for Claimants and successfully defended claims of over £10m for Respondents.
As sole counsel, Mark has handled the following: whistleblowing claims, including those involving interim relief applications; claims alleging breach of confidence; injunction applications concerning the enforcement of restrictive covenants; claims for discrimination, harassment and victimisation involving each of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010; unfair dismissal claims; TUPE claims; redundancy claims; cases involving employment and worker status issues; all types of wages claims including for unlawful deductions, holiday pay and equal pay; disputes as to the applicable law for an employment dispute, and the ET’s territorial reach; applications for anonymity and restricted reporting orders; applications for intermediary assessment and support; applications for strike out and deposit orders; and applications for costs.
Since January 2017 Mark has been the author of the Working Time chapter in Tolley’s Employment Law (loose-leaf).
Mark’s reported appellate and High Court cases include:
- Tesco Stores Ltd v Ms K Element & Others [2025] EAT 26; [2025] EAT 159 – Acted for the Respondent employer (led by Tom Coghlin KC) in two appeals concerning expert evidence in a high-profile equal pay claim involving over 50,000 claimants.
- Vassallo v Mizuho International plc and another [2024] EAT 170 – Acted for the Respondent employer in an appeal against an amendment decision. Having successfully defended the appeal, obtained an award for costs against the Claimant.
- Jump Trading International Limited v (1) Damien Couture and (2) Verition Advisors (UK Partners) LLP [2023] EWHC 1305 (KB) – Acted for the Claimant employer (led by James Laddie KC and Edward Kemp) in an application for an interim injunction to enforce an unusual non-compete covenant with a variable non-compete period.
- Robinson v Al-Qasimi [2021] IRLR 774 – Acted for the Respondent before the Court of Appeal (led by James Laddie KC) in a case concerning the application of the illegality defence in an employment context, and the operation of the interim relief regime in the Employment Tribunal.
- Driscoll v V&P Global Ltd & Anor [2021] IRLR 891 – Acted for the Respondents in an EAT appeal which established that constructive dismissal can constitute an act of harassment.
- Ince Gordon Dadds LLP v Tunstall [2020] ICR 124 – Successfully resisted an appeal to the EAT in a case concerning an issue, never previously determined, as to the scope of the statutory moratorium which applies to legal proceedings against a company in administration. The case featured in The Times, The Lawyer and The Law Gazette.
Mark’s Employment Tribunal cases include:
- Employee v Financial Services Company [2024] – Represented the Claimant in a multi-million pound unlawful deduction from wages claim (likely the highest value claim of this type ever issued in the Employment Tribunal), concerning a deferred bonus.
- Employee v Financial Services Company [2023] – Represented the Claimant in a whistleblowing and sex discrimination claim for career long-losses.
- Ms H J Lehtonen and Others v Hansbiomed Europe Ltd [2023] – Represented the Respondent in a complex group claim for whistleblowing and discrimination in which the Employment Tribunal made a finding that the Claimants had forged key evidence.
- Group Finance Director v Fintech Unicorn [2022] – Acted for the Respondent, a billion-dollar fintech “unicorn”, in a multi-million pound discrimination and whistleblowing claim brought by its former Group Finance Director.
- O’Connor v Brooke & Anor [2022] – Represented the Respondent in a £6.6m whistleblowing claim brought by the former CFO of a high-profile peer-to-peer loan startup.
- Employee v Global Brokerage [2022] – Represented the Claimant in a high value sexual harassment claim involving allegations against her former manager.
Education Law
Recommended by both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 as a leading junior for education law, Mark has been described as:
- “a bright and personable barrister…[with] in-depth knowledge of the inspection system and experience of school clients” (Legal 500, 2026).
- “a very bright and a clear communicator, who has proven that he can give effective commercial advice in high-pressured situations” (Chambers & Partners, 2026).
- “an exceptionally talented junior who displays excellent client care skills” (Chambers & Partners, 2026).
Mark’s practice encompasses claims for judicial review, challenges to inspection decisions by Ofsted and ISI, discrimination claims before the SEND Tribunal, civil claims, and internal disciplinary procedures at schools and universities.
Mark is a former editor 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 his first year in practice, Mark completed a one-year part-time secondment with Ofsted’s legal services team.
Mark’s Upper Tribunal and High Court experience includes:
- MM (as alternative person for C) v Royal Borough of Greenwich [2024] UKUT 179 (AAC) – an Upper Tribunal appeal in which detailed guidance was given as to the approach to recommendations concerning health and social care needs/provision in EHC Plans.
- R (AA) v a University [2024] (led by Sam Grodzinski KC) – a judicial review claim concerning exam arrangements which clashed with a religious holy day, challenged under Article 9, and Article 14 read with Article 9 of the ECHR.
- R (AA) v BB Academies Trust [2021] (Led by Sarah Hannett KC) – A judicial review claim concerning the use of isolation booths to discipline pupils.
- R (AA & Ors) v Secretary of State for Education [2021] (Led by Sarah Hannett KC) – A judicial review claim concerning the rebrokerage of an academy which centred on alleged breaches of the parents’ and pupil’s rights under Article 9 and Article 2, Protocol 1 of the ECHR.
- R (AA) v London Borough of Hackney [2021] – A judicial review claim (including an application for an interim injunction) brought in respect of a failure by the Local Authority to put in place suitable education for a pupil.
- R (AA) v OIA & a University [2021] – A judicial review claim concerning a decision to exclude a student from an Adult Nursing course.
Mark’s higher education experience includes:
- Student v University [2025] – Instructed by a university to review a student complaint about sexual misconduct by an academic.
- Professor v University [2024] – Instructed by a university in relation to a breach of contract claim brought by a professor.
- Student v University [2022] – Instructed by a student in a successful appeal to the Deputy Vice Chancellor against a decision to permanently exclude her from the University for plagiarism.
- Investigation for an Oxbridge College [2022] – Conducted an independent investigation on behalf of an Oxbridge College into sexual harassment allegations brought by students against a member of staff.
- Legal Advice to the Disciplinary Committee of an Oxbridge College [2022] – Advised the Disciplinary Committee of an Oxbridge College considering allegations of sexual assault brought by one student against another.
In addition to litigation, Mark is frequently instructed by independent schools on all manner of education issues, particularly those concerning inspection challenges, admissions, and exclusions. For example, he has assisted multiple independent schools in challenging inspection reports; advised an independent boarding school on its response to sensitive safeguarding issues; and conducted a wholesale review of the admissions arrangements for an independent school to ensure they were compliant with the Equality Act 2010.
Public Law
Mark is regularly instructed, both as sole and junior counsel, in the Administrative Court and has also appeared before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He has particular expertise in claims under the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010.
Mark’s notable cases include:
- R (AA) v a University [2024] (led by Sam Grodzinski KC) – a judicial review claim concerning exam arrangements which clashed with a religious holy day, challenged under Article 9, and Article 14 read with Article 9 of the ECHR.
- R (Counsel General for Wales) v Secretary of State for Business [2022] EWCA Civ 118 (led by Helen Mountfield KC and Christian Howells) – An appeal to the Court of Appeal in relation to a judicial review challenge of the UK Internal Market Act 2020.
- REFERENCE by the Attorney General and the Advocate General for Scotland – United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill [2021] UKSC 42 (led by Helen Mountfield KC and Christian Howells) – A reference to the Supreme Court in relation to the devolved legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.
- R (AA) v BB Academies Trust [2021]: (Led by Sarah Hannett KC) – A judicial review claim concerning the use of isolation booths to discipline pupils.
- R (AA & Ors) v Secretary of State for Education [2021] (Led by Sarah Hannett KC) – A judicial review claim concerning the rebrokerage of an academy which centred on alleged breaches of the parents’ and pupil’s rights under Article 9 and Article 2, Protocol 1 of the ECHR.
Commercial Law
Mark has been instructed in a number of commercial and company law matters, in addition to his employment cases which cross-over with these areas. Mark is comfortable assisting in both civil and arbitral proceedings.
For example, Mark advised an individual in relation to a multi-million pound contractual dispute subject to mandatory mediation and arbitration; advised a large organisation on a complex contractual dispute worth which engaged issues of incorporation, variation, and estoppel; and advised a brokerage firm in relation to a claim for a debt that centred on the implication of terms.
Sports Law
A keen sportsman himself, Mark welcomes instructions in all areas of sports law.
Mark is able to draw on his experience from a range of related areas when acting in sports law cases: Mark has experience of commercial arbitrations (principally involving allegations of breach of confidence); has acted for professional football and rowing clubs in employment disputes and investigations; and has been involved in a number of education law matters involving safeguarding, including assisting Ofsted with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
Qualifications
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 and served as the Chief Student Director of the School Exclusion Project, an award-winning pro bono unit.
In his spare time, Mark enjoys rock climbing, cycling and theatre.
Mark's Privacy Notice
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.
DIRECTORY RECOMMENDATIONS
"Mark Greaves is a talented junior with a track record of acting in impressive industrial relations matters. In particular, he is well versed in trade union detriment and dismissal claims and equal pay claims, and often appears in the Employment Tribunal, Court of Appeal and higher courts." "Mark Greaves was robust, flexible, good in court and did a very good job for his client in difficult circumstances." "Greaves is highly intelligent and articulate. He consistently delivers detailed and insightful advice, even under the most demanding time constraints." "Mark provides consistently high-quality advice and drafting. He is a pleasure to work with, being responsive, calm and clear."
"Mark Greaves' advocacy is excellent and his ability to adapt to the circumstances is hugely impressive." "Mark Greaves is proactive, insightful, wise and fiercely intelligent." "Mark Greaves has an impressive authority about him coupled with a charm and diplomatic manner than makes him work incredibly well in a team."
"Mark is very bright and a clear communicator, who has proven that he can give effective commercial advice in high-pressured situations." "Mark is very knowledgeable and thorough." "Mark Greaves is an exceptionally talented junior who displays excellent client care skills."
"Mark is perhaps the best junior at the employment law bar. He is phenomenally bright, wise, and insightful. A team player par excellence: charming, hard-working and proactive."
"Mark is a bright and personable barrister. He provided us with excellent support on a particularly difficult education matter and his in-depth knowledge of the inspection system and experience of school clients was invaluable."
"Mark is excellent. His work is thorough and fair, and he certainly wins the trust of both parties. His written outcome is well reasoned, clear and helpfully structured."
"Mark is brilliant to work with. He is bright, personable and confident." "Mark is everything you want - technically superb, always meticulously prepared, pragmatic and calm."
"Mark is incredibly knowledgeable and always keeps calm and maintains his humour." "Mark Greaves is excellent."
"Mark is really brilliant. His written work was very clear and concise, and he succinctly dealt with a huge volume of documents and complex issues."
"Mark is an excellent junior. He has meticulous attention to detail, is very responsive, provides practical, commercially-focused advice and is also a pleasure to work with."
"Mark is just brilliant. He is extremely bright, creative and meticulous in his preparation. Nothing is ever too much trouble for him and he is a fantastic team player." "Mark is a pleasure to work with and a very tenacious advocate who has a great commercial approach. He has an excellent ability to apply technical legal issues particularly to sophisticated matters." "Mark is an excellent junior. He has meticulous attention to detail, is very responsive and provides practical, commercially-focused advice. He is definitely one of my go-to barristers for employment tribunal work."
"Mark cuts through all of the noise to focus on the key issues in a clear, concise and user-friendly way." "Mark is fantastic - super smart, responsive and very client-friendly."
"Mark has good analytical skills and provides excellent support." "Mark has a meticulous eye for detail and a commercial, practical and client-focused approach."
"A very client friendly barrister, Mark is extremely smart and has brilliant drafting skills."
"Mark is bright, sharp and thorough. He is excellent at understanding and applying the technical aspects of the law and sticking to the key issues of the case. He is a superb advocate, and likeable to clients and the tribunal while robust at cross-examination."
"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."