Employment

Annette’s experience includes:-
• Acting for police officers in sex, race and disability discrimination claims
• Acting for a group of nurses in part time pensions claims against a private employer
• Defending a plc in an unfair dismissal and ‘associated’ race discrimination claim
• Acting for women returning from maternity leave to less favourable terms and conditions and issues arising from flexible working
• Representing 64 claimants in an unfair dismissal and disability discrimination claim arising out of a collective redundancy
• Defending a high street plc in a whistle blowing and unfair dismissal claim
• Acting for a teacher in a race discrimination claim against a private prison
• Defending a Primary Care Trust in a race and sex discrimination claim
• Acting for a reader in race discrimination claim against a University
• Acting for a senior executive in a £¼ million occupational stress claim against a multi-national plc

What the Directories say:

Chambers and Partners (2010 Edition): “among the best employment practitioners in Manchester. She is highly regarded...”

Legal 500 (2009 Edition): ‘a clever lawyer, and a tough one - our first choice'

Chambers and Partners (2009 Edition): “a diligent performer" who “paints an extremely clear picture at employment tribunals".

Legal 500 (2008 Edition): 'clever, practical, with a good manner and nerves of steel'.

Chambers and Partners (2008 Edition): "For most commentators, the shining light is clearly Annette Gumbs..."

Legal 500 (2007 Edition): 'very client focused and hands on'; 'she appreciates the commercial complexities'.'

Legal 500 (2006 Edition): 'extremely good, and has a solid record of quality work'.

Legal 500 (2005 Edition): ''very clever, very down to earth and handles lay clients well.'

CASES

-Reality (White Arrow Express) Ltd v O'Hara (18.11.03) UK EAT/0447/03/TM – case concerning redundancy and trial periods

- Stott v HM Prison Service [2003] EWCA Civ CA- concerning just and equitable
extension of time limits in sex discrimination cases

-TGWU & others v Manchester Airport plc (04.08.04) (UKEAT/0198/04/ILB), acting for TGWU and 15 claimants in a claim against Manchester Airport arising out of changes in terms and conditions for giving rise to collective redundancies and leading to unfair dismissal and sex discrimination claims and a claim for a protective award for failure to consult on a collective redundancy

Membership of associations

Employment Law Bar Association (ELBA)
Employment Lawyers Association (ELA)
 
Discrimination Law Association (DLA)

WIDER INVOLVEMENT IN RELEVANT ISSUES

Member Bar Council Equal Opportunities Committee 1997 to 2001 

Personal Injury

- Personal injury: experience includes road traffic accidents, highways tripping cases acting for both Claimants and Highway authorities; occupier's liability, employer's liability cases including repetitive strain injuries, manual handling, dermatitis and non standard disease work - including occupational asthma and asbestos. Particular experience of bringing, defending and mediating occupational stress claims. Has also represented individuals and employers at inquests.

- Clinical negligence: particular experience of failure to diagnose and negligent treatment cases acting for claimants. Examples of cases include a repeated failure to diagnose and the negligent treatment of acute intermittent porphyria over a 15 year period resulting in a substantial six figure settlement, negligent administration of contraceptive implants, failure to diagnose cancer, still birth and other birth injury cases, a multiparty claim involving the loss of embryos and sperm from an IVF storage facility and consequential injury following the criminal convictions of an embryologist, negligent surgery (including cosmetic surgery).

MEMBERSHIP OF ASSOCIATIONS

Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA)
Northern Circuit Medical Law Association (NCMLA)