Employment

I have considerable experience of unfair dismissal cases with a particular interest in constructive unfair dismissal cases. I have also been involved in a variety of cases in areas of unlawful deduction of wages, wrongful dismissal, sex discrimination and victimisation, race discrimination and disability discrimination.

Additionally I have experience of and interest in preliminary issues such as time limits, employment status, strike-out and deposit applications, and review hearings.

I have extensive experience in negotiation, and have represented parties effectively in mediations, including the ET Judicial Mediation Scheme.

Cases in which I have been involved include:
- Hughes & Others v GMB & Others (Unreported 02/08/06, EAT, Elias J)
- Chouafi v London United Busways Ltd [2006] EWCA Civ 689
- Hughes & Others v GMB & Others (Unreported 04/06/09, EAT, HHJ Peter Clark)

Personal Injury

I have a strong civil/common law practice, with a particular emphasis on Personal Injury Litigation. I regularly represent both Defendants and Claimants and undertake various levels of trial work, including lower value multi-track cases.

I have broad experience in all areas of interim applications, allocation hearings, case management conferences, disposal hearings, infant approvals, costs hearings, etc.

I regularly advise on liability and quantum, draft pleadings and other statements of case, and deal with procedural issues. Am also familiar with negotiations, mediations and joint settlement meetings.

Mediation

ADR & Mediation

I strongly advocate and encourage the resolution of disputes through mediation, negotiation or other alternative dispute resolution methods. And I have experience of acting for parties through such channels.

I have attended a legal education/training seminar by the Manchester Law Society on representing parties effectively in mediation. I have also delivered a talk on the role of Mediation & ADR in public law.

Public/Administrative Law

Public Law and Human Rights

Having undertaken pupillage at a planning/public law set and having taught public law at the University of Manchester, I have wide-ranging interests in this area. I have undertaken advisory work in this area and been involved in bringing judicial review proceedings in the High Court.

I have also appeared before the Mental Health Review Tribunal, the Asylum and Immigration Appeal Tribunal, and Social Security Appeals Tribunal. I have a particular interest in human rights based challenges to decisions of public bodies.

I have already been involved in raising public law and human rights issues in a wide variety of cases, for example:
(1) Determining what constitutes a house in multiple occupation for the purposes of the Council Tax Regulations.
(2) The enforcement of a noise abatement notice by a local authority.
(3) A challenge to an expulsion from primary school of a child suffering from a disability.
(4) The right to remain of a failed asylum seeker on Article 8 grounds.
(5) Challenging a local authority eviction notice to members of the gypsy community.
(6) Seeking an extension of time limits in the employment tribunal on Article 6 grounds.
(7) Challenging the unlawful detention of a mental health patient by a health authority.
(8) Challenging local authority care plans on human rights grounds.

Cases in which I have been involved include:
- Doran v Liverpool City Council & Others [2009] EWCA Civ 146
- Watts v Preston City Council (Unreported, 27 April 2009, Langsatff J)