Laura is a Partner in the firm's Employment Department.
As well as advising on a full range of employment law matters, Laura specialises in advice to senior individuals in the financial sector, particularly in relation to investigatory and disciplinary matters involving compliance and FCA regulatory issues. Laura also regularly advises on partnership and LLP matters.
Laura has extensive experience in advising on complex and high-value matters for corporates and senior individuals (employees, directors, senior executives, members and partners) including High Court and Employment Tribunal litigation, restrictive covenant matters, team moves and executive separations.
Her day-to-day work includes advising on contentious and non-contentious aspects of employment law. This includes contractual negotiations, director and shareholder issues, partnership and LLP matters, HR advisory, terminations, disciplinaries, grievances, investigations, FCA senior managers regime, settlement agreements, redundancy and restructuring, discrimination, bullying and harassment, whistleblowing, transactional support and TUPE, bonuses, garden leave and restrictive covenants.
Laura sits on the Firm's Investigation Steering Committee. She heads our Fertility, Baby Loss and Pregnancy Loss group and regularly gives talks on the developing legislation and practice in this area.
Laura is also a CEDR Accredited Mediator.
Key Experience
- Advising numerous individuals in the finance sector on complex matters involving FCA and compliance issues.
- Advising the Intertain Group Limited in relation to the acquisition of the Jackpotjoy brands and business partnership with Gamesys Limited.
- Acting for a group of senior City bankers in a successful challenge to the non-payment of multi-million pound guaranteed bonuses and severance payments by Dresdner Kleinwort Limited. The cases were won at summary judgment.
- Acting for an individual claimant in a high profile race discrimination claim in the Employment Tribunal against Dresdner Bank.
- Advising Staffing 360 Solutions (UK) Limited, a subsidiary of Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc., on the acquisition of the business and assets of Poolia UK Limited as part of Staffing 360 Solutions' acquisition strategy, adding to its existing capability and operations in Europe.
- Acting for the shareholders of Initio International Holdings Limited ("Initio") on the sale of the entire issued share capital of Initio. Initio was purchased by US listed company Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. for a consideration in excess of US$15 million.
- Providing advice to Astaire & Partners Limited, the independent agency stockbroker and bespoke private client discretionary fund manager, on the employment aspects of its £1.67 million sale to investment bank and stockbroker, Blue Oar plc.
Career History
Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, Mishcon de Reya
Solicitor, Mishcon de Reya
Trainee, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP
Exeter University LLB Law
Articles and Publications
In House Lawyer article: "Another day, another complaint" regarding advice to employers in dealing with tactics used by employees
In House Lawyer article: "Secrets and lies" about confidential information theft
Employment Law Journal article: "Draft with care" about the use and drafting of medical questionnaires