The Annual Employment Law Conference 2024
Delivered in partnership by
2024 Keynote Speaker
Sean Jones KC
11KBW Chambers
Sean is a Specialist Employment Silk and the General Editor of Tolley’s Employment Handbook. He is “widely-regarded as one of the leading Employment lawyers in the UK” having been instructed by and against some of the biggest employers in the country including Amazon, Easyjet, Tesco, HMRC, and the BBC, as well as a number of Premier League football clubs and other national sporting bodies.
Described “as clever as he is creative”, “astute and super bright” with “an encyclopaedic knowledge of employment law” and “an extraordinary ability to present complex arguments simply”, Sean has "taken up residence in the Supreme Court on every employment case going" covering everything from equal pay and pension disputes through to dismissals, whistleblowing claims, restrictive covenant disputes, and industrial action cases.
Tel: 020 7632 8500
Event Speakers
Read more about the 2024 event speakers below.
Sarah Munro
Legal Director, Pinsent Masons LLP
Sarah has over 17 years’ experience advising clients on all aspects of UK employment law, both contentious and non-contentious. She works with a number of key clients, particularly in the energy and shipping sectors, advising on disciplinary and grievance issues; whistleblowing and internal investigations; senior exits; TUPE; drafting employment contracts, policies, seafarer employment agreements and collective bargaining agreements; advising on restructuring/change projects and trade union issues.
Sarah leads a global team of lawyers specialising in supporting clients with complex and sensitive investigations. Sarah also has a particular interest in employment litigation and has successfully represented clients at tribunal hearings across the UK in the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal. One of Sarah’s areas of expertise is advising shipping clients on maritime labour law and she is an active member of the Chamber of Shipping's Employment Committee. Sarah is also a member of Pinsent Masons’ Climate Change and Sustainability board discussing with clients the HR issues around energy transition, climate change and ESG.
Tel: 07584 175740
Lucy Townley
Associate, Pinsent Masons LLP
Lucy is an Associate in Pinsent Masons’ Employment team. Lucy has experience of working with clients in the energy, retail, and manufacturing sectors. Lucy advises on day-to-day employment issues, providing commercial advice which balances legal risk, business strategy, trade union relations and reputational impact. Lucy regularly provides training to clients in an engaging and interactive way. Lucy runs Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal litigation on variety of topics, including unfair dismissal, discrimination, and whistleblowing.
Lucy has a particular interest in managing industrial relations and has recently returned from a 12-month secondment to a FTSE100 energy client with complex and long running trade union relationships. Lucy therefore has hands on experience of managing industrial relations matters such as pay negotiations, strikes (and contingency planning), and collective consultation processes. Lucy regularly advises on trade union supported disciplinary and grievance matters too. Recently, Lucy supported a long-running and highly sensitive project involving a change to terms and conditions of employment, culminating in large-scale dismissal and re-engagement. Lucy and the team were involved from an early stage in the planning process, and continued to support the client through to successful conclusion of the matter.
Tel: 07769 955439
Gillian Harrington
Director, Burness Paull LLP
Gillian is a Director in the Burness Paull LLP employment team. She advises on all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious, with a keen interest in advising clients on business restructures and TUPE. Gillian is a member of the employment team’s Business Protection Group and provides innovative practical guidance to clients on the steps that they should take to protect their business interests and confidential information.
Tel: 01224 618503
Colin Hulme
Partner, Burness Paull LLP
Colin Hulme is head of Burness Paull LLP’s top ranked IP practice, which protects iconic UK brands such as Harris Tweed and Highland Spring. His team also supports Sky, PicRights, Phonographic Performance Limited’s (PPL) and PRS for Music’s copyright enforcement campaigns in the UK.
Colin Hulme’s team are regularly called on to support clients faced with misappropriation of IP and confidential information – often this involves securing “search and seizure” orders to raid homes and offices.
He is the only litigator in Scotland with an IP Band 1 ranking in the Chambers & Partners Directory and also being in the IP “Hall of Fame” in the Legal 500 Directory. He is an “IP Star” in Managing IP.
Tel: 0141 273 6705
Lisa Byers
Director, Burness Paull LLP
Lisa Byars is a director in the tier 1 rated Aberdeen employment team at Burness Paull LLP.
Lisa advises on all aspects of employment law with a specialism on employment litigation and discrimination law.
Lisa co-leads the Burness Paull team specialising in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and advises clients on all aspects of equality. Lisa is heavily involved in diversity and inclusion for various industry bodies.
Tel: 07386 952858
Jamie Meechan
Senior Associate, Burness Paull LLP
As a Senior Associate in Burness Paull’s Employment team, Jamie provides advice on all employment law matters to clients across a range of sectors. He also regularly represents clients in the Employment Tribunal and has appeared in Tribunals throughout the United Kingdom.
Jamie has a particular interest in diversity, equity and inclusion and is often invited to speak and advise on such topics. He is chair of the firm’s LGBT+ employee network group, BeProud; is a trustee of a charity in Scotland; and was previously shortlisted for Junior Lawyer of the Year at the Herald Law Awards of Scotland.
Tel: 07435 5531434
Claire Scott
Partner, Burness Paull LLP
Claire Scott is an experienced partner specialising in employment law and leads the Aberdeen employment team at Burness Paull LLP which is tier 1 rated in Legal 500 and Chambers.
Claire advises on all aspects of UK employment law compliance. She specialises in complex employment litigation including whistleblowing claims, strategic projects, outsourcings, restructuring, TUPE, cross border projects, investigations and offshore working. She has a keen interest in social mobility.
Claire is rated as a Next Generation Partner in Legal 500 and won Employment Lawyer of the Year at the Legal 500 Scotland Awards.
Tel: 07881 899767
Download the presentation slides
Click below to download a digital copy of the presentation slides.
Employment Law Update Session
ESG Strategy and HR Session
Business Protection Session
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