Experience

Oracle Solicitors

• United Kingdom
• Law Practice
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Director - Employment, Commercial & Public Sector

  • Feb 2019 - Present

  Oracle Solicitors is a multi-national law firm specialising in a number of legal disciplines. It has grown significantly in recent years, particularly as a result of its growing reputation within the aviation sector. Employed as Director – Employment, Commercial & Public Sector, leading the Commercial department. Since joining, I have established excellent working relationships with existing and new clients, in a range of industries including: aviation, landscaping, IT, telecommunications, hospitality, construction, shipping/maritime, advertising/marketing and the public sector (we have been successfully admitted to a number of legal frameworks). My role includes managing Commercial Team members, as well as advising the firm on numerous regulatory/compliance responsibilities and internal HR and contractual matters. My caseload consists of a wide range of commercial work (contentious and non-contentious), employment, commercial property and public sector-related matters. Examples of recent work:- • Drafting legal documentation related to urgent business acquisitions • International outsourcing agreement terms • Advice around commercial contract implications of Brexit/Covid-19 • Director disputes • Commercial property dispute (relating to exercise of break clause and notice clauses) • Shareholders agreements • Employment tribunal litigation The provision of training for clients has become a recurring theme throughout my appointment, along with contributions to various client industry seminars as a panel member.



Watford Borough Council

• United Kingdom
• Government Administration
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Head of Legal & Democratic Services

  • Jan 2004 - Feb 2019

  Mar 2009 - Feb 2019: Head of Legal & Democratic Services Jan 2008 - Mar 2009: Legal Services Manager Jan 2004 - Jan 2008: Senior Solicitor WBC is recognised as a “Bold and Progressive” local authority, with an ambitious programme of service innovation and digital transformation - a leading example in several of its areas of operation, for which it has received national recognition. As Head of Legal, I undertook a substantial caseload of legal work made up primarily of employment law and commercial, as well as work in other legal disciplines including procurement, data protection, litigation and commercial property, at all levels of the organisation (inc. MD, Elected Mayor, HoDs). Also supervised the work of the team across these and other legal areas. Other elements of my role included:- • Managing the department’s budgets (inc. on external legal spend); • Responsibility for Lexcel; • Dealing with grievance and disciplinary matters for own staff and (from time-to-time) for other departments; • Service planning; • Member of Extended Leadership Team; • Member of numerous project teams for major projects across the organisation; • Deputy Monitoring Officer for the Council (dealing with standards and regulatory/corporate governance issues); • Company Secretary and legal advisor for Watford Commercial Services Limited - a recently incorporated private limited company set up to align with WBC’s Commercial Strategy and Corporate Plan. My employment work included:- Contentious: numerous complex litigation cases: including discrimination (various types), whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, breach of contract and pensions-related claims. Non-contentious: contract issues (.e.g. contract variation/harmonisation of terms), consultancy agreements, employment policies and procedures, industrial relations matters, department restructuring/redundancies, TUPE (inc. pensions arrangements), settlement agreements, provision of training, collective agreements.



Various

• Various Other Roles

  • 1988 - 2012

  2006 – 2009: Andells Solicitors: I was sole practitioner of this part-time regulated legal practice specialising in employment law. Voluntary Work Camden Community Law Centre - employment advisor (evening sessions) Jan 1999 - April 2004 Various temporary roles: Sutcliffe Catering Kitchen Porter July 1988 - Sept 1988 Pizza Hut (UK) Ltd Delivery Driver (part-time) Sept 1993 - Nov 1994 London Borough of Hackney Play Centre Worker May 1995 – July 1995



RUSSELL JONES & WALKER LIMITED

• United Kingdom

• Solicitor

  • Feb 2001 - Jan 2004

  Leading national firm involved in many high profile cases across a number of legal disciplines. Employment department has been awarded The Lawyer Awards “Employment Team of the Year” on several occasions and is ranked among the top employment teams in both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. Department services a wide range of clients, advising on the full range of employment law issues. Employed as a Solicitor within the employment department, dealing primarily with complex employment-related litigation (ET, EAT and court work), including equal pay, discrimination, TUPE and contract cases. Also regularly advised on non-contentious matters. Varied portfolio of clients, from senior executives to charities and trade unions across a range of sectors including healthcare, financial services, media, construction, transport, telecoms, education and various service sectors.



Hodge Jones & Allen

• United Kingdom
• Legal Services
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Solicitor

  • Sep 1997 - Feb 2001

  Sept 1999 - Feb 2001: Solicitor Sept 1997 - August 1999: Trainee Solicitor Highly regarded law firm with approximately 30 partners and over 100 employees. Firm has “highly regarded” and “recommended” status in numerous disciplines in Chambers and Partners directory. While a Trainee Solicitor, worked in a number of areas including criminal law, civil litigation, housing law and employment law. Also achieved Accredited status as a Police Station Representative. Subsequently employed as a Solicitor (from September 1999) in the employment department. Responsible for conduct of own varied caseload as well as assisting partners on other cases. Undertook both claimant and respondent work, both contentious (ET, EAT, High Court and Court of Appeal) and non-contentious. Gained considerable advocacy experience in the ET and County Court (and the Mental Health Review Tribunal).



WWAV Rapp Collins

• London, England, United Kingdom

• Results Analyst/Account Manager

  • Jul 1995 - Mar 1997

  July 1995 - July 1996 (full time) Sept 1996 - Mar 1997 (p/t) Largest direct marketing agency in Europe providing full range of direct marketing services across all media. London office employed approximately 350 people. Employed as a Results Analyst/Account Manager. Part of a team responsible for managing advertising campaigns of 3 major clients with advertising budgets in excess of £5 million. Responsibilities included liaising with all departments and the client at each stage to assist in the management of campaigns from conception to results analysis. Developed a complex spreadsheet used for analysis and forecasting of results data for subsequent presentation to the client. Invited to return as a part-time consultant for a period while at law school (1996-1997).



GGT

• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Media Accounts Clerk

  • Jul 1990 - Sep 1993

  July 1990-Sept 1992 July 1993-Sept 1993(temp) Top 20 advertising agency specialising in brand awareness advertising. Provide advertising services for a number of high profile clients in a wide range of fields (e.g. car manufacturing, retail and financial services sectors). Employed as a Media Accounts Clerk, responsible for bought and sales ledger accounting for advertising across all media. Worked closely with the media buying department and Financial Director in order to ensure correct billing of clients and regulation of advertising space costs. Invited to return for temporary/part-time work while at University.