Legal Team
The Legal Advice Centre consists of approximately 40 qualified employment solicitors and barristers. They all maintain their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) education programmes to retain their practicing certificates and many have worked for some of the leading law firms in the UK.
The team currently handle approximately 120,000 employment related calls per year and are able to offer practical, commercial, business-led Legal and HR advice on a wide variety of topics. Complaint ratios are currently 1:3,500 calls. Here are just some of the team...
Murray Fairclough
Director of Legal Services
Murray Fairclough is a barrister called to the Bar in 1993 and a specialist employment lawyer. In 1999, he was awarded a Doctorate by the University of Leicester for his research into civil legal aid and the legal expenses insurance industry. Prior to establishing the team in 1998, Murray was in private practice and worked in-house as head of Employment Law for the Royal & Sun Alliance Group. He is a published author and regular contributor to BBC radio and LBC, and has extensive experience in all aspects of employment law.
Claire Birkinshaw
Legal Information Manager
Claire Birkinshaw qualified as a solicitor in 1994. She read law at the University of Manchester and worked at two of the top ten City of London law firms and as legal adviser to the Ministry of Defence before joining the team in 1998. Claire’s primary responsibility is to provide employment law know-how and technical support to the Employment, Corporate Services and Litigation Teams and she has gained extensive experience in employment law during her legal career. She is also responsible for the legal information content of this web site, is a published legal author and regularly writes articles for well-known legal publications, including the Employment Law Bulletin and CIPD Manuals.
John Moore
Manager - Employment Unit
John Moore has overall responsibility for the general employment advice facility, heading up a team of over 20 employment lawyers. John was admitted as a solicitor in 1987 and undertook a mix of general commercial law in private practice for many years. John joined the team in 1998. He is a published legal author and has made several appearances on national radio.
Kayi Cheung
Manager - Corporate Services Unit
Kayi Cheung is a solicitor and the manager of the Corporate Services Unit. Kayi worked for both a national firm in the City of London and a niche practice in West Sussex before joining the team in March 2006. She has experience both in Employment Tribunal litigation and in advising employers and employees on employment law and HR issues. She has also drafted a variety of documentation to assist employers, such as newsletters and guidance notes on recent changes in employment law.
Nicholas Bailey
Senior Legal Adviser
Nick Bailey is a solicitor and senior legal adviser in the Corporate Services Team. He qualified as a solicitor in 1993 and was in private practice until he joined the team in 2000. An employment law specialist for many years, Nick also has a strong academic interest in the subject and has completed a Masters degree in Employment Law and Industrial Relations.
Meena Jindal
Senior Legal Adviser
Meena Jindal is a solicitor specialising in employment law and senior legal adviser in the Corporate Services Team. She obtained an honours degree in law and spent four years at an established City of London firm before joining the team in January 2005. Meena has extensive experience in advising employers on a variety of employment law issues. She has presented at many employment law seminars aimed at HR professionals. Meena has practical experience in Employment Tribunal litigation and, on an academic level, has contributed to a recent edition of Tolley’s.
Olivia Irvine
Senior Legal Adviser
Olivia Irvine is a solicitor and senior legal adviser in the Corporate Services Team. Olivia qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and she then worked as an in-house employment solicitor in industry and in the City of London advising on all aspects of employment law. She has practical experience of employment tribunal litigation, advising on contracts, policies and staff handbooks and presenting seminars aimed at HR professionals and senior managers.
Christine Garrett
Legal Adviser
Christine Garrett is a solicitor and a legal adviser in the Corporate Services Team. Christine was admitted as a solicitor in January 2005 and she joined the team in March 2006. Before that, she undertook an internship in the Employment and Social Affairs Directorate-General of the European Commission and worked as an Employment solicitor in private practice. Christine has experience advising both employers and employees on the full range of employment law issues and she has practical experience of Employment Tribunal litigation.
Christine Slevin
Legal Adviser
Christine Slevin is a solicitor and legal adviser in the Corporate Services Team. Christine qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and since then she has continued to specialise in employment law. She joined the team in April 2006 and is experienced in advising employers on a wide range of employment law issues.
Edward Pearce
Manager - Employment Consultancy
Edward Pearce is the manager of the Employment Consultancy Team. He qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and joined the team in 1999. Since then he has continued to specialise in employment law. Before joining the team, he worked as a solicitor in private practice. His particular area of expertise is in non-contentious employment matters, including drafting contracts of employment, negotiating compromise agreements, assisting with the implementation of disciplinary exercises and redundancy programmes, and delivering training and seminars on employment law to managers and HR professionals.
Stuart England
Manager - Litigation Unit
Stuart England heads up the Employment Litigation Team, which comprises nine Lawyers. Stuart is a solicitor and originally practised as a Criminal Lawyer before becoming a specialist Employment Litigator and Advocate. Stuart is an experienced Trial Lawyer with a particular interest in discrimination claims.
Lavina Daryanani
Solicitor - Litigation Unit
Lavina Daryanani is a solicitor in the Litigation Team. She read law at the University of Bristol and qualified in September 2003 with a reputable City of London firm. She is experienced in advising employers on a wide range of employment law issues. Lavina has also provided training on various aspects of employment law to managers and HR professionals.