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The ‘very good’ Gareth Walls heads A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland’s excellent employment team, in which Sara Armstrong is also recommended. Its recent focus has been on redundancy and other employment aspects of M&A and restructuring matters. It acted for Kana Software Inc on acquiring Lagan Technologies’ software division, and UTV Media plc on redundancy and restructuring issues. Other clients include Golf Holdings plc and Britvic.

Demonstrating ‘a professional, client-centred approach’, Carson McDowell represents employers on contentious and non-contentious matters, including defending one client in a tribunal alleging disability discrimination, constructive dismissal and victimisation. Recent clients have included McDonald’s and Royal Mail. Orlagh O’Neill (‘technically very good’, with ‘good client skills’) heads the practice.

Cleaver Fulton Rankin is seeing more tribunal claims, and advises public and private sector clients on matters including redundancy programmes, restrictive covenants, dismissal and disciplinary procedures, and discrimination cases. Michael Black heads the practice.

The ‘technically very good’ Adam Brett heads McGrigors Belfast LLP’s employment practice, which advised J Sainsbury on TUPE and other employment aspects of acquisitions from other retailers; and Coca-Cola HBC NI Ltd on industrial relations and union discussions. The group was local counsel defending Nortel Networks against protective award claims brought by members of the Unite union.

Lisa Sturgeon (née Tracey) and John Gordon lead the employment practice at Napier and Sons, which advises on policy and redundancy matters, and employment regulations. Clients include BT, Royal Mail, the Police Ombudsman, and many schools.

Tughans advises on the employment aspects of transactions and restructuring, as well as handling tribunal and other contentious matters. Recent work includes a case involving allegations of direct and 
indirect gender discrimination; representing a council 
in an equal pay claim; and advising ESB on acquiring 
NIE plc. Practice head Anna Beggan and the ‘very 
sensible, very good’ Ciara Fulton (née Dooris) 
are recommended. Patricia Rooney joined as a consultant.

Arthur Cox’s disputes-oriented practice represents many of the firm’s multinational corporate clients, including financial institutions, manufacturers and foodstuff producers. Rosemary Lundy is recommended.

Elliott Duffy Garrett advises employers on corporate policy, legislation, hiring, dismissal and disputes. Practice head Adrienne Brock is recommended.

Jones Cassidy Jones Solicitors is ‘a solid, niche employment practice’, which represents public and private sector clients. Former regulators Fiona Cassidy and Beverley Jones are both ‘top notch’.

Kiera Lee heads Mills Selig’s practice, which primarily advises corporate clients on matters such as employment audits and senior management changes. It advised O’Kane Poultry, a 1,000-employee company, on employment issues.

At Rosemary Connolly Solicitors, Rosemary Connolly is ‘a very competent employment specialist; no pushover’. She has a particularly good reputation for claimant work but also acts for public bodies.

John O’Neill at Thompsons McClure is ‘a decent representative of union claimants’. He acted for members of Unite in protective award claims against Nortel Networks and J&G Engineering.

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Legal Developments in the UK

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    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
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  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

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  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
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  • A justified retrospective

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  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

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  • Public Sector Equality Duty

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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
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  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

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