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United Kingdom > South East > Human resources > Employment: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40

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Boyes Turner delivers ‘concise and on target’ advice to clients including Hitachi Data Systems, Ericsson, Historic Royal Palaces and LoveFilm. The team’s work spans High Court litigation, employment tribunal claims and corporate support. It recently advised Johnston Press in an injunction against the National Union of Journalists. Barry Stanton leads the team, with David Blomfield, Helen Goss and Michael Farrier all highly recommended.

‘Technically good, and business orientated’, Clarkslegal LLP handled a number of employment matters arising from restructuring programmes, for the likes of Sun Microsystems. With an ‘innovative, proactive and responsive approach’, it also advised Gate Gourmet London in five appeals in the employment appeal tribunal. ‘Expert’ Michael Sippitt leads the team, which also features Monica Atwal, who gets ‘fantastic results’ defending tribunal claims, and the ‘outstanding’ Helen Beech. The firm also benefits from its own HR consultancy, Forbury People.

With ‘excellent response rates’, Lewis Silkin LLP is one of the premier employment practices in the region. The 19-strong team acts for CEOs of major companies in employment cases, and counts Channel 4, Channel 5 and the Discovery Channel as clients; it also added Nokia UK, Arsenal FC, French Connection and Aston Martin to its client roster in 2010. The ‘outstanding’ Russell Brimelow leads the ‘engaging and professional team’, and Jonathan Carr ‘never sits on the fence’. Carolyn Soakell relocated to the Oxford office in 2010.

Olswang’s ‘excellent team’ attracts an ‘enviable quality of work and clients’. Led by the ‘very credible and impressive’ Gary Henderson, the group advises on discrimination claims, restructurings and redundancies, as well as providing outsourcing advice. It continues to act as sole employment advisers for Timberland, Microsoft UK, Quintiles, Ernst & Young, and Chellomedia.

The ‘proactive’ Osborne Clarke has a formidable reputation in the arena. The team, led by Danielle Kingdon, recently advised HCL Axon regarding an unfair dismissal claim. New clients in 2010 included UST Global and MphasiS UK. Senior associate Lloyd Davey is ‘100% focused on finding workable solutions’ and is particularly noted for his data protection expertise.

Shoosmiths provides ‘practical and commercial advice in a timely manner’. Kevin McCavish is ‘unbelievably commercial’ and ‘knows the law inside out’. Key clients include Hewlett-Packard and Calor Gas, and in 2010 the team also won work from Arthritis Research UK and Prudential Health Services. Eugene Wojciechowski left for Manches LLP in May 2011.

Boutique firm Doyle Clayton Solicitors ‘exercises a real understanding of complex employment law’. The ‘incredibly commercial’ team advises the likes of Vodafone UK and Dixons Retail in employment tribunal claims, and added Greene King and Aldermore Bank as clients in 2010. Tina Wisener is ‘astute and personable’, and Piers Leigh-Pollitt is ‘genial and attentive’.

With an ‘excellent level of knowledge and skills’, Field Seymour Parkes’ employment law team provides ‘invaluable support’, and was further strengthened by the arrival of ‘excellent’ practice head Jacqueline McDermott, who joined from Pitmans LLP in 2010. It recently advised a management consultancy firm in a wrongful dismissal claim brought by a former employee, and also assisted a company in a High Court breach of contract claim. Rachel Tozer is recommended.

Manches LLP provides ‘advice that cuts through to the core of a problem’, and is praised for its ‘acumen, confidence and professionalism’. The team is headed up by Daff Richardson, who is an ‘effective leader’ with ‘excellent commercial sense’, and was further strengthened by Eugene Wojciechowski’s arrival from Shoosmiths, who joined in May 2011 to head up the Reading team. Associates Sally Nesbitt (‘first rate’) and Jayne Sinclair (an ‘excellent communicator’) are recommended.

The ‘top-quality’ team at Morgan Cole is based in Oxford and Reading and provides ‘professional and commercial support’. It won House of Fraser as a client in 2010, and also advised a charity on TUPE regulations. In Oxford, Rebecca Ireland has ‘great enthusiasm for her work’, and William Downing provides ‘thorough legal advice backed with practical business understanding’. Matt Jenkin in Reading is ‘very commercially aware’.

Pitmans LLP provides ‘prompt, factual and common-sense advice’, and recently added ToshibaTech, Cohort and 2e2 UK to its client roster. Mark Symons leads the group. The team advised Ridgeway Group on the employment issues relating to its £4.5m acquisition of VW dealerships. Richard Devall provides ‘quick responses’.

Heading the national employment practice at Thomas Eggar LLP, Simon Fenton leads an ‘exceptional employment team’ that provides ‘extremely practical advice based on a solid technical foundation’. It handles restructuring and redundancy cases for the likes of Vanco UK, Genus Pharmaceuticals, and Micheldever Tyre Services.

‘Very quick and pragmatic’, Blake Lapthorn fields an ‘excellent team of employment lawyers’. In 2010, it acted for Allport in an employment tribunal claim for unfair dismissal, and also assisted Bouygues in a race discrimination claim. Jim Whiter is a ‘really robust and responsive lawyer’.

‘Able to communicate clearly about difficult and complex matters’, Blandy & Blandy LLP advises on discrimination and unfair dismissal claims, and TUPE matters. Sue Dowling has ‘excellent knowledge and expertise’, and litigator Tim Clark is ‘responsive and knowledgeable’.

Cater Leydon Millard fields a ‘responsive and knowledgeable’ team of specialists. The firm advises NHS trusts, schools and corporates, and has recently handled age, sex and racial discrimination claims. Sheila Cater provides ‘practical and clear-headed advice’; Wendy Leydon is a ‘star performer’; and Nathan Millard delivers ‘spot-on advice’.

Darbys Solicitors LLP delivers ‘sound and timely advice’ with a ‘strong solutions-based focus’. The team advises over 400 schools through its BLUE for Schools programme, including Oxford and Cherwell Valley College. David Parry delivers ‘the best realistic outcome in the most cost-effective way’.

At Employment Law Plus, sole practitioner and noted employment judge Jill Kelly is ‘very knowledgeable and competent’. Recent highlights include advising a claimant in an employment tribunal claim brought against an international airline relating to religious and disability discrimination, whistleblowing and unfair dismissal.

Henmans LLP provides ‘extremely good value for money for the level and quality of advice’, and advises clients in the automobile and motor racing industries. James Simpson provides ‘commercially feasible solutions’. Clients include Reading Transport and Stagecoach in East Kent, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire.

Spratt Endicott’s ‘impressive’ team is led by Carol Shaw, who acts as an employment tribunal advocate. With ‘comprehensive expertise’ and ‘a quick grasp of clients’ needs’, it acts for clients in the advertising, manufacturing and security industries.

Natalie Roach left Brethertons LLP in 2010, joining Beechwood Solicitors. David Hodge joined from Stephens Scown LLP and now leads the team, and is rated for his ‘no-nonsense approach’. The team advises on discrimination claims, breach of contract, and TUPE issues.

Providing ‘high-quality service’, the ‘extremely good’ team at Clifton Ingram LLP features the ‘outstanding’ James Dyson. It advises on discrimination claims, redundancy issues and TUPE regulations.

At Withy King LLP, Richard White is ‘very responsive’. The ‘positive and helpful advice’ team assists in tribunal cases and offers its own insurance-backed scheme to protect companies from claims, as well as an outsourced human resources service.

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