David Sykes > Averta Employment Lawyers LLP > Birmingham, England > Lawyer Profile
Averta Employment Lawyers LLP Offices
1, The Courtyard, 707 Warwick Road
Solihull
B91 3DA
England
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David Sykes
Work Department
Employment law.
Position
David was formerly a partner with DLA Piper, advising such corporations as Tesco, HMV and Abbey National (now Santander) on a range of employment matters including hiring and firing senior executives and directors. In 2004 he set up Averta, a niche practice specialising exclusively in employment law. At Averta, David brings his legal and commercial skills to the benefit of directors, senior executives, managers and other professionals facing employment law issues at work or looking to negotiate an acceptable severance package. The firm became Averta Employment Lawyers when Alan Jones joined on 1 January 2005. Averta prides itself on its responsiveness, cost effective and outcome based approach to employment law issues. The firm will litigate where necessary but will endeavour to achieve an outstanding outcome for a client by negotiation or mediation wherever possible.Although the firm has remained true to its roots in bringing strong commercial skills to the benefit of the individual, there are a number of corporations that seek the partner-led and cost-effective support that the partners and senior lawyers in the firm can bring to a problem, and the firm welcomes approaches from businesses in need of strategic advice on employment matters. The type of work that David handles includes high-value severance claims, share and share options issues, bonus claims, team moves including restrictive covenants, board room disputes including shareholder issues, TUPE and discrimination. He has considerable experience acting for solicitors, accountants and other professionals in issues relating to membership of LLPs, and also handles senior individuals who work in the public sector including the NHS and local government.
Career
Trained Hewitsons; qualified 1993; DLA Piper 1997; partner 2001. He was previously a police officer with the Metropolitan Police (1979-87) in the drug squad, coming to law as a mature student in 1991. Set up Averta in 2004.
Memberships
Employment Lawyer’s Association; Birmingham Law Society.
Education
Warwick School; De Montfort University (Law Society final exam); City Law School (post graduate diploma in employment law).
Leisure
Walking, spending time with his family, music (he owns some 35 guitars) and playing in a number of bands.
Lawyer Rankings
West Midlands > Employment > Employment
(Leading individuals)‘Exceptional partners’ Alan Jones 
and David Sykes, co-head the ‘highly skilled’ team at Averta Employment Lawyers LLP. The ‘responsive and collaborative’ group focuses on the employment law needs of directors, managers, senior executives and other professionals. It thrives on negotiating exit packages, settlement agreements and discrimination claims. The group is active in the private and the public sectors and is also adept at advising on post-termination restrictions and TUPE transfers. Recently, it has seen an increase in corporate and SME work. Consultant, David Beswick, is another known name in the market. Izzy Canning is an able associate.