rradar > Leeds, England > Firm Profile
rradar Offices
Suite 4b
Platform
New Station Street
Yorkshire
LS1 4JB
England
rradar > The Legal 500 Rankings
Employment > Health and safety Tier 3
rradar acts for a number of insurers and commercial agents in investigations across a range of industries. Stephanie Thirlwell heads the regulatory practice from Leeds, working with a number of individuals and companies in investigations and prosecutions, while Jeff Swales leads the group in Hull with extensive experience handling corporate manslaughter matters, motoring offences, and road haulage. Rupert Nevin similarly has contentious experience, and also assists in crisis management and compliance.Practice head(s):
Stephanie Thirlwell; Jeff Swales
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team at rradar are able to draw from a wealth of diverse experience across several different legal jurisdictions. They work extremely closely with the lay client and the insurer client and know tactically the best approach to deploy to ensure the representation is utilised to maximum effect. The firm is also proactive in assisting clients in the future and takes any opportunity to provide support where appropriate.‘
‘Well-versed in the relevant law and pre-empts issues others will not foresee.’
‘The team are always a pleasure to work with, they are very well briefed and always deliver a quality product.’
‘My experience is that the firm is very responsive as well as collaborative, providing very clear advice, free of jargon. We have been very well supported with a complex health and safety matter, with the firm introducing us to highly capable experts which has helped us to more effectively manage risk. I would describe the firm as a progressive legal risk solutions business.’
‘We have valued Rupert Nevin’s clear, direct and responsive approach.‘
‘The team is very strong in health and safety work, particularly Jeff Swales.‘
‘Jeff Swales has excellent knowledge of health and safety cases and is very good at supporting clients through the process and managing their expectations.’
‘Specialists with vast experience in health and safety representation. Clients receive personalised service and clear strategic planning and decision making from the outset of any investigation.’
Key clients
Oxford Engineering (Hampshire) Ltd
P&R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Ltd
Norish Ltd
Tyrefix UK Ltd
Interior Products Group Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised Tyrefix on a joint police and HSE investigation following an incident where an employee suffered fatal injuries.
- Represented P&R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Ltd in an HSE investigation following the death of an employee.
- Representing Interior Products Group Ltd, who is being prosecuted by the HSE following the amputation of two fingers of an employee.
Employment > Health and safety Tier 3
With solicitor advocate and legal director Alastair Gray (Glasgow) at the helm, rradar is well placed to assist companies with regulatory investigations and prosecutions, such as those involving road traffic offences, in addition to fatal accident inquiries. Associate Robbie Cole is another key member of the team, and a regular fixture on HSE, EHO and Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID) investigations. Much of the team’s recent work stems from the manufacturing, housing and construction sectors.
Practice head(s):
Alastair Gray
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘They are strong in their fields, clear in their communication and responsive to the needs of clients in dealing with cases of all sizes.’
‘Alastair Gray is a highly experienced court practitioner and lawyer in the field of health and safety law. He relates well with clients and instills confidence in them through his clear understanding of the case he is instructed in.’
‘High-quality team of specialists, who have a strong understanding not only of their own areas of expertise but also how their clients operate from a governance and leadership perspective.’
‘Alastair Gray is an extremely thoughtful and composed professional. His calm and measured approach in challenging situations has been important as we have worked through a number of difficult situations.’
‘I have always found rradar go above and beyond what one expects from a firm of solicitors. This usually results in a good outcome and experience for the client, which might not otherwise have been the case.’
‘Alastair Gray has outstanding legal skills in the area of health and safety.’
‘Their collaborative approach and specialist knowledge mean that we continue to work closely with rradar.’
‘They were very responsive to requests and they rigorously kept us up to date with progress at all times.’
Key clients
Ark Housing Association
River Clyde Homes
Stevenson Bros (Avonbridge) Ltd
Work highlights
- Represented an employee of River Clyde Homes in a matter investigated by the HSE for breach of health and safety law; the breach finding could not be challenged, and the client was not prosecuted.
- Represented an employee of Stevenson Bros (Avonbridge) Ltd in a matter investigated by the HSE; an improvement notice suggesting the client’s risk assessment was deficient was successfully appealed.
- Acting for Ark House Association on negotiations with the Prosecutor Fiscal following the death of a service user.
Employment > Employment: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire Tier 5
rradar offers a broad service, both in terms of the claims that it handles and the sectors in which it works. In Leeds, senior solicitor Toni Haynes acts in contentious mandates for trade unions and individuals, and solicitors Tom Bernard and Janine Lawton defend Employment Tribunal claims. In Hull, solicitor Joshua Lee acts across a range of sectors.Practice head(s):
Robin White
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The approach is very open, friendly and understanding. The knowledge level is good and the approach to risk is very balanced.’
‘Individuals go the extra mile to engage and understand. They are very professional and spend time explaining the issues. They understand the charity sector and how it is different.‘
‘Fully engaged, solid, professional experts who are able to give confident and productive information and insight.’
‘Open, personable, available, easy to contact and engage with.‘
‘This is an excellent firm with quality people. This is reflected in the high calibre of work they receive and retain on a repeat basis. Their level of engagement, both with the legal issues, clients and instructed counsel, is second to none. They are both fiercely robust and commercially sensible when appropriate.’
‘The two stand out individuals in my mind are Joshua Lee and Janine Lawton. They are all extremely user friendly.’
‘All the fee earners with whom I have worked have provided their clients with an excellent service.’
‘Joshua Lee leaves no stone unturned in striving to achieve the right result for his clients. He is technically strong and a real team player.’
Key clients
Pallotine Missionary Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate
Abbatt Dual Management Ltd
Opus Care
Complete Sport Solutions
Exeter Leukaemia Fund
H I Weldrick Ltd
Work highlights
- Acted for a large property management company in successfully persuading the Employment Tribunal to strike out a disruptive claimant’s disability discrimination claim.
- Defended a charity successfully against a claim for unfair dismissal, unlawful deduction of wages, and whistleblowing detriment made by a former employee.
- Defended a large family run network of pharmacies successfully against a claim for constructive unfair dismissal and discrimination worth £169,000.
Employment
rradar > Firm Profile
rradar is a specialist litigation and commercial law firm that uses legal expertise and digital tools to proactively manage, advise and deliver business solutions to reduce legal risk.
We don’t just stop at legal excellence. We also specialise in education and the prevention of legal crises in the first place. Our people are focused on sharing difficult-to-access legal knowledge through innovative digital channels so clients can easily access the information faster and tackle commercial risks before they become costly legal problems.
Pioneering a new way
To do this, we have built a multidisciplinary team of solicitors, HR and employment specialists, health and safety consultants, tax advisers, IT and in-house developers, design and media specialists whose combined strength makes us a powerful advocate and champion for businesses, helping them to navigate and evolve in an ever-changing environment of regulation, compliance and litigation risk.
We have 149 full time team members and we are continually growing across five key strategic office locations – Hull, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow and Leicester. We fuse first-class legal advice and representation with the latest technology to deliver a preventative, education-led strategy that makes the law more accessible and affordable to our clients.
How we do it
Our people work with businesses to manage their legal risk and associated problems. We offer a technology driven, preventative educational strategy that makes the law more accessible and affordable, supporting people to run better businesses.
Working across all our offices, rradar’s legal services teams include solicitors with recognised experience and expertise who are regularly involved in complex, high profile and high value cases in our specialist practice areas.
Whether faced with regulatory investigation or criminal prosecution, an employment tribunal or involved in a commercial dispute, it is essential that our clients know that our team is on their side. We are very proud to have strong links both with leading experts and also with barristers in the country’s top ranked chambers ensuring that our clients receive the best possible representation and service.
Email us: contactus@rradar.com
Visit our website for more information: www.rradar.com
Call on: 03300 414 996
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Disputes, Corporate and Commercial | Stuart Ashall | ||
| High Value Commercial Disputes | Robert Norton | ||
| Employment | Toni Haynes | ||
| Business Crime and Regulation | Stephanie Thirlwell | ||
| Health and Safety, Business Crime and Regulation | Jeff Swales | ||
| Cyber, Data and Information Law | Neil Topham | ||
| rradar Scotland, Business Crime and Regulation | Alastair Gray | ||
| rradar Scotland Employment | Robin White | ||
| rradarstation | Nkolika Oraka | ||
| Commercial Disputes | Tim Lawrence |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Toni Haynes | Team Leader, Senior Solicitor | View Profile |
|
Robert Norton | Senior Solicitor and Team Leader (Leeds) | View Profile |
|
Stephanie Thirlwell | Team Leader | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Hull : 90 Leeds : 41 Birmingham : 7 Glasgow : 9 Leicester : 2Languages
English (fluent) BengaliMemberships
ELA (Employment Lawyers Association)Other
:Diversity
rradar is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and engaging workplace where all employees feel that they belong, empowering them to thrive and grow to their full potential and enabling the company to deliver innovative, customer-centric solutions. Our vision is to leverage the diversity of our employees, business partners and clients to foster a culture of engagement, fairness and respect within our workplace and the community.
At rradar we encourage equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace and create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all. We recognise and value individual differences and support and encourage all our employees to develop and progress to their full potential and perform at their best, so their talents and resources can be fully utilised and in turn continuously innovate, improve and grow the success of the organisation.
Our commitment includes training our people managers and all employees on equality, diversity and inclusion, setting out clearly the collective responsibilities as leaders and employees in providing equal opportunities in employment, and preventing bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination. Our values, combined with the above form the blueprint for our people strategy at rradar, opposing and avoiding all forms of unlawful discrimination. This includes in pay and benefits, terms and conditions of employment, dealing with grievances and discipline, dismissal, redundancy, leave for parents, requests for flexible working, and selection for employment, promotion, training or other developmental opportunities.
Client Testimonials
CLIENT: M.Follett
COMPANY/FIRM: RBL Hawkhurst Club Ltd
TESTIMONIAL: “Check your business insurance policy to see if rradar is included. I got clear, efficient legal advice from polite and friendly advisors at rradar who put me at ease from the start and gave me the confidence to make the right decisions for my business – and it didn’t cost me a thing.”
CLIENT: Colin Nagle
COMPANY/FIRM: Draycast Foundries Ltd
TESTIMONIAL: “For over 2 years, we have used rradar’s legal advice line service on a weekly basis to guide and advise us on the whole spectrum of HR issues and especially when we were going through a series of fairly complex HR matters during the pandemic – The advice we get is always prompt, accurate and incredibly helpful. Dealing with approximately 40 employees – this service is priceless. An excellent service to date from rradar. Thank you.”
CLIENT: N.Sodha
COMPANY/FIRM: Sodha and Company
TESTIMONIAL: “My experience of using rradar’s services has left an overwhelmingly good lasting impression on me. A lot of companies tell you that they are your trusted partner; I found rradar truly embodies that statement. I discussed a difficult disciplinary issue with the advisors and got clear, professional advice on the next steps, the language I should use in the follow up correspondence and have downloaded letter templates should I need them. Everyone I spoke to at rradar genuinely cared and wanted to help me. I really haven’t been this impressed by a company in a very long time.”
CLIENT: Stellamaris Mohammed
COMPANY/FIRM: St Giles Trust
TESTIMONIAL: “I use the legal helpline at least once a month and have always found rradar’s advisors very efficient and knowledgeable. They listen and explore the options to resolve issues with you. I now feel very confident and reassured with the advice I am given. I am extremely pleased that I switched from using another service provider to using rradar with no regrets.”
CLIENT: Helen Bayne
COMPANY/FIRM: Link Group Ltd
TESTIMONIAL: “The rradar team has provided expert support to Link across various practice areas including regulatory issues, employment/HR and commercial litigation, dealing with disputes and property damage. The point of consistency remains the high quality of advice and the team’s ability to confidently navigate us through often challenging and complex issues. Our thanks for your on-going support.”
CLIENT: Francis Davidson
COMPANY/FIRM: Avenue Care Services Ltd
TESTIMONIAL: “The level of service and professionalism that rradar have provided my business with has been second to none. They always go above and beyond our expectations and leave no stone unturned. With rradar you get a professional yet a very personal service, and you would be hard pushed to find a law firm that equals this standard of quality. It’s so reassuring knowing we have them to advise and represent us.”
CLIENT: Chris Barry
COMPANY/FIRM: Viva Italia Ltd
TESTIMONIAL: “The team at rradar continue to give us the confidence to make balanced decisions to protect both employees and company alike. We have worked hand in hand with Robin White and his team throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and their dynamic approach to really understanding our business challenges has ensured we have navigated through the pandemic without HR issue. There is a consistency in approach and direct advice received has allowed us to make the right decisions around employee performance and welfare. They will continue to be our HR partner as we expand the business and grow the team.”
CLIENT: Lissa Di Giacomo
COMPANY/FIRM: Oakminster Healthcare Ltd
TESTIMONIAL: “We have been working with rradar for over 5 years and always found them to be a dedicated and highly experienced team of solicitors. Over the years, they have given us excellent support and advice on various employment law and regulatory issues. Robin White especially has given us an excellent service, representing us in a complex Employment Tribunal case. At every stage he acted with integrity, great professionalism and excellent communication, leading us to a positive outcome.”
CLIENT: Carol Wannan
COMPANY/FIRM: Malcolm Allan Ltd
TESTIMONIAL: “rradar, and in particular, Robin White have consistently given us excellent professional advice on a whole range of employment law issues, supporting us fully throughout each stage of the process. I would not hesitate in recommending them.”
CLIENT: Mario Arcari
COMPANY/FIRM: La Vita Group
TESTIMONIAL: “We engaged rradar on a recent Employment Tribunal and were very impressed. Robin White and Diane Turner were in constant dialogue with us and went into immense detail to advise us on all the appropriate steps to take. We were very happy with their work and the outcome. We would definitely use them again if any future cases arise.”
CLIENT: Jennifer Hunter
COMPANY/FIRM: Stevenson Bros. (Avonbridge)
TESTIMONIAL: “Since 2018, the rradar Scotland team have supported us with consistent advice on Health and Safety, Transport and Employment Law and supported us throughout some extraordinary and challenging times. They have expert legal and industry knowledge and fully understand our business and key personnel. Previously, we retained legal support as a last resort and for specific circumstances. Now advice is sought proactively which can conclude matters promptly. Contact is fast over phone or email, we have ongoing support for more complex circumstances and online resources are available on their web portal. The benefits of our partnership with rradar are clear and we would certainly recommend them.”
CLIENT: Anna Kozlowska
COMPANY/FIRM: M&H Logistics (Glasgow) Ltd
TESTIMONIAL: “Professional, efficient, knowledgeable and personable legal services partner. We have been working closely with rradar for several years now and can always count on their sound advice and guidance whether that is with employment or commercial law matters, or even a public inquiry. rradar have provided great support to M&H through the whole process. I felt as if rradar was a part of our own team which resulted in thorough, extensive and strong preparation and a successful conclusion of our case. I would highly recommend rradar to any business looking for a solid legal services partner.”