Farore Law

Employment

Partner at Farore Law

Rachel O’Connell has specialised in employment law for over 28 years. During the course of her career, she has worked in the employment department at one of the larger city firms and before joining Farore Law was the Managing Partner of a boutique employment law firm in Surrey.

Rachel’s expertise and experience covers all areas of employment law, and she has an excellent record in the Employment Tribunal in bringing and defending claims in particular for discrimination, whistleblowing and equal pay.

Rachel has acted for and advised many senior executives in relation to claims in the Tribunals and High Court, including C-Suite management and equity partners. She has also acted for several women based in the City in cases involving sexual harassment, securing significant settlements for them. Her litigation experience is in complex and high value discrimination and whistle-blowing claims. Recent works include:

Acting for a Senior Executive in a pharmaceutical company with a complex whistle-blowing claim, this resulted in a settlement in the high six figures at the Tribunal door. Acting for a city trader with a complicated claim of unfair and wrongful dismissal against Citigroup, this case has significant ramifications for the client who was FCA regulated. The ET found that he was both unfairly and wrongfully dismissed by Citi and that he was innocent of any wrongdoing.  Acting for a female Senior Executive in a large nation-wide organisation with an equal pay, discrimination and unfair dismissal claim. This claim settled for a six figure sum before proceedings needed to be issued. Acting for a senior Executive working at a very senior level for a tech company in a claim of disability discrimination resulting in a negotiated settlement in six figures.

Rachel also advises employers and has acted for large multi nationals and SME’s. Rachel represents employers at Tribunal, with a high success rate and pre-litigation on misconduct matters as well as complex grievances. Rachel particularly enjoys workplace investigations and has a forensic attention to detail. Some investigations Rachel has undertaken as an independent investigator include:

An investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against a senior member of management in a global organisation, this included several interviews of various staff members and forming a conclusion and setting out recommendations for the Company; An investigation into allegations of improper conduct by a director of a global provider of security and bomb disposal equipment including falsifying specification  documents with potentially life threatening consequences, this investigation necessitated a review and an understanding of laws effecting other jurisdictions including those in Africa and South East Asia.

Employment Lawyers Association, International Forum of Senior Executive Advisers