Lucy Mclynn > Bates Wells > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Bates Wells
10 QUEEN STREET PLACE
LONDON
EC4R 1BE
England
Lucy Mclynn photo

Work Department

Employment.

Position

Contentious employment work with particular emphasis on discrimination and status issues; reported cases include Dixon v Croglin Estate Co Ltd [2012] EqLR 187; Mahood v Irish Centre Housing [2011] EqLR 586; Coleman v Attridge Law [2010] IRLR 10 and [2008] IRLR 722; Randall v Southampton City College [2006] IRLR 18; Melhuish v Redbridge CAB [2005] IRLR 419; Virgo Fidelis School v Boyle [2004] IRLR 268 and South East Sheffield CAB v Grayson [2004] IRLR 353; regular advocate in employment tribunals and employment appeal tribunals on behalf of both claimants and respondents.

Career

Trained Farrar’s Building; qualified 1997 barrister, 2001 solicitor; partner Bates Wells Braithwaite 2005 to date; author of ‘Working Time and Holidays – A Practical Legal Guide’ (November 2009, Oxford University Press); author of articles for ‘The Times’ and ‘Personnel Today’.

Languages

French, Italian.

Memberships

Employment Lawyers Association; Industrial Law Society (executive committee member); advisory panel of Equal Opportunities Review.

Education

Bristol University (1994 first class Honours degree in English); City University (1996 CPE); Inns of Court School of Law (1997 Bar Vocational Course)

Leisure

Travel, skiing, reading, film, wine appreciation.

Lawyer Rankings

London > Employment > Senior executives

The team at Bates Wells is best known for dealing with exit negotiation, whistleblowing and harassment claims. Team head Lucy McLynn handles breaches of restrictive covenants, while Paul Jennings specialises in class actions and is leading an ongoing test case regarding the rights of multi-app workers. The firm also deals with term negotiation for non-contentious retail matters. Senior associate Hannah Wright handles sex discrimination litigation, while recently-promoted partner Rachel Mathieson is active on regulatory compliance matters. Another key team member is William Garnett.

London > Employment > Employers

Bates Wells is noted for its specialist expertise in advising NGOs, as well as institutional clients in the medical and sciences spaces such as the Royal College of Nursing. Further clients in a broad range include the Kuwait Investment Office, which the firm assisted with litigation pertaining to the interplay of employment law and diplomatic immunity. Practice head Lucy McLynn is a highly experienced litigator with particular expertise in employment status matters and discrimination claims. Rachel Mathieson, promoted to partner in April 2023, is also central to the team, as is Paul Jennings.

London > Public sector > Education: institutions

Bates Wells has a strong reputation for providing full-service advice to FE colleges and non-university educational establishments, especially in relation to regulatory compliance, accreditation and registration processes, and strategically important employment and charity matters. Under the leadership of governance and commercial expert Jean Tsang, the team has advised on numerous FE college mergers, demergers, and acquisitions, and it is also trusted to provide corporate advice on procurement and IP commercialisation initiatives. Lucy McLynn spearheads the team’s employment offering and regularly advises on staffing issues and industrial relations as well as disciplinary proceedings. Claire Whittle left for DLA Piper.