Withers LLP

Employment

Libby is a partner in the employment team.

A former competitive fencer, she is now an equally enthusiastic employment and sports lawyer. She acts for both employers and senior executives and also for sports clubs' agents and athletes.

Having a real passion for the law, she enjoys coming up with creative and practical solutions to even the most novel issues. She is consistently praised in both Legal 500 and Chambers, where she receives comments such as:

‘...highly competent. Her client handling and drafting skills are among the best in the industry. She is also a joy to work with.' 

‘Libby Payne delivers strong partnership, the ability to quickly grasp the needs of any given situation and provides commercial and trusted advice.’

 Whether acting for employer or employee, or on either side of a commercial transaction, she is able to establish quickly the client's ideal outcome and formulate an appropriate strategy.

Complementary to her employment practice, she is also instructed on a range of sports law matters involving both employment and regulatory advice. Her clients include a professional sports clubs and sports employers and top level athletes, coaches, agents and managers. She has previously been a board director of British Fencing, with a particular responsibility for equality issues.

She is a member of Withers' dedicated luxury brands team and a number of her clients (both employee and employer) are from the design, fashion or retail sectors.

Libby enjoys writing articles on novel or developing areas of law and practice and has been published on a number of occasions covering both employment and sports law matters. A confident public speaker, Libby enjoys delivering engaging and practical training on a variety of employment and sports law topics.