Paul Cotton > Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP > Leeds, England > Lawyer Profile

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP attracts a range of high-profile clients through the combination of its ‘commercial and practical understanding’ of employment law matters and the firm’s international footprint. Industrial relations, board-level exits, and tribunal work are particular strengths of the practice, as is the education sector, which is managed by its own separate team. Operating out of Leeds, practice head Paul Cotton specialises in the employment aspects of M&A transactions, particularly TUPE matters, reorganisations, and redundancies, while Chris Mordue remains eminent nationally in the higher education space, with recent activity in industrial action mandates. Other lawyers of note include Simon Rice-Birchall and his work around minimum wage compliance; Lousie Lightfoot, whose strengths are in immigration and multi-jurisdictional projects; and Ben Wood, who specialises in the education sector.

Possessing a deep bench of practitioners which was further bolstered over 2022, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is trusted by clients in the manufacturing, education, financial and professional services industries for the full range of employment matters. Beyond industrial action and trade union work, the firm has seen a marked increase in unfair dismissal and discrimination cases, worker status and rights issues, and significant global restructuring projects. Helming high-profile mandates for a number of sector giants, Paul Cotton‘s practice centres on corporate transaction-related employment issues, including, but not limited to, TUPE, redundancies, and executive terminations. Naeema Choudry leverages her established strength in litigation to act in Employment Tribunals, with recent cases including unfair dismissal, holiday pay and disability discrimination, while Robert Gray is the go-to advisor for the education sector. Jenny Mann works closely with financial services, TMT and utility clients to advise on executive departures, restrictive covenant and employee incentive and bonus schemes, whilst also being viewed as a cross-border specialist. Stephen Chegwin continues to be active in employment and labour litigation, alongside complex reoganisation and redundancy mandates.