Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Nicola is a employment partner focused on providing employment, student and regulatory advice to clients in the Education sector.

A partner in the Education, Labour and Pensions Group, she focuses on providing advice to clients in the Education sector and heads the firms Education Sector Group. Nicola qualified in 1992 and became a partner in 2000 and has focused on working with Education Sector clients throughout her career.

Nicola's education sector experience encompasses students, employment and regulation working with providers in the Higher and Further Education Sectors, as well as schools and academies and private providers. Recent experience includes: student complaints, disciplinary processes and litigation; employment law, involving senior post-holders and governance issues, complex disciplinary and grievance matters, whistleblowing and TUPE; regulatory challenges.

She regularly advises on student issues focusing on student complaints, disciplinary and litigation matters, particularly involving issues of discrimination. Recent experience includes advising in relation to complaints under the Equality Act by students with a range of disabilities, defending claims by students for race and age discrimination, for religious discrimination and dealing with issues relating to sexual harassment and mental health. Nicola also advises on matters arising out of sector regulation including advising on regulatory challenges Ofsted, OIAHE, OfS and other regulatory bodies and others, using complaints processes and JR.

Her work also includes employment law matters, contentious and non-contentious, including claims for unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, whistleblowing and equality and diversity issues, particularly dealing with the management of internal grievances, and strategic HR issues. Nicola has appeared as an advocate in the Courts and the Employment Tribunal.

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