Devereux

Devereux Chambers

Claire Darwin KC is a highly regarded employment and discrimination silk specialising in high-value, high-stakes litigation and appellate work. Her practice focuses on equality law, equal pay, whistleblowing, industrial relations and TUPE. She has extensive experience of appellate advocacy and is regularly instructed in complex, high-profile matters.

Recent highlights include lead counsel for the Secretary of State in Jallali v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Court of Appeal, ongoing) (equal pay and part‑time police inspectors); lead counsel for Great Ormond Street Hospital in Anne v Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (Court of Appeal, ongoing) (TUPE and unilateral variation clauses); and the judicial review of the Metropolitan Police’s policy requiring officers and staff to declare their membership of the Freemasons.

She also represented Merrill Lynch/Bank of America in a widely publicised sex and age discrimination trial concerning a married banker (2025); and acted as lead counsel for the appellant in Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia (Cultural Bureau) v Alhayali [2026] I.C.R. 196 (Court of Appeal, 2025) (state immunity); for Protect (intervening) in Sullivan v Isle of Wight Council [2025] I.C.R. 1299 (Court of Appeal, 2025) (on whether statutory whistleblowing protection extends to job applicants); and represented Martine Croxall and three other BBC presenters in their EAT appeal re equal pay (settled 2025).

With more than 40 reported cases to her name, Claire is particularly sought after in complex matters where employment and discrimination law intersect with pensions, public law, human rights and retained and assimilated EU law. Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 have consistently ranked Claire highly across multiple practice areas, and she is widely praised for her “exemplary” advocacy, technical knowledge and commercial judgement.

Called 2005, Silk 2023.

Appointed Recorder on the Southeast Circuit in 2023.

Attorney General’s Panel of Special Advocates.

Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Preferred Counsel (2024–2028).

Appointed to the Attorney General’s A Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown in 2017 and reappointed in 2021, having previously served on the B and C Panels.

Former elected member of the Employment Law Bar Association Committee (2019–2024), including responsibility for the Employment Appeal Tribunal’s pro bono scheme (ELAAS).

Called to the Irish Bar after Brexit.

Claire studied History at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge University and at Heidelberg University in Germany.

Claire was awarded a number of scholarships by Inner Temple, including the Sir Joseph Priestly Scholarship, a Duke of Edinburgh Scholarship, an Inner Temple Internship Award, and CPE and BVC Exhibitions. She was also awarded the Kurt Hahn Trust Scholarship by Cambridge University.