Ian Wright > Chambers of Rachel Sleeman > London, England > Barrister Profile

Ian Wright

020 7815 3200 clerks@fivepaper.com

Position

Ian is a specialist regulatory, employment and business immigration practitioner. He is recognised in the Legal 500 as a regulatory, health and safety expert. He is the Joint Head of the Business Immigration and Regulatory Team with Satinder Gill. He is described in the Legal 500 as a “compelling and persuasive advocate who remains calm under pressure.‘ He has a reputation for working extremely hard to achieve commercial outcomes for his clients through legal proceedings or settlement. His health and safety work is for both regulators and duty holders and he has a niche specialism on appeals under section 24 HSWA.

Ian’s other regulatory work is in financial services, Care Quality Commission and professional disciplinary proceedings.In Business Immigration he has advised employers and businesses on entry routes under and outside the PBS. He has recorded a recent webinar on the ‘Right to Work and penalties for Illegal working’ for LexisNexis. He has advised individual and business clients on the right to work in the UK pre and post Brexit. His employment work has a particular focus on unfair dismissal and discrimination claims for both claimants and respondents.

Ian’s regulatory health and safety work has lead to him being instructed in both the Supreme Court (2017) and the Court of Appeal (2015) in cases which established the test for an employment tribunal hearing a section 24 HSWA appeal. He has been on Part A of the Combined Regulatory List of Approved Counsel for more than 10 years. In March 2019 he represented a national stakeholder at an Inquest following a fall from the Pontycysllte Aqueduct (a World Heritage Site). The Jury concluded the fatality was a ‘misadventure.’ In May 2019 he was instructed in a notice appeal against a prohibition notice served under the CDM Regulations because of an unsafe excavation. The tribunal’s judgment considered for the first time the meaning of ‘control’ of construction works by a Principal Contractor. In 2018 he represented an Authorised Individual before the Financial Markets Tribunal in Dubai hearing a regulatory challenge in a financial services matter. Ian also successfully challenged the refusal of a subject access request by a Data Controller in Dubai to the Commissioner of Data Protection (June 2018).

In 2017 he represented a Head Teacher at a multi day hearing before the NCTL.

His recent Business Immigration work includes advice to employers and businesses under Tiers 1, 2 & 5, the Business Visitor Route outside the PBS and civil penalties for illegal work. Ian has also helped businesses prepare for Brexit by advising on Appendix EU to the Immigration Rules and the ‘Settled Status Scheme’ for current workers, family members and prospective new arrivals into the UK.

His employment work is for both claimants and respondents to tribunal proceedings. Over many years he has built up experience and expertise particularly in unfair dismissal, discrimination and TUPE proceedings. In 2017 he appeared in the Court of Appeal over the provision of an interpreter to a party who had good written but poor spoken English. He regularly advises on employment contracts and internal disputes between employer and employee.

HM Inspector of Health & Safety v Chevron North Sea Ltd [2018] UKSC 7, XY v Dubai Financial Services Authority [FMT 17004], XY v Dubai Financial Services Authority [Decision No. 3 of 2018], NCTL v Bacon (0014547/Bacon) (May 2017), Hague v Rotary Yorkshire Ltd [2015] EWHC 696

Career

Called 1983; Middle Temple, regularly delivers seminars to public and private sector clients. In 2013 his topics included recent developments in law of unfair dismissal, service Provision changes under TUPE, resisting notice appeals – law and practice; the 2013 Tribunal Regulations and their effect on notice appeals. In 2014 his topics included resisting notice appeals for both regulators and duty holders; service provision changes under TUPE and discrimination law update.

Memberships

Employment Law Bar Association; Health & Safety Lawyers’ Association; London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association.

Education

University of Dundee (BSC Biochemistry); University of Leicester (LLB Law).