Employment
With a contentious and non-contentious offering, alongside its ‘encyclopaedic knowledge of the law’ and ’razor-sharp analytical skills,’ Fox & Partners‘ partnership practice is noted for its advice on regulatory compliance, partnership transitions, and disputes related to discrimination, misconduct, and exits. The team has a particular focus on contentious mandates, and its experience representing partners and professional service firms in high-value disputes continues to attract new clients to its roster. Catriona Watt co-leads the department alongside Caroline Field and is sought after for her experience assisting with contentious arrivals and departures, team moves, and discrimination claims. Field specialises in disputes concerning rights and entitlements upon exit, performance issues, and post-termination restrictions. Other key contacts in the group include the ’exceptional’ Ivor Adair and Shiv Raja, both of whom advise international legal and accountancy firms, and Ronnie Fox.
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Work Department
Litigation, Contentious Employment and Partnership
Position
Caroline is a Partner and head of Fox & Partners’ litigation practice. Caroline frequently acts in high-value and sensitive City disputes arising from a fall-out between (i) employers or professional firms (LLPs and traditional partnerships) on the one hand and (ii) employees, shareholders and directors or LLP members/partners on the other, and in senior executive and partner moves.
Advising partners and firms, typically in the professional services and financial services sector, such as complex hedge fund and private equity structures, is the cornerstone of Fox & Partners’ practice. A great deal of Caroline’s time is spent acting on disputes arising out of breaches of partnership agreements (often relating to actual and threatened expulsions or compulsory retirements, changes to remuneration and decision-making processes), performance and misconduct investigations, unfairly prejudicial conduct, alleged discrimination and whistleblowing.
Caroline regularly advises on business protection cases, providing strategic advice in relation to team moves, restrictive covenants, fiduciary obligations and duties of confidentiality. She has significant experience defending and enforcing such provisions, including by obtaining and defending interim injunctions. With experience acting for employers/firms (former and recruiting employers) and moving employees or partners, she offers a unique perspective and understanding of the pressures on both sides.
Caroline is recognised by the independent guides to the legal profession for her work representing employees and partners before the employment tribunal and courts. Restrictive covenants are a noted area of strength. One client observed: “she is strategically astute and does not neglect any aspect of the case before her…she is also very supportive and empathetic, making her an ideal legal adviser to navigate uniquely complex legal situations” (Chambers UK 2021).
Caroline was included in Management Today’s prestigious 35 women under 35 list in 2018.
Career
Admitted as a solicitor 2006; Walker Morris 2004-2011 (including one year’s break living and working in New Zealand); Fox & Partners (formerly Fox) 2011 – present.
Memberships
Committee member of London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA), former President of the Junior LSLA;
Committee member The Association of Partnership Practitioners (APP). The APP is the leading multi-disciplinary organisation representing partnership and professional service firm practitioners
Member of Employment Lawyers Association.
Education
University of Newcastle 2000-2003 – LLB Law (Hons) 2:1; College of Law, York 2003-2004 (Legal Practice course).
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team is empathetic, responsive, and technically adept.’
‘Catriona Watt is an excellent practitioner at the top of her game, and strategic and targeted in her advice. She is absolutely the lawyer you want in your corner in a tough exit negotiation. Her ability to predict the other side's moves and counter in advance is exceptional.’