The ‘top-drawer’ group at Brabners LLP has well-established capabilities handling the full spectrum of employment matters for its clientele, including those relating to recruitment, immigration, discrimination, unfair dismissal, and corporate exits. ’Expert in his field’ Nick Campbell specialises in personal and senior executive initiative matters, while Brendan McAleese, an experienced litigator and partner as of June 2024, and Christine Hart are particularly adept at handling corporate support cases. Key practitioners include sports sector specialist Lydia Edgar, recruitment and workforce solutions expert Simon Whitehead and ‘superb lawyer’ Joseph Shelston, who is particularly focused on employment matters in the retail sector. Lee Jefcott has a strong track record in the leisure and hospitality sectors. The ’fantastic’ Kate Venables is also a name to note, as is Ali Hough, who stands out for his ‘exceptional abilities’. The team is based across Manchester and Liverpool.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Nick Campbell is very knowledgeable - clearly an expert in his field, and is always supportive and empathetic in his manner and approach.’
‘Simon Whitehead is very personable and manages a prickly client relationship with aplomb. Hannah Morrison is excellent, on top of the detail, leaves no stone unturned and produces excellent quality work within very short timescales.’
‘Lee Jefcott has always been thorough, pointing out any risks and giving full details on how to manage each individual situation.’
- 'Simon Whitehead, Grace Pennington and Hannah Morrison are all amazing to work with.’
‘Ali Hough epitomises the values that set Brabners apart - deep legal expertise, fairness, transparency, and a truly people-first approach. Ali has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to provide clear, honest, and commercially astute employment law advice that has empowered us to make informed decisions with confidence.'
‘The Brabners employment team is simply the best in the North West. They are top drawer. They have strength in depth and there is nothing that they cannot handle. They are partner-led and put clients first.’
Key clients
- A & P Limited
- Alexander Wang
- Alfred H Knight
- AXA PLC
- BCEGI Construction (UK) Limited
- Beckers Group
- Booking.com
- Cammell Laird Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders Limited
- Chase de Vere IFA Group plc
- Dacorum Borough Council
- FCSA
- Forge Holiday Group Ltd
Work highlights
Assisted a company in defending claims of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination arising from its dismissal of an employee with Long Covid in light of their long-term absence from work.
Advising the FCSA on recruitment, auditing and compliance matters.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Brendan McAleese
Kate Venables
Practice head
Nick Campbell
Other key lawyers
Ali Hough; Simon Whitehead; Hannah Morrison; Grace Pennington; Lee Jefcott; Kate Venables; Brendan McAleese; Lydia Edgar; Joseph Shelston; Christine Hart; Zainab Hussein