St Philips Chambers is widely praised as ‘a strong chambers with good availability at both senior and junior levels’ in respect of employment law specialists. The team, led by Edmund Beever, has considerable combined experience representing large private employers, private individuals, and public sectors clients like NHS trusts and local authorities. Beever’s recent highlights include his representation of Nottinghamshire County Council in connection with a claim for religious discrimination by a Christian teacher dismissed for accessing a gender-questioning child's safeguarding report. Sophie Garner, ‘an excellent lawyer with a very personable and positive approach’, has a strong track record handling discrimination and whistleblowing cases. Anthony Johnston is known for his ‘sharp and methodical’ advocacy style. He recently acted for the respondent in Pipe v Coventry University Higher Education in relation to a claim of age and disability discrimination brought by an individual with ADHD and insomnia, a former BBC journalist teaching at the university but without a PhD, who alleged that the university’s framework for academic progression unlawfully discriminated against neurodivergent and/or older applicants.
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Work Department

Employment

Position

Sophie is an experienced specialist in employment and discrimination law whose caseload encompasses the full range of employment and discrimination disputes in the Employment Tribunal, EAT and County or High Court. Her personable manner and tenacity in ‘against the odds’ cases are characteristics that are often commented upon favourably by lay and professional clients. She particularly enjoys claims involving novel points of discrimination law. As well as currently being a specialist employment/discrimination practitioner, Sophie also has commercial and property experience. She lectures regularly both in-house and externally on employment and discrimination law and was called to give evidence on behalf of the Discrimination Law Association in November 2012 to the select committee on Women in the Workplace. Through her extensive experience of voluntary work as a charity trustee/director, Sophie has gained a wide knowledge and understanding of corporate and organisational operations and qualified as a company secretary (ACIS) in 2002. She was nominated as one of the Attorney General’s ’Pro-Bono Heroes’ for 2009.

Career

Called 1990, Middle Temple. Accredited commercial mediator CEDR, 2000; ADR Group, 2009; accredited workplace mediator, globis, 2011. Patron of the ‘Amicus’ Charity since 2012; Member of Attorney General’s ’A’ Panel of Counsel – 2020

Memberships

Discrimination Law Association Employment Lawyers Association Employment Law Bar Association Voluntary Appointments and Roles Co-founder and Patron – Amicus (The legal human rights charity). Trustee – MWNUK, and Create Partnership Trust (MAT) Chair – Bar Council Retention Panel Committee Member – Bar Council EDRSM Committee Vice-Chair – Midland Circuit Women’s Forum

Education

1989 LLB (Hons); 2002 ACIS.

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Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Janita Patel is always very helpful and goes out of her way to assist.'
  • 'The clerks' room gets an 11 out of 10 - the clerks are always available to help reserve a barrister and/or put you in touch with a barrister if you want to sense check.'
  • 'The clerks are fantastic! Nothing is ever too much trouble for them. They have an impressive ability to deliver quick, efficient, and responsive emails. They always respond promptly to instructions, very often being able to successfully accommodate very last minute requests.'
  • 'St Philips is brilliant - a go-to set. The clerks are also very accessible.'
  • 'This chambers is responsive and competitive with a selection of highly skilled barristers.'
  • 'St Philips is a strong chambers with good availability at both senior and junior levels. It is also competitively priced.'
  • 'A good chambers with strength in depth at senior level and reasonable availability.'
  • 'A brilliant set that provides a 5-star service. There is no need to look for another set.'