Blake Morgan LLP provides ‘commercial and practical advice’ to private and public sector clients across a range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters. ’Outstanding’ team head Joanne Davies excels in handling corporate support, be it on employment due diligence pursuant to M&A handled by the firm or TUPE issues associated with corporate transactions and group reorganisations. Davies also handles discrete ad-hoc advisory matters, including on employment issues affecting employers in highly regulated sectors, including social care. Paula Kathrens provides ‘sound and practical advice’ to public and private sector clients, including advice to financial services entities, defending NHS Wales in employment litigation, and acting for social housing clients across a myriad employment issues. The team is rounded out at a partner level by the ’commercially astute’ Matthew Smith, who handles both contentious and non-contentious work for education, retail and healthcare clients.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The team is extremely approachable, knowledgeable and easy to deal with.'
- 'It is a great team which provides excellent client service and commercial and practical advice.'
- 'Joanne Davies is an outstanding employment lawyer and displays superb attention to detail.'
- 'Paula Kathrens provides solid, sound and practical advice.'
- 'Matthew Smith stands out through his ability to appreciate the considerations of the client and steer the decision-maker to a thoughtful and smart outcome.'
- 'Matthew Smith is commercially astute and extremely knowledgeable in employment law and issues in healthcare and the higher education sector in particular.'
Key clients
- Welsh Government
- The NHS in Wales
- Swansea University
- Gower College, Swansea
- Russell & Bromley Limited
- Trivallis Limited
- Dolce & Gabbana UK Limited
- Zip World
- Charbonnel et Walker Limited
- Wales Audit Office
- Awen Cultural Trust
- Strutt and Parker Farms Limited
Work highlights
Defended Dolce & Gabbana UK Limited from claims of unfair dismissal and race discrimination following a multi-day hearing in the London Central Employment Tribunal. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Tribunal rejected all the Claimant's claims.
Acting for housing associations and other charitable bodies in relation to projects ending accrual in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). These range from small numbers of staff to cases involving over 100 staff.
Providing employment due diligence to Geotek Limited, a subsidiary of Judges Scientific Plc on the purchase of Rockwash Geodata Ltd.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Joanne Davies
Other key lawyers
Matthew Smith; Paula Kathrens; Ian Jones; Elinor Rowlands; Hannah Waterworth