Business
Business Employment Legal Advice
Expert employment law support for businesses in Brighton, Sussex, and the South East
At Dean Wilson LLP, we listen. We understand that employment law can be complex and challenging for your business. Our experienced employment solicitors provide strategic legal advice and representation to help employers navigate workplace issues while ensuring full compliance with UK employment law. Whether you are a small business, SME, or large corporation, we offer tailored solutions to protect your business interests and minimise legal risks.
We offer expert legal support across all key areas of employment law, including employment contracts and policies, disciplinary and grievance procedures, redundancy and restructuring, employment tribunal representation, discrimination and equality, business protection, employee handbooks, TUPE transfers, and settlement agreements. Additionally, we provide practical guidance on workplace policies and handling workplace disputes.
Employment Contracts and Policies
Having clear and comprehensive employment contracts, policies, and procedures is essential for protecting your business from disputes and ensuring legal compliance. We draft, review, and update contracts of employment, director service agreements, and workplace policies to ensure they align with the latest employment legislation. Our team advises on restrictive covenants, confidentiality clauses, and non-compete agreements to safeguard your business’s competitive edge.
Disciplinary, Grievance, and Dismissal Procedures
Handling employee disputes correctly is vital to avoiding costly litigation. Our employment law specialists provide expert guidance on fair disciplinary and grievance procedures, helping you manage employee misconduct, poor performance, and workplace disputes effectively. We also advise on legally compliant dismissal processes, including redundancy, unfair dismissal, and constructive dismissal claims, ensuring your business is protected against potential employment tribunal claims.
Redundancies, Business Restructuring and TUPE
Workforce restructuring and redundancies require careful planning and execution to ensure compliance with employment law and mitigate the risk of claims. Our solicitors assist businesses in handling redundancies, business reorganisations, and TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) matters when acquiring, selling, or merging with another business. We provide strategic advice on consultation processes, selection criteria, settlement agreements, and redundancy packages.
Employment Tribunal Representation
If your business is facing an employment tribunal claim, our expert solicitors are here to provide robust legal representation. We defend employers against claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination, wrongful dismissal, whistleblowing, and breach of contract. With extensive experience in employment litigation, we work diligently to achieve the best possible outcome for your business, whether through negotiation, mediation, or fully defended tribunal proceedings.
Discrimination and Equality in the Workplace
Ensuring a fair and inclusive workplace is not only a legal requirement but also a key factor in maintaining a positive business reputation. We advise on all aspects of employment discrimination law, including age, sex, race, disability, religion, and sexual orientation discrimination claims. Our team assists with implementing equality policies, handling workplace investigations, and defending businesses against discrimination claims.
Business Protection and Restrictive Covenants
Protecting your business from unfair competition, employee poaching, and misuse of confidential information is crucial. We help employers enforce restrictive covenants, including non-compete, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreements. Our employment law team provides expert legal support in cases of breach of contract, intellectual property theft, and data protection compliance.
Employee Handbooks and Workplace Policies
A well-drafted employee handbook provides clarity on company policies, procedures, and expectations. We help businesses create and maintain legally compliant handbooks covering disciplinary procedures, grievance processes, workplace conduct, health and safety, flexible working, and social media policies. Our solicitors ensure that all documentation is up-to-date and legally sound.
Settlement Agreements and Employee Exits
Whether you are negotiating an employee exit or resolving a dispute, a settlement agreement can be an effective solution. We assist businesses in drafting and negotiating settlement agreements to ensure a legally binding and fair resolution while protecting your commercial interests.
Why Choose Dean Wilson LLP for Employment Law?
- Experienced Employment Solicitors: Our team has extensive expertise in employment law for businesses in Brighton, Sussex, West Sussex, and the South East.
- Strategic and Commercially Focused Advice: We provide practical solutions that align with your business objectives.
- Proactive Risk Management: We help prevent employment disputes through robust legal documentation and compliance advice.
- Employment Tribunal Specialists: Strong track record in defending employers in tribunal cases.
- Tailored Legal Support: Services designed to meet the unique needs of your business.
FAQs About Employment Law for Businesses
Employers must follow a fair redundancy process, including consultation, selection criteria, and notice periods, to avoid claims for unfair dismissal or breach of contract. Our team can guide you through the legal steps required.
We can draft and enforce restrictive covenants such as non-compete and non-solicitation clauses to prevent ex-employees from poaching clients or setting up competition. We can also review existing covenants and advise on any updates that may be required in order to maximise your ability to successfully enforce them.
It is essential to follow a formal grievance procedure, ensuring transparency and fairness. Our solicitors can help you navigate the process to reduce legal risks.
Yes, but you must first follow a fair disciplinary procedure, including an investigation and the right to appeal. We provide expert advice on handling dismissals lawfully.
TUPE regulations protect employees' rights when a business is transferred. Our team provides comprehensive advice to ensure compliance and avoid disputes whether you are buying or selling a business.
Employment lawyers support HR teams by providing expert legal guidance on compliance, handling employee disputes, drafting policies, and ensuring best practices are followed. We work alongside HR professionals to protect businesses from legal risks and strengthen their employment frameworks.
HR advice focuses on day-to-day people management, including recruitment, performance management, and employee relations. Employment law advice is required when dealing with legal risks, such as dismissals, redundancy processes, discrimination claims, or tribunal representation. If you're unsure, our team can help assess your situation and provide the right guidance.
Speak to Us – We’re Here to Help
At Dean Wilson LLP, we listen. Our reputation has been built upon our ability to deliver and exceed our clients’ expectations. For over 100 years, our success has been founded upon our client-focused approach, backed by the knowledge and expertise of our lawyers. Contact us today for expert employment law advice tailored to your business needs.
Your Employment Experts
Get to know those who are here to help you
Clare Waller
Partner, Employment Law
Experience
Clare works with employers of all sizes and across all industries as well as senior executives and other individuals, advising on both contentious and non contentious aspects of employment law. This ranges from the provision of ongoing advice on disciplinary and grievance procedures, performance management processes and statutory rights to drafting contracts of employment, service agreements and staff handbooks to representing clients before the Employment Tribunal or civil courts in cases of unfair dismissal, breach of contract, claims to enforce post termination restrictive covenants and breaches of confidentiality. Clare has experience of representing clients in complex discrimination claims at first instance and in the appeal courts.
Clare designs and delivers client training on any aspect of employment law as well as undertaking regular public speaking engagements.
Recent Notable Cases
Clare recently acted for an employer and two individual Respondents in a multi million pound discrimination claim. She also successfully defended a client against a claim of race discrimination arising of out allegedly discriminatory Photoshopped images being circulated within the workplace.
She is currently advising on the design and implementation of redundancy consultation processes, including where collective consultation obligations have been engaged.
Clare also works closely with the Dean Wilson Company and Commercial team providing employment law support to its successful mergers and acquisitions function.
Background
Clare read Law at the University of Reading and achieved distinction in the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, Guildford. She trained at HRJ Law in Hitchin and qualified in 1999. She obtained a Masters degree in Employment Law from the University of East Anglia in 2006. She became a Partner at HRJ in 2002, joined Hewitsons in Cambridge and Northampton in 2010 and then joined Dean Wilson to head up its employment law team in October 2019.
Areas of Specialism
Unfair dismissal, discrimination, breach of contract, post termination restrictions, contracts of employment, company handbooks, disciplinary and grievance procedures.
Clare can be contacted by email: CRW@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: (0) 1273 249277.
Lauren Gillman
Paralegal, Employment Law
Areas of Specialism
Lauren has recently moved over to our Employment law department, assisting Clare Waller on all employment law matters.
Lauren is an experienced Paralegal previously working for Partner, Karl Willmott-Post in the Property Department. She assistsed on all aspects of conveyancing transactions, specialising in; sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity. Before changing careers, Lauren was a Project Manager in the Financial Investment industry, which gave her transferable skills to bring to her role at Dean Wilson.
Lauren is currently close to completing her legal studies with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives to progress in her career to become a Chartered Legal Executive.
Qualifications
- CILEX Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice
- CILEX Level 6 Student
- Mental Health First Aider
Lauren can be contacted by email: lg@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032321.
Key Workplace Guides and Resources
We provide a range of downloadable guides to help businesses navigate employment law challenges. Some of the topics covered include:
- What Happens When Employees Leave: Step-by-step advice on how to protect your business interests in the event that employees leave. Read more here.
- Settlement Agreements: What settlement agreements are, how they work, and key considerations for employers when negotiating them. Read more here.
- Flexible and Hybrid Working Policies: Legal considerations for remote working, hybrid working agreements, and ensuring workplace inclusivity. Read more here.
- Social Media and Employee Conduct: How to manage workplace social media use, protect your business reputation, and enforce disciplinary policies. Read more here.
See below for access to our full list of downloadable guides and factsheets on employment law for your business.
Factsheets
Browse and download
Settlement Agreements
Protecting Business Interests When Employees Leave
Statutory Payments
Flexible Working and Employee Rights
Employed or Self-Employed? What’s the difference
Work Experience Students – Avoiding Employment Risks
Avoiding Discrimination During Recruitment
Monitoring Employees in the Workplace
What is Constructive Dismissal?
Changing Terms and Conditions of Employment
Social Media in the Workplace
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