Employment

A Russian entrepreneur based in the UK with “strong views on the importance of breastfeeding” unfairly dismissed a lawyer after she took maternity leave, an employment tribunal has ruled.

Immigration and civil litigation were the two areas of legal practice hit hardest by the pandemic last year, with private client and family law “insulated” from the impact, new research has found.

A senior costs specialist at Slater & Gordon has won a claim for unfair dismissal on one ground but an employment tribunal decided it would not be just to award him damages.

A well-known law firm did not fire its chief executive because he made protected disclosures about financial problems that were discovered at the practice, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled.

A former equity partner at Freeths has won a disability discrimination claim over the way the leading midlands law firm treated him after he was diagnosed with mental health problems.

A conveyancing solicitor has won her unfair dismissal and discrimination claim against a well-known Essex law firm by default after it filed its defence two days late.

The report of a law firm instructed by a major bank to review how it handled an employee’s allegation of rape was not covered by legal advice privilege, an employment tribunal has ruled.

A solicitor fired after refusing a demand to vary her contract so her firm could furlough her or reduce her wages to help it cope with the impact of Covid has won a claim for unfair dismissal.

There was no protection for staff under the TUPE after the sole owner of a law firm was made bankrupt and the practice taken over, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled.

Five solicitors, a solicitor apprentice and a legal assistant who worked at one of the largest law firms to be shut down by the SRA have been awarded more than £37,000 by an employment tribunal.