Grace is a Senior Associate specialising in employment law and is based in our Edinburgh office.
Grace is an experienced litigator and regularly appears on behalf of a diverse client base in employment tribunals across the UK. In addition to dealing with contentious employment matters, Grace works closely with our real estate and corporate teams to advise on the employment implications of business sales and acquisitions, including TUPE.
Grace provides sensitive and pragmatic advice to clients, always being mindful of the damaging impact employment disputes can have on a business or individual.
Notable recent work highlights include:
- Successfully defending one of the UK's leading providers of infrastructure and complex facilities services against a £1.6 million claim for disability discrimination, which included the personal conduct of a 10 day final hearing in Manchester Employment Tribunal.
- Successfully defending a public sector organisation within the mobility sector against claims of constructive dismissal and disability discrimination, including personally conducting a four day final hearing in the Glasgow Employment Tribunal.
- Successfully obtaining strike out of claims of automatically unfair dismissal, whistleblowing detriment and discrimination brought against a leading provider of infrastructure services in the Watford Employment Tribunal by an individual who was conducting his claim in an unreasonable manner, in addition to obtaining an award of costs in favour of the client.
- Advising on the enforcement of restrictive covenants against former senior employees of a Scottish digital entertainment company and thereafter pursuing proceedings in the Court of Session for interim relief and damages.
- Advising on TUPE and employee due diligence in connection with a cross-border re-tendering of a contract to provide services.
- Advising on a collective consultation exercise within the care sector with a view to making necessary changes to terms and conditions and thereafter providing advice in connection with a trade union dispute and de-recognition process.
- Providing management training to clients in various sectors on topics such as equality and diversity, TUPE processes, performance management and handling grievances.
- Carrying out a secondment within the People Directorate of a publicly owned utility provider in Scotland.
Grace is a member of the Employment Law Sub-Committee of the Law Society of Scotland and as such is involved in analysing and responding to proposals for reform in the area of employment law. Grace is also course tutor on the University of Law's Specialist Paralegal Qualification in Employment Law.