Laura appears in employment tribunals throughout England and Wales, and Scotland.
Her work often involves allegations of mental health disability discrimination, particularly neurodiversity-related claims, and detrimental treatment/dismissal for having made public interest disclosures.
Laura’s work has a particular focus on health sector employment, acting for various NHS Trusts and GP practices as well as private medical and care providers. She also acts for medical professionals, being instructed both on a private basis and through the BMA.
In her non-medical work, Laura regularly acts for large employers, particularly in the retail sector; this includes regularly representing John Lewis plc, a loyal client for many years. Recent instructions have also included acting for companies such as Rolls Royce and Babcock International (a large multi-national defence contractor), as well as public sector employers, such as local authorities.
Additionally, Laura acts in employment-related High Court actions, as well as discrimination claims pursued in the civil courts, and civil claims brought against unions by their members.
Recent examples of Laura’s work include:
- In early 2023, acting for s suspended Chief Executive of a high profile NHS Trust in seeking an injunction to restrain her continued suspension.
- Acting for a defendant NHS Trust in a High Court claim brought by a consultant arising from his suspension by the Trust.
- Acting for a claimant former teacher in a remedy hearing involving issues of substantial pension loss in which the award exceeded (and was therefore limited) to the statutory cap.
- Representing a claimant in a 10-day liability hearing involving allegations of detrimental treatment due to making protected disclosures and disability discrimination. Claims of disability discrimination succeeded and an expert has been instructed to report on the claimant’s neurological disorder.
- Representing a respondent NHS Trust in a 15-day liability hearing involving allegations of trade union detriment, direct sex discrimination (brought by a man in a predominantly female workplace), direct disability discrimination, discrimination arising from a disability as well as harassment on the grounds of sex and disability.
- Acting for a respondent NHS Trust in a claim of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination, including an appeal against the finding of disability status at a preliminary hearing, where Laura obtained a strike out of the unfair dismissal claim. The claimant withdrew her remaining claims during the final hearing, following Laura’s cross-examination of her.
- Acting for an international economic forecasting company at first instance and appeal in successfully resisting a claim of automatically unfair dismissal, and the subsequent appeal, contended to arise from the claimant’s membership of the reserve armed forces.
- Acting for a Welsh local authority in a hybrid hearing with elements of simultaneous translation. Claims were brought alleging unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. The Tribunal decided to hear the respondent’s evidence and that of various witnesses in support of the claimant first. The claimant withdrew her claim on the morning of day 7 of the hearing, whilst part-heard in her evidence, after Laura had cross-examined her for one day.
