‘Employment specialists’ Collingwood Legal, based in Newcastle, are known for taking on the full remit of instructions, from acting for individual claimants and defending companies in employment tribunal claims, namely unfair dismissal and discrimination claims. The employment team is led by Paul McGowan, who is a go-to for complex areas of TUPE and whistleblowing cases. Paul Johnstone is the team’s equality and discrimination law specialist, while a further name to note is Jane Sinnamon who made partner in February 2023. Senior associate Charlotte McBride advises claimants on unfair dismissal and associative disability claims, and also supports McGowan in assisting employers with contentious matters involving the theft of business information. Helen Scott is a notable member of the team at senior associate level.

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP’s Newcastle-based employment team defends high profile employers, such as supermarket retailers, education institutions, national manufacturers and global investment banks in equality pay, unfair dismissal and discrimination claims. The team also take on non-contentious work, focusing on employment matters following the closure of facilities and offices, as well as HR assistance to national and international commercial clients. The experienced Shirley Hall leads the local office and is supported by legal director, Suzanne Caveney, who likewise focuses on employment tribunal cases. Principal associates David Williams and Corrine Bentham are key contacts, with the former specialising in supporting financial services companies on employment rules and the latter an expert on business immigration.

Muckle LLP’s employment law team advises a range of employers, including international clients, listed companies, large groups and owner managed businesses, across a number of sectors such as education, sport and leisure, on the full remit of instructions. Leading the Newcastle team, Chris Maddock focuses on executive severance, TUPE, reorganization projects, enforcement of post-termination restrictions and confidential information obligations, while Tony McPhillips specialises on employment related litigation in the sports and education spaces. Lisa Kelly is an expert on discrimination and equal pay issues, acting for employers in employment tribunal claims, with Jill Donabie serving as a key contact schools, colleagues and universities for day-to-day employment instructions. Amy Sergison is likewise integral to the team which also supports clients on business immigration and data protection within an employment law context.

Ward Hadaway LLP’s Newcastle-based employment team provides clients across a range of sectors, including education, healthcare, sports and manufacturing, with both contentious and non-contentious advice. Team head Jamie Gamble is an expert on TUPE matters, employment tribunal claims, senior executive contracts, dismissals and employment aspects of corporate transactions. Paul Scope is a key contact for sports team seeking advice on various terminations, disciplinary issues and restructurings; he also represents clients on mass litigations concerning equal pay claims in the public sector. Gillian Chinhengo supports businesses in large scale changes and dealing with trade unions, while Roisin Patton is the firm’s expert on business immigration mandates, often working on post-Brexit recruitment issues and complex global mobility issues. Stuart Craig and Graham Vials are names to note, with the former focused on healthcare matters and the latter specialising in education matters within the employment law field.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP’s employment team, based in Newcastle, advises an array of clients across the North East and nationally on a range of contentious and non-contentious matters, including employer defences against equal pay, employment tribunal and discrimination claims, as well as large scale restructurings of clients’ business. Hilary Du Randt heads up the team, assisting both public and private sector clients on the full remit of instructions. Lorraine Heard is the go-to for equal pay tribunal claims, while managing associate Alan Kennedy is a name to note for large scale redundancies, reorganisations and senior executive disputes.

Clients across the healthcare, education, charities, offshore, renewables and construction industries call upon Sintons LLP’s employment team for advice on employment contracts and restructurings. The team, led by Keith Land, and supported by senior associate Ailsa Hobson and associate Angela Carver, also defend companies against discrimination and unfair dismissal claims. Max Winthrop, who arrived from Short Richardson & Forth in October 2022, is a name to note at partner level.

Noted for having a ‘strong and capable’ employment team, Weightmans assists both employers and former employees with unlawful termination of employment contracts. The Newcastle-based team also takes on unfair dismissal and unlawful discrimination cases. Regional office head and lead partner in the employment team Christopher Graham advises clients on TUPE transfer requirements and represents clients in employment tribunal claims. Likewise, legal director Kerry Waters is a key support and specialises in taking on employment matters of commercial and contractual disputes concerning employee confidential information and the enforcement of post-termination restrictive covenants.

The Stockton-based employment team at Endeavour Partnership LLP assists clients on a range of employment law matters, including employee due diligences following corporate acquisitions, defences of complex employment tribunal claims involving whistleblowing, gross misconduct and unfair dismissal issues. Team head Stephen Elliott advises clients on employee data protection policies, as well as disability discrimination claims. Theresa Carling is the key contact for advice concerning high profile exits involving senior executives and collective redundancy processes. Recent promotion to senior associate Laura Wilson works on intersecting employment and immigration matters involving sponsorship licenses, while associate Jessica Thompson specialises in data protection and compliance mandates.

Durham-based Swinburne Maddison LLP is noted for representing employees in whistleblowing cases, unfair dismissals and disability discrimination claims as well as equal pay issues. The team also provides employment law support to the corporate team in the context of M&A transactions. Head of the dispute resolution and employment law teams, Jonathan Moreland, advises both businesses, such as national public companies to charities and academic institutions, and individuals in resolving employment disputes; he also takes on non-contentious instructions, such as drafting complex employment contracts, settlement agreements and employment restructurings. Managing associate Sharney Randhawa works on high-profile cases within employment tribunals, in addition to High Court proceedings.

David Gibson heads Burnetts' employment practice, and is supported by senior associates Anna Lovett and Sarah Devennie, the latter of whom was promoted to senior associate in October 2022. The trio advice companies, namely SMEs on employment implications of company movements, expansions and changes. Aside from providing clients with TUPE advice, the team also defends employers in employment tribunal claims concerning unfair dismissals and discrimination cases. All named lawyers are based in Carlisle.

Sarah Hall and Sarah Furness co-lead Hay & Kilner’s Newcastle-based employment team. Hall assists HR managers and directors of various companies on day-to-day employment matters, such as disciplinaries and grievances, also taking on contentious matters, such as whistleblowing, discrimination and breaches of restrictive covenants. Furness is the key contact for support on corporate transactions. Tom Clarke supports at associate level.

Mincoffs Solicitors LLP focuses on compliance, re-organiations, disciplinary and grievance procedures, as well as TUPE and employment tribunal claims. Nick Smith leads the team based in Newcastle on contentious and non-contentious matters for employers.