Rebecca Ireland

Expertise

Rebecca is a highly experienced employment lawyer, as well as a qualified workplace and employment mediator. Therefore, she has extensive technical and commercial expertise, having handled many complex and sensitive matters regarding all aspects of employment law. Rebecca is listed as a Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500 2018.

Rebecca acts primarily for employers, across a diverse range of business sectors.  However, she also advises senior executives and directors, which gives her the advantage of handling issues from both perspectives. She provides clients with practical solutions, which satisfy the legal requirements and commercial drivers.  She is also mindful of the emotional impact on the employment relationship when conflict arises.  She works closely with her employer clients on an ongoing basis, allowing her to understand their businesses, proactively advise on the impact of new laws and deliver appropriate training and coaching to the Human Resources team. Rebecca is commended for her user-friendly, down to earth, approach.

Rebecca Advises

• Private sector employers, including technology, financial services, property management, engineering, distribution services
• Education sector organisations
• Senior executives and directors

Publications

Workplace Mediation

Our Workplace Mediation Service

Managing Workplace Conflict Effectively

Team Mediation Workshops

Experience Highlights

• Providing general advice on disciplinary and grievance processes, and day to day HR issues, including proactive performance and sickness absence management and bullying and harassment allegations.
• Updating UK director’s service agreement to reflect new Dubai duties, and ensuring dovetailed with UAE law, by liaising with local law firm, with a view to avoiding double compensation/rights, particularly on termination.
• Exit of senior executive via extensive settlement negotiations, including renegotiating restrictions and dealing with directorship issues, against a tight deadline which was hampered by executive’s sickness absence, so as to coincide with USA reporting requirements.
• Providing employment and immigration advice to, and taking on a project management role for, a USA and German based client who was expanding into the UK, to secure a Sole Representative Visa initially and, subsequently, a Sponsorship Licence to facilitate future Intra-Company Transfers.
• Responding swiftly to defamation and breach of contract allegations relating to an online blog publication, resulting in no further action being taken by a former employee.
• Defending High Court litigation claim brought by two former employees in relation to alleged breach of enhanced redundancy scheme, resulting in settlement via mediation and negotiated settlement, working with litigation team.
• Giving time critical advice to colleagues on TUPE and other employment aspects of a highly politically sensitive Health Sector/Commercial team project, relating to the dissolution of Mid Staffs NHS Foundation Trust.
• Analysing potential enforceability of restrictive covenants and developing strategies to avoid protracted litigation and liaising with litigation colleagues.
• Full case preparation (including preliminary hearing) and negotiating settlements through ACAS in relation to breach of contract claims regarding non-payment of bonuses and commissions to Sales Director and Manager.
• Heavily involved in all stages of a contentious, but ultimately negotiated, exit of Managing Director, involving mutual grievance between major shareholder and MD, together with allegations of bullying and negligence. Considering the company law issues of forcing an exit, including the effect of the shareholders agreement, and the related employment law implications and risks.
• Defending an unfounded constructive dismissal claim against a blue chip corporate client brought by a challenging, unrepresented, ex-employee who conducted himself in an unreasonable and threatening manner. The claim was struck out.
• Defending a religious belief discrimination (harassment, victimisation and constructive dismissal) claim brought by a Muslim former employee, which was complicated by matters of national security. There were various preliminary hearings to apply for anonymity orders and a disability discrimination claim (later withdrawn). We acted for the company and two managers, so we had to be mindful of potential conflicts of interests when taking instructions. We finally settled for a commercial amount after tough negotiations given claimant’s unrealistic expectations.

Career History

Previous Law Firms

• Blake Morgan LLP, Partner
• Morgan Cole, Partner
• Clarkslegal LLP, Partner

Education

• College of Law Guilford, Law Society Finals – Honours, Law
• University of Bristol – LLB, Law