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gunnercooke is the fastest growing corporate law firm in the UK, now making its mark globally. We comprise a rapidly growing number of experts spanning legal and other disciplines. Clients benefit from flexible options on fees to suit their needs, access to a wider network of senior experts throughout the relationship, and legal advice which is complemented by an understanding of the commercial aspects of running a business.
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Rebecca Ireland
Partner
Employment Law
Accolades
Expertise
As a highly experienced employment lawyer, Rebecca has extensive technical and commercial expertise, having handled many complex and sensitive matters regarding all aspects of employment law. Rebecca mainly advises employers across a diverse range of business sectors across the UK on both contentious and non-contentious matters.
As well as providing general advice on disciplinary and grievance processes, and day to day Human Resources issues, including proactive performance and sickness absence management, Rebecca’s expertise, includes:
- All aspects of TUPE (outsourcing and business transfers)
- Analysing potential enforceability of restrictive covenants and developing strategies to avoid protracted litigation and liaising with gunnercooke Dispute Resolution colleagues
- Guiding clients through sensitive alleged bullying, harassment and discrimination grievances
- Assessing Employment status (IR35, self-employed, contractors, workers, employee) situations and defending claims
- Advising on breaches of national minimum wage legislation
- Bringing and defending employment tribunal claims in which she has used her litigation strategy, project management and advocacy skills.
- Recommending solutions for hybrid working situations which have an international / cross-border aspect to them
- Helping clients handle flexible working requests
She also supports directors, senior executives and other employees, particularly in relation to grievances and negotiating exit settlement packages, which gives her the tactical benefit of handling issues from both perspectives.
The Chambers and Legal 500 testimonials given by her clients consistently praise her for giving pragmatic and commercial advice: She is accessible, approachable, professional, helpful, tenacious, reliable, “a superb litigator” and “an absolute pleasure to work with”. She is a trusted adviser to her clients.
Rebecca works closely with her employer clients on an ongoing basis, allowing her to understand their businesses, and proactively advise on the impact of new laws.
Rebecca takes a holistic approach to a situation, looking at the financial, commercial, reputational — both internal and external — emotional, and health impacts. It is more than just about the application of technical law. People are at the centre of everything she does.
As a qualified workplace mediator, Rebecca has a heightened understanding of the emotional, and not just financial, impact conflict within the employment relationship has on both sides. As well as conducting workplace mediations, she utilises her mediation skills when giving employment law advice, to resolve interpersonal grievances before they escalate to formal grievances or an employment tribunal. See here for more information about workplace mediations.
Rebecca works closely with other gunnercooke lawyers in various legal practice areas, which is testament to her collaborative style.
Rebecca Advises
- Private sector employers, including technology, financial services, property management, engineering, distribution services
- Education sector organisations
- Senior executives and directors
Publications
Personal Brochure
The brochure here contains the full service Rebecca offers.
Webinars
Managing Conflict Effectively at a Senior Leadership Level
Experience Highlights
- Urgent instructions from new client on an outsourcing project where TUPE had been ‘forgotten about’ with only a month before completion, which also involved a pre-completion selection process for retaining certain employees, and tri-partite settlement agreements
- Advised on a sensitive matter involving an employee alleging that the line manager had discriminated against the client over many years because of protected characteristics (sexual orientation and disability (HIV)). There were also COVID health and safety concerns to consider.
- Acted on a cross-border matter (Gibraltar — tax and employment) in which we found a solution to meet the client’s and employee’s needs, involving mutual termination of the UK employment contract, signing a settlement agreement and entering into a consultancy agreement with the client’s US parent company.
- Defended against an alleged constructive wrongful dismissal, underpayment of National Minimum Wage and holiday pay arrears claims brought by a freelancer, so involving employment status issues. A settlement was reached for a significantly lower figure, avoiding a hearing and public scrutiny of the client’s business model.
- Taking urgent action where a client suspected a former employee and two existing employees of conspiring to set up in competition and poaching other team members in breach of their duties of loyalty and post-termination restrictions.
- Working as an integral part of a wider gunnercooke project team for the seller of a national industrial cleaning company. Dealt with various employment issues arising during the due diligence process (holiday pay, right to work processes, national minimum wage queries and employment status of contractors), drafted the employment provisions of the Sale and Purchase Agreement and Disclosure Letter, and negotiated new services agreements for the two main directors, and a Non-Executive Director agreement
- Appointed as the Investigating Officer in relation to a complex complaint raised by an academic employee against her high profile line manager of bullying and harassment at a world leading university, which utilised legal and mediation
- Advised a client in intertwined matters with the assistance of gunnercooke Dispute Resolution colleagues: after an unsuccessful appeal against his dismissal without notice for gross misconduct, issuing a High Court breach of contract claim, which led to a counter-claim against him relating to alleged financial irregularities; defended an Employment Tribunal claim brought against him, and his former employer, of sexual and disability harassment or victimisation by a former colleague, which was settled for a nominal amount and minimising the potential reputational damage to him.
- Representing one of four directors of a UK company against all of whom a sex discrimination (including sexual harassment), whistleblowing victimisation, equal pay and disability discrimination claim had been brought by a Canadian contractor based in Canada. This was a complicated case involving multiple case management applications, employment status arguments, whether UK law applied, a restricted reporting order, extensive medical evidence, and advocating at a preliminary hearing. We settled the claim against our client for a modest amount and it continued against the other respondents.
- 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.
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
Expertise
Back to top
As a highly experienced employment lawyer, Rebecca has extensive technical and commercial expertise, having handled many complex and sensitive matters regarding all aspects of employment law. Rebecca mainly advises employers across a diverse range of business sectors across the UK on both contentious and non-contentious matters.
As well as providing general advice on disciplinary and grievance processes, and day to day Human Resources issues, including proactive performance and sickness absence management, Rebecca’s expertise, includes:
- All aspects of TUPE (outsourcing and business transfers)
- Analysing potential enforceability of restrictive covenants and developing strategies to avoid protracted litigation and liaising with gunnercooke Dispute Resolution colleagues
- Guiding clients through sensitive alleged bullying, harassment and discrimination grievances
- Assessing Employment status (IR35, self-employed, contractors, workers, employee) situations and defending claims
- Advising on breaches of national minimum wage legislation
- Bringing and defending employment tribunal claims in which she has used her litigation strategy, project management and advocacy skills.
- Recommending solutions for hybrid working situations which have an international / cross-border aspect to them
- Helping clients handle flexible working requests
She also supports directors, senior executives and other employees, particularly in relation to grievances and negotiating exit settlement packages, which gives her the tactical benefit of handling issues from both perspectives.
The Chambers and Legal 500 testimonials given by her clients consistently praise her for giving pragmatic and commercial advice: She is accessible, approachable, professional, helpful, tenacious, reliable, “a superb litigator” and “an absolute pleasure to work with”. She is a trusted adviser to her clients.
Rebecca works closely with her employer clients on an ongoing basis, allowing her to understand their businesses, and proactively advise on the impact of new laws.
Rebecca takes a holistic approach to a situation, looking at the financial, commercial, reputational — both internal and external — emotional, and health impacts. It is more than just about the application of technical law. People are at the centre of everything she does.
As a qualified workplace mediator, Rebecca has a heightened understanding of the emotional, and not just financial, impact conflict within the employment relationship has on both sides. As well as conducting workplace mediations, she utilises her mediation skills when giving employment law advice, to resolve interpersonal grievances before they escalate to formal grievances or an employment tribunal. See here for more information about workplace mediations.
Rebecca works closely with other gunnercooke lawyers in various legal practice areas, which is testament to her collaborative style.
Rebecca Advises
Back to top
- Private sector employers, including technology, financial services, property management, engineering, distribution services
- Education sector organisations
- Senior executives and directors
Publications
Back to top
Personal Brochure
The brochure here contains the full service Rebecca offers.
Webinars
Managing Conflict Effectively at a Senior Leadership Level
Experience Highlights
Back to top
- Urgent instructions from new client on an outsourcing project where TUPE had been ‘forgotten about’ with only a month before completion, which also involved a pre-completion selection process for retaining certain employees, and tri-partite settlement agreements
- Advised on a sensitive matter involving an employee alleging that the line manager had discriminated against the client over many years because of protected characteristics (sexual orientation and disability (HIV)). There were also COVID health and safety concerns to consider.
- Acted on a cross-border matter (Gibraltar — tax and employment) in which we found a solution to meet the client’s and employee’s needs, involving mutual termination of the UK employment contract, signing a settlement agreement and entering into a consultancy agreement with the client’s US parent company.
- Defended against an alleged constructive wrongful dismissal, underpayment of National Minimum Wage and holiday pay arrears claims brought by a freelancer, so involving employment status issues. A settlement was reached for a significantly lower figure, avoiding a hearing and public scrutiny of the client’s business model.
- Taking urgent action where a client suspected a former employee and two existing employees of conspiring to set up in competition and poaching other team members in breach of their duties of loyalty and post-termination restrictions.
- Working as an integral part of a wider gunnercooke project team for the seller of a national industrial cleaning company. Dealt with various employment issues arising during the due diligence process (holiday pay, right to work processes, national minimum wage queries and employment status of contractors), drafted the employment provisions of the Sale and Purchase Agreement and Disclosure Letter, and negotiated new services agreements for the two main directors, and a Non-Executive Director agreement
- Appointed as the Investigating Officer in relation to a complex complaint raised by an academic employee against her high profile line manager of bullying and harassment at a world leading university, which utilised legal and mediation
- Advised a client in intertwined matters with the assistance of gunnercooke Dispute Resolution colleagues: after an unsuccessful appeal against his dismissal without notice for gross misconduct, issuing a High Court breach of contract claim, which led to a counter-claim against him relating to alleged financial irregularities; defended an Employment Tribunal claim brought against him, and his former employer, of sexual and disability harassment or victimisation by a former colleague, which was settled for a nominal amount and minimising the potential reputational damage to him.
- Representing one of four directors of a UK company against all of whom a sex discrimination (including sexual harassment), whistleblowing victimisation, equal pay and disability discrimination claim had been brought by a Canadian contractor based in Canada. This was a complicated case involving multiple case management applications, employment status arguments, whether UK law applied, a restricted reporting order, extensive medical evidence, and advocating at a preliminary hearing. We settled the claim against our client for a modest amount and it continued against the other respondents.
- 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.
Career History
Back to top
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
Testimonials
"Rebecca is a superb litigator: she's practical and an absolute pleasure to work with. I would recommend Rebecca as an employment lawyer. She provides pragmatic and commercial legal advice.
"Rebecca is always available, always helpful and also commercially minded in our interactions."
Chambers UK
2023"Rebecca is very approachable, commercial and practical.
"She has always been a great support to the business, she understands the business and is prepared to talk through different scenarios and actions. She is honest, reliable, and contactable!
"I truly value my partnership with Rebecca, and her pragmatic and practical employment law advice that she provides me with in a very straightforward style that I really appreciate."
The Legal 500
2023"I work predominately with Rebecca Ireland and I would recommend her to any company or HR professional to use. Her advice is focused on resolving the legal matter in the most practical and pragmatic way. I have dealt with many UK employment legal advisers in my career and Rebecca is one of the most proactive, helpful and balanced I have had the pleasure to work with. She is very good at explaining the risks and the likelihood of the identified risks and how to mitigate these."
The Legal 500
2022"I work with Rebecca Ireland on a regular basis. Her strength and knowledge of our company makes everything we do easier to explain, but also in the relevant information that she sends to us. She is a pleasure to work with and nothing is ever too much."
The Legal 500
2022"Good service in general, professional, proactive and amenable."
Client
"The advice I was given was clear and concise allowing me to make informed decisions."
Client
"Excellent, prompt and professional service."
Client
"Rebecca Ireland continues to manage a diverse employment practice that encompasses race, gender and disability discrimination cases as well as wage disputes. She regularly handles redundancy and HR-related concerns, as well as advising on grievance processes."
"She has always been very pragmatic in her approach, supporting the needs of the business. She is a reliable source of advice and guidance."
Chambers UK
2021"Rebecca Ireland advises employers and senior executives on an array of matters, including restrictive covenants and immigration issues. She is described as "excellent technically, very practical, down to earth and good with clients.""
Chambers and Partners UK
2020"Personable, professional and knowledgeable, and great at developing client relationships."
Chambers UK
2019"Reading-based Rebecca Ireland remains a well-known figure for employment cases, providing broad experience across TUPE, mediation, unfair dismissal and day-to-day employment issues to numerous prominent clients, particularly in the technology sector. Sources state: She is very commercially focused and comes up with good solutions to complex employment problems. She has a good sense of humour too, which helps!"
Chambers UK
2015"Rebecca Ireland is praised for her ability to respond quickly in a crisis and for her knowledge of each client's businesses. She brings a range of experience including senior exits and discrimination advice for individuals."
Chambers UK
2014"Rebecca Ireland continues to manage a diverse employment practice that encompasses race, gender and disability discrimination cases as well as wage disputes. She regularly handles redundancy and HR-related concerns, as well as advising on grievance processes."
Chambers UK
2022"Rebecca is very friendly, approachable, straightforward and commercial. She has a good balance between commerciality and balancing the risks. Rebecca Ireland is proactive, to the point and a great foil for discussing sometimes difficult employment matters. She provides insight and understanding with a planned way forward for a commercial solution."
Chambers UK
2022"Rebecca’s expertise and advice enabled me to achieve a higher settlement and tax savings. Apart from that she is kind, thoughtful and a brilliant human being."
Client