Fiona Powell
Director
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"I have been supported by Freeths' legal team, from both their Leicester and Nottingham offices, with our employment law matters and advice for more than 6 years as at 2017. I have always found them to be contactable (important for those occasions you need an answer quickly), thorough in their approach and quick to understand the issue. I trust their advice and guidance and have built up a strong, professional relationship with key members of their team."
Fiona is an employment law specialist with 14 years’ experience of providing practical and commercial solutions to HR teams and businesses on all elements of the employment relationship including capability and disciplinary dismissals, grievance investigations, large scale redundancy and restructuring programmes and complex TUPE issues.
Fiona also manages all aspects of Employment Tribunal Litigation (including claims for unfair dismissal, breach of contract, whistleblowing and complex discrimination cases). Fiona conducts all her own advocacy and most recently she successfully defended a 6 day whistleblowing and race discrimination case in the Tribunal.
Fiona regularly provides training sessions to senior management teams on various aspects of employment law to enable businesses to upskill their workforce and manage risk.
Legal Services
Employment
Recent Work
- Providing commercial and practical advice to clients about how they can prepare for recent legislative changes including the Gender Pay Gap reporting obligations and employment related aspects of the General Data Protection Regulations.
- Advising and supporting a number of organisations on redundancy and restructuring programmes, including TUPE issues and collective consultation.
- Drafting employment contracts and employment policies and procedures tailored to specific businesses (of all sizes) and client requirements and updating clients in light of legislative changes.
- Advising on and preparing all aspects of Employment Tribunal litigation for a number of clients and conducting all advocacy.
- Advising on the drafting and enforceability of restrictive covenants and providing practical advice on the implications when an employee has acted in breach.
- Providing focussed training sessions to a number of clients on various aspects of employment law in order to engage a productive workforce and minimise risk.
- Advising on day-to day HR and employment issues, including handling capability and disciplinary issues, changes to employment terms and conditions and termination of employment.
- Reviewing, updating and advising on changes to policies and procedures in light of legislative changes and business specific issues that have arisen.
- Advising on the calculation of holiday pay for employees working overtime following recent cases.
Charities
Recent Work
- Advising and supporting a charity on several restructuring programmes.
- Advising on day-to-day HR and employment issues and providing policy and strategic advice.
- Advising on contentious employment and HR matters involving allegations of discrimination, bullying, harassment and unfair dismissal.
Sectors
Retail
Cases
- Providing commercial advice to a large multi-site retailer on day-to-day employment issues including advising on disciplinary and grievance processes and procedures, discrimination and harassment, pregnancy and maternity issues and termination of employment.
- Managing all aspects of employment tribunal litigation, successfully negotiating numerous low commercial settlements and defending claims at the substantive hearing or by securing early strike out.
- Advising on the TUPE implications of store acquisitions.
- Training senior management on recent changes and trends in employment law.
Latest
- Defending Employment Tribunal Claims
- Managing future workforce challenges in an everchanging and uncertain economic climate
- Employment law update – March 2023
- Employment law webinar: Holidays and holiday pay in 2023
- HR Matters – HR New Year’s Resolutions 2023 – Leicester
- Employment Law Webinar with Hays – November 2022
- Employment Law Webinar with Hays – October 2022
- Employment Law Update Webinar
- Employment Webinar: Redundancies and Restructures
- Employment Law Seminar Update: Did I miss anything important?
- Employment Law Webinar with Hays – March 2022
- Employment Law Update Webinar
- The practical steps to implementing a return to the workplace
- Equal pay claims: who is the appropriate comparator?
- Snakes & Ladders – strategies for the corporate ups and downs
- Annual Employment & Immigration Update – 15 December 2020
- Re-plan, Re-shape, Re-engage: A holistic approach to thriving in the “new normal” – Webinar – 1st October 2020
- Snakes & Ladders – Strategies for the ups and downs
- HR Q&A on the redundancy and restructuring processes – 22 July 2020
- Leadership in Lockdown – The Workplace Changes Forever or For Better?
- Coronavirus Hub Webinar Series – The Future Workplace: The Actual Return to Work – How and When?
To contact Fiona or for more information…
Call: 0345 272 5719
Mobile: 0771 119 9852
Fax: 0345 634 2595
Or email: Send an email
- Employment Lawyers Association
Client service
‘Doing the right thing’ is at the heart of Freeths. Find out more about our excellent client service and the strong set of values that guide the way we work.
Talk to us
Freeths are a leading national law firm with 13 offices across the UK. If you have a query about our services or just want to find out more, why not give us a call?
Contact: 03301 001 014