Russell Dann

Russell was recruited to Freeths from a leading employment firm and has spent his entire legal career in top-ranked employment teams. He has over 12 years’ experience advising employers and employees in the full range of employment advisory and litigation matters, including restructures, TUPE, complex disputes and union relations. 

Russell supports clients with practical and commercial advice on restructures, redundancies, TUPE, disciplinaries and grievances, incentives, negotiations before and during employment, restrictive covenants, settlement agreements, discrimination, flexible working, off-payroll working, working time and holiday pay. 

He has achieved successful outcomes for clients at all stages of employment disputes in matters ranging from straightforward unfair dismissal to complex discrimination and whistle blowing claims and appeals. This has included achieving favourable settlement, as well as strike outs, deposit orders and winning at multi-day final hearings.

Russell has a particular interest and experience in trade union and collective employment law. He regularly advises clients on trade union detriment claims, pay negotiations, union recognition and industrial action. 

From 2016 to 2024, Russell represented UK employers at the International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations agency which sets binding standards and monitors compliance with them. He was part of the team that negotiated the ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment. This has given Russell invaluable insight into global employment law horizons.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he provided advice on behalf of UK employers regarding the urgent establishment and extension of the furlough scheme.