Profile description
Employment & Equality
Lauren joined Chambers after a successful career as a senior trade union advocate representing executive and senior staff in the telecoms sector, the civil service and the NHS.
Since joining Chambers, Lauren has focused on commercial chancery disputes with an employment flavour such as professional negligence, restraint of trade, breach of fiduciary duties, confidential information, intellectual property rights and data protection acting for a full range of clients including banks, insurers, finance companies, directors, shareholders, partners, senior employees, local authorities, central government, trade unions and not-for-profit entities.
Lauren has appeared in the Court of Appeal, the High Court, Employment Appeal Tribunal, Employment Tribunals and the County Court.
Lauren has acted (or continues to act) in the following significant cases:
Represented, successfully, one of the first female prison officers to work in the prison service in her discrimination-related dismissal claim at the Civil Service Appeal Board.
A successful appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) (President Underhill) of an Employment Judge’s refusal to accept a response out of time: Jarretts Motors Ltd -v- Wells [2009] All ER (D) 350; UKEAT/0327/08/DA as cited in Tolley’s Employment Handbook [2011].
Acted for a local authority, and 3 individuals also named as respondents, in an 8 day unfair dismissal and disability discrimination claim in the Employment Tribunal. The case was appealed to the Employment Appeals Tribunal on the basis of insufficient reasons (non-Meek compliant) and Lauren successfully defended the appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal on behalf of the respondents.
Acted for a local authority in a 7 day final hearing in the Employment Tribunal mounting a successful defence to multiple claims brought by a former employee acting in person. The Judgment ran to over 65 pages.
Continues to act for a local authority in a long running equal pay multiple including advising on related pay modernisation issues.
Acted against a public authority responsible for policing in London in a claim of unfair dismissal and detriment against a claimant after the making of public interest disclosures about a violent assault by a firearms officer on another police officer.
Advised on the proper approach to holiday pay in light of Lock -v- British Gas Trading Ltd. [2014] EUECJ (Case C-539/12).
Chancery, Property, Company and Commercial
Lauren has experience and expertise in company and partnership law, corporate disputes, general contract, commercial property, construction, regulatory compliance, fraud, trusts, TOLATA and general property litigation.
Recent cases of note where Lauren has been instructed include:
A commercial property dispute involving issues of fraud, tax avoidance, company law, foreign jurisdiction, insolvency law, professional negligence, solicitor’s duties, conveyancing, the effect of registration and trusts. The Court of Appeal has granted permission and there has been a preliminary hearing with a further hearing in the New Year.
A claim challenging an allegedly fraudulent conveyance related to a scheme of development and an action on the contract for sale.
Acting in a number of cases concerning recovery of PAYE tax payments from the Inland Revenue and/or employees.
Acting in a case raising complex issues under the emerging law of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs).
Advising on a range of cases involving director’s duties, partnerships, agency relationships, company law, and tax.
Advising on FSA compliance with regulatory issues in the financial services industry.
Acting in cases involving principles of issue estoppel, res judicata and abuse of process.
Intellectual Property, Confidential Information and Restraint of Trade
Lauren has extensive experience of acting for both corporate entities and individuals departing corporate entities in the context of confidential information and restraint of trade claims.
Recent cases include:
Acting the Defendant in a high value restraint of trade case listed for 8 days in the High Court and concurrently listed in the Employment Tribunal in the financial services industry involving issues of whistle-blowing, regulatory issues, repudiatory breach of contract, fiduciary duties, and also the subject of a High Court injunction.
Acting for a Claimant employee and shareholder seeking a declaration in a restraint of trade case involving issues such as garden leave (applying the principle annunciated in Tullett Prebon -v- BGC [2010] EWHC 484 that a period spent in the garden can reduce the period of restraint ordered by the Court under a post-employment restrictive covenant); and the reasonableness of a restraint placed on an employee by a shareholder agreement (in the sense canvassed in Kynixa Limited -v- Hynes & ors [2008] EWHC 1865).
A successful appeal to the Court of Appeal in a restraint of trade case where the covenant restraining solicitation was too wide to be enforced.
Acting for a defendant to a claim of breach of copyright and breach of fiduciary duties in the context of legal drafting for pension schemes, listed for two days in the Patents County Court, which ultimately settled.
Acting for a defendant firm of architects in a breach of copyright claim involving plans giving effect to a scheme of development.
Acting for a large financial institution in a complex Data Protection Act dispute in the County Court.
Advising on duties on the Data Protection Act and the interplay with the duty of disclosure in civil proceedings.
Advising in a high value spring board injunction claim where the departing managing director had misappropriated their former employer’s business.
Advising and representing a high profile sales manager in the financial services industry in a High Court claim engaging regulatory issues, repudiatory breach of contract, fiduciary duties and restrictive covenants.
Professional Negligence
Lauren has acted in a number of professional negligence claims in both the High Court and County Court including:
A High Court claim alleging professional negligence in the provision of tax advice concerning the incidence of corporation tax and the tax treatment of company vehicles.
A construction dispute involving complex issues of fact and law in the interpretation of a construction contract.
A commercial property dispute involving issues of fraud, tax avoidance, company law, foreign jurisdiction, insolvency law, professional negligence, solicitor’s duties, conveyancing, the effect of registration and trusts. The Court of Appeal has granted permission and there has been a preliminary hearing with a further hearing in the New Year.
Acting in a successful defence and counterclaim to a claim for an unpaid solicitor’s bill involving issues of professional negligence, CFA, and solicitor duties.
Acting in a successful claim on an unpaid solicitors bill arising out of a terminated CFA (due to client non-co-operation) and defending a counterclaim based in (among other things) professional negligence.
Advising on FSA compliance with regulatory issues in the financial services industry
Acting against a number of unions in professional negligence and related contractual claims brought by union members.
Insolvency
Lauren has acted in a range of insolvency matters including the following recent cases:
A number of complex insolvency cases including issues regarding the insolvency regime and preferential payments.
Advice on the role of a liquidator in the context of a voluntary company administration and the effect on professional duties owed by a solicitor instructed by the liquidator in the currency of the company liquidation.
A commercial property dispute involving issues of fraud, tax avoidance, company law, foreign jurisdiction, insolvency law, professional negligence, solicitor’s duties, conveyancing, the effect of registration and trusts. The Court of Appeal has granted permission and there has been a preliminary hearing with a further hearing in the New Year. A key issue in this appeal is the effect of automatic vesting of the property of a bankrupt under the Insolvency Act 1986.
