A Senior Associate in our Employment and HR team, Rachel regularly advises both employers and employees on a wide range of employment related matters. Respected by her peers and clients alike, Rachel is a solicitor of exceptional talent.
Praised by clients for her “excellent service and communication”, Rachel is experienced in dealing with all types of Employment Tribunal claims and internal disputes. She is also developing a growing practice in the field of workplace investigations, conducting several major investigations for both private sector and publicly-funded organisations in 2023 and 2024.
Rachel also handles complex non-contentious matters such as collective redundancy and TUPE consultation processes, and also has specific expertise in advising on GP partnership agreements.
As well as employment law issues, Rachel also deals with the employment side of data protection, (providing practical advice on compliance and assisting clients in relation to data subject access requests from employees) and governance, particularly advising on governance issues affecting charities and housing associations.
She is also an experienced trainer and regularly delivers training sessions to clients on topics ranging from sexual harassment to TUPE.
- Successfully defending a sensitive whistleblowing claim on behalf of an education institution and obtaining a costs order against the claimant.
- Conducting a detailed investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement against senior employees of a large Welsh employer
- Advising on employment and HR issues arising out of the acquisition and merger of private schools in West London
- Conducting a complex disability discrimination claim against a global employer, resulting in a favourable settlement for the client
- Advising on the employment law implications of asset purchases and supporting the corporate team in relation to TUPE requirements
- Drafting several GP partnership agreements for GP partners in South Wales and advising on the exit of GP partners from their roles
- Successfully defending a constructive unfair dismissal claim brought by a long-term managing director against a family-run business
- Advising and concluding the exit of senior employees from Housing Associations, and leading academic institutions
- Delivering training sessions for employers on topics including recruitment issues, managing employee attendance, equality and diversity, TUPE, and discrimination and harassment in the workplace
- Successfully bringing a disability discrimination claim for an army veteran suffering with PTSD against a national telecoms provider which had signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant
- Successfully defending a complex age discrimination and unfair dismissal claim on behalf of a Housing Association
- Resolving a complex claim brought by a civilian employee of a Welsh police force in relation to holidays and parental leave
- Workplace investigations
- Discrimination and duties under the Equality Act
- Defending and bringing Employment Tribunal cases
- Internal employment disputes and settlement agreements
- Employment issues arising from corporate transactions
- Contracts, Policies and Partnership agreements
- Redundancies and Restructures
- TUPE
- Collective agreements and bargaining
- Whistleblowing
- Governance and data protection issues
Experience
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Senior Associate, Darwin Gray – 2022 – present
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Associate, Darwin Gray – 2019 – 2022
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Solicitor, Darwin Gray – 2016 – 2019
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Trainee Solicitor, Darwin Gray – 2014 – 2016
- Trustee of Tŷ Cerdd (Music Centre Wales)
- Board member of homelessness charity Llamau
- Member of Employment Lawyers Association
- Member of Darwin Gray’s CSR Committee