Jeffrey's practise encompasses all areas of employment, business and commercial law, and with a strong practise in the fields of sports law and professional negligence cases. He has a very strong reputation for handling clients in the very complex and emotional fields of restraint of trade, discrimination, stress at work which makes him an extremely thorough and robust advocate for those and other fields of his practise.

Areas of Practice

Employment

Jeffrey's practise covers all aspects of employment law, with an emphasis on the business and commercial aspects of disputes. He has enormous experience of all aspects of restraint of trade and other injunction work.

Restraint of Trade

In the 15 months since the beginning of 2009, he has been instructed in over 20 injunctions, mostly restraint of trade and/or confidential information based, but including 4 cases in which search and seizure and/or freezing relief was obtained. He is regularly engaged in restraint of trade cases and shareholder dispute claims and has an in-depth knowledge of the areas of law which affect this field (breach of contract, breach of confidence, confidentiality, fiduciary duties and company law). Reported and other cases of particular interest in this field are First Global Locums -v- Cosias [2005] IRLR. Jeffrey acted for the employer in the first case in which an aggressive ex-employee was subject to a prevention from harassment order and post termination restraints Brake Bros -v- 3663 Food for Foodservice. (acting for the Claimants, who successfully upheld a non competition covenant for 6 months, based on confidential information, Hydra Ltd –v- Anastassi involving preparations to compete and poaching covenants, Kynixa Ltd –v- Hynes & Others concerned with employment and shareholder covenants but also ground breaking in terms of the duty of fidelity.

Discrimination

He regularly appears in complex employment tribunals cases, more so in the larger discrimination cases (sex, race, disability and whistleblowing). Recent cases of interest and reported cases are as follows, Woodward -v- Abbey National [2006], Court of AppeaL, a landmark ruling in two respects, first as to the Court of Appeal's powers to overturn a previous decision of the Court of Appeal because the previous decision "can not stand" with a decision of the House of Lords and second, in ruling that a Whistleblowing" claim can be brought for detriment suffered after the termination of the contract of employment. Jeffrey appeared for the successful employee, Faria Alam -v- The Football Association [2005]. Jeffrey acted for the FA in this constructive dismissal and sex discrimination and harassment claim. It was widely reported in the press. The FA went into the trial with the press desperate to attack them and in particular Sven Goran Erikkson and David Davies. By the end of the trial, the press had turned against Faria and the FA won on all claims, Carter -v- Leics Constabulary. Jeffrey successfully defended this 15 day sex discrimination case brought against the police by a gay police officer. It was reported across the red tops because of its extraordinary facts. In the last 12 months he has acted or is acting for a Claimant headteacher in a bitter battle against a London Council involving allegations of bullying, disability discrimination, victimisation and whistleblowing and for a welsh university in defending a difficult equal pay claim

Stress / Ill Health / Victimisation / Bullying

Jeffrey has acted in a very large number of cases involving such issues, including normal DDA claims, implied duty of trust and confidence claims, victimisation, personal injury and therefore embracing tribunals and high court and county court work in the field. He has acted for and against health authorities and health trusts, councils and other aspects of government, schools and universities (Several times), the police force, fire service, doctors, plastic surgeons, banks, IT companies, pharmaceutical companies and more. In this complex and sensitive form of litigation, Jeffrey’s significant experience is invaluable in terms of knowledge, tactics and careful handling of complex and often emotional litigation.

TUPE

Jeffrey has advised in many TUPE cases. Over the past 18 months, cases include:

· Advising the employees of two factories previously in the John Lewis group as to their TUPE rights following the selling off of those factories.

· Advising the country’ largest hearing aid distributor following the decision of the American parent to set up its own UK arm to the business

· A standing instruction to advice a leading west end surveyor’s firm which has constant TUPE issues arising from gaining and losing buildings over which it has maintenance duties

Sports Law

Littleton Chambers position as a leading chambers in the field has been assisted by Jeffrey’s regular instruction on sports related cases. High profile cases include:

Advising the BBC when Des Lynam "defected" to ITV to advise on injunctions and drafting Gary Lineker and Alan Hansen’s contracts.
Acted for Derby County FC in claim by ex-manager John Gregory for wrongful dismissal. Involved work on football agents and bungs and Football League Rules.
Advising UK Sport and various National Governing Bodies in connection with Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics on their new agreements for Elite Coaching and Elite Athletes.
Acting for one side or the other in relation to various boxing related disputes.
Drafting the contracts for the senior executive management team (Peter Storrie and others) at Portsmouth FC and more recently advising on the impact of criminal charges on employment and re various administration aspects of the case.

Professional Negligence

Jeffrey was regularly used as junior counsel by SIFbefore its break up, being particularly favoured for trial work. This led to his being chosen as principal junior in Arthur JS Hall & Co -v- Simons both in the Court of Appeal and House of Lords [2003] WLR.

He is still instructed on a regular basis both by panel firms and by insurers direct in all fields of professional negligence.

He has also fought several surveyor's negligence cases and clinical negligence (mainly in the field of cancer) cases and architect negligence disputes.

General Business and Commercial Law

Jeffrey is regularly instructed in company and commercial cases, including commercial contract disputes, shareholder agreements, sale of goods and general insolvency. He has been engaged on both sides of a large number of freezing order cases and search and seizure cases with a pure commercial aspect. Recent cases include a 10 day commercial court case involving the interpretation of the British International Freight Forwarders conditions and the duties of a bailee, several cases involving the “fall out” from business sale agreements years he has been almost constantly involved in a series of injunctions and other interim remedy cases in the fields of restraint of trade and business secrets. He also regularly advises and appears in Court in company law and other commercial cases across a broad spectrum.

Appointments & Qualifications

Education

BA in Law (Sussex University)
Post Graduate Diploma in European and International Law - Institut d' Etudes European, Universite Libre de Bruxelles

Professional Associations

Commercial Bar Association
Professional Negligence Bar Association
Employment Lawyers Association

Personal

Jeffrey lives in Teddington with his wife and 2 children. He still plays tennis and squash to a high competitive level and is generally a keen sports player and follower. His other love is music.