Gavin Mansfield

Known for being "wonderfully client-friendly," Gavin Mansfield specialises in employment and discrimination law, with an emphasis on the commercial aspects of the employment relationship. He has a keen interest in employee competition and confidentiality disputes, where he has acted in many leading cases.

Gavin's modern, no-nonsense approach combined with outstanding advocacy skills developed since his call to the Bar in 1992 has seen him feature prominently in all the legal directories. For many years he has been recommended as a leading junior in Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 and Legal Experts. Legal 500 praise his “clear, concise and innovative advice". He is lauded by Chambers and Partners for his “skilled cross-examination”.

Gavin's clients show a great loyalty to him, saying that he "picks things up fantastically quickly" with a "dynamic approach to litigation." Opponents concede he will "pursue points aggressively and relentlessly, but also sensibly." He is recognised for his ability to "cut to the chase in the courtroom".

While undertaking a broad range of commercial litigation, Gavin has particular experience in director's duties and confidentiality disputes arising out of business sales and joint ventures.

Employment

In the employment sphere, Gavin focuses on High Court disputes involving restrictive covenants, garden leave, team moves and wrongful dismissal.

Notable recent cases have included complex team move cases in the insurance and stockbroking sectors. His expertise in restrictive covenant, fiduciary duty and confidentiality cases has seen him instructed by clients across a wide range of business sectors including ship broking, electronic retail, financial journalism, recruitment consultancy, marketing consultancy, talent agency and engineering.

Standard Life Health Care Ltd* v Gorman [2010] IRLR 233, principles for garden leave injunction

UBS Wealth Management* v Scott, Vestra and others [2008] IRLR 965 springboard injunction obtained in large scale team move of stockbrokers

Samengo-Turner and others* v Guy Carpenter [2008] ICR 18

Benfield* v Richardson and others [2007] EWHC 171

Gavin's long experience of discrimination claims in the employment tribunal has seen him advising and representing clients at the cutting edge of discrimination law. For example, acting for ICI in one of the first EAT cases dealing with the principles of justification in the field of age discrimination.

May & Baker Ltd. v Okerago [2010] IRLR 394 secondary liability for race discrimination

MacCullough v ICI* [2008] IRLR 846, an age discrimination challenge to ICI's contractual redundancy scheme.

Sweeney v DLA Piper UK LLP* high profile pregnancy discrimination claim by a partner in a major law firm

Commercial

While undertaking a broad range of commercial litigation, Gavin has particular experience in agency disputes, and director's duties and confidentiality disputes arising out of business sales and joint ventures.

CTCS Ltd.* v Orchardworld Ltd. (2008-2009): secret profit claim brought by South African fruit importers against UK import agents

Standard Life Health Care Ltd* v Gorman [2010] IRLR 233, principles for garden leave injunction against insurance agents

Call: 1992
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