joanne sefton

I am currently taking a career break to complete an MA in Creative Writing. After nine years in chambers, I have decided to have some time out to experience life in the beautiful city of Bath, run a half marathon, read lots of books and (hopefully!) write a half-decent novel. Please contact the clerks if you would like to make an enquiry regarding my availability for work from autumn 2012.

Joanne is a highly-regarded and popular advocate who specialises in employment law and commercial disputes arising in an employment or quasi-employment context. She currently divides her time between her established practice in this area and her developing medical law practice.

In the employment field, Joanne undertakes a wide variety of advisory work and representation on behalf of employers, employees and trade unions. Joanne regularly appears in the EAT, as well as in Employment Tribunals across the UK, in cases involving all forms of discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, TUPE and collective consultation claims.

Joanne has significant experience in commercial crossover aspects of employment law, including director and senior employee disputes and employment injunctions.

In addition, Joanne has a particular interest in cases arising from a medical background. As well as having represented and advised various NHS trusts in employment law matters, she has a growing practice in medical treatment and related areas.

Employment Law

ET and EAT

Joanne has a vast experience of the full range of statutory employment claims and spends much of her time advising and representing clients in respect of allegations of discrimination, whistleblowing, unfair dismissal and other Tribunal actions. As well as the more ‘mainstream’ discrimination strands of sex, race and disability, Joanne has acted in cases involving each of the less common grounds of unlawful discrimination - age, religion, sexual orientation and part-time/fixed term employment status. She has enjoyed notable successes for Claimant clients in discrimination claims achieving awards of £100,000 in two instances, and in 2010 achieving awards of aggravated damages and costs in a disability discrimination claim.

Joanne has a particular interest in claims arising in health care settings and acts for both Trusts and employees in such cases.

Notable appellate cases include Royal Sun Alliance v Payne [2005] IRLR 848 and Perkin v St George's Charitable Foundation UKEAT0429/05

High Court

Joanne has experience acting and advising in employment injunction litigation, both as junior counsel and in her own right. Joanne's work in this area had included cases involving restrictive covenants, confidential information disputes and cases arising from disciplinary suspension.

collective employment law

Joanne has a particular interest in the collective aspects of employment law and frequently advises on collective consultation obligations and on trade union issues. She has acted on both sides of major collective consultation claims brought by unions and is currently part of the team representing Virgin Trains in relation to claims arising out of the re-franchising of the rail network.

Joanne successfully represented the union-backed Claimant in the case of Hutchins v Permacell Finesse Ltd [2008] All ER (D) 112 (Jan) in which the EAT gave important guidance on the calculation of the protected period in collective redundancy cases

Medical law

Joanne has a particular interest in disciplinary and regulatory work in the health field. She has appeared before the Health Professions’ Council (HPC) on numerous occasions and has also advised in relation to GMC proceedings.

Additional experience within the area of medical law includes:

Advisory and representative work in medical treatment cases
Inquest work, including representing an ambulance trust in a two-week inquest involving a death in a psychiatric ward.
Representing consultants in injunctive proceedings under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997
Junior Counsel in relation to injunctive proceedings under the proposed compulsory closure of a dental practice

Commercial Litigation

The majority of Joanne's commercial instructions complement her employment law practice. Joanne has experience acting and advising in injunction applications, both as junior counsel and in her own right. Joanne's work in this area has included cases involving restrictive covenants, confidential information disputes and cases arising from disciplinary suspension.

As well as the injunctive work referred to above, Joanne has advised both employers and employees in respect of High Court wrongful dismissal claims and been involved in contractual disputes between service providers such as agency workers and those engaging their services.

Joanne is currently acting as junior counsel in substantial litigation in the Chancery division arising from a dispute between a multi-national group of companies and its former CFO.

Call: 2002
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