Chelsea Brooke-Ward

cHELSEA
Year of call:

2017

Education:

First Class Honours LLB (Leeds Beckett University)

Very Competent BPTC (University of Law)

Career:

County Court Advocate (Quest Legal Advocates and Kearns Solicitors)

Civil, Commercial and Chancery Litigation Executive (Avisons Solicitors)

2019 - Tenant at PSQB

Appointments:

2019 - Grade 1 Prosecutor

2022 - Head of PSQB Employment Team

Memberships:

2019 - Employment Lawyers Association

Awards:

2015 - Level 3 Intermediate Criminology Certificate - Distinction

2016 - Advocacy Scholarship (University of Law)

2016 - Jules Thorn Scholarship (Middle Temple)

2016 - Most Promising Student Award (University of Law)

2016 - Milner’s Solicitors Best Employment Law Student

2016 - Debating Competition Winner (University of Law)

2017 - Criminal Mock Trial Winner (University of Law)

2017 - Northern Moot Competition Winner (The Honourable Society of Middle Temple)

2017 - Civil Procedure Rule Competition Winner (University of Law)

2022 - Rising Star Award, Yorkshire Legal Awards

Ranked in The Legal 500 (2024) for Employment and ‘Up and Coming’ in Chambers and Partners (2024) for Employment.

“We are consistently impressed by Chelsea’s exceptional services. Chelsea’s dedication to her clients is unparalleled. She personalises her service with meticulous care, responding promptly and effectively to the needs of her clients.” – Chambers and Partners (2024)

“Chelsea is a tenacious barrister with excellent client care skills, making clients and junior lawyers feel at ease in her presence.” – Chambers and Partners (2024)

“Chelsea has very strong interpersonal skills and puts her clients at ease. She goes the extra mile.” – The Legal 500 (2024)

“Chelsea is an outstanding employment lawyer. A talented advocate, she is determined, ambitious, responsive and always willing to go the extra mile.” The Legal 500 (2023)

Chelsea is an experienced practitioner specialising in Employment Law and is the head of the Employment Team.

Before embarking on a career in law Chelsea was a very successful business owner. Being an employer, Chelsea developed a keen interest in Employment Law, which fuelled her ambition to join the Bar. Chelsea quickly developed experience in Employment Litigation through pro bono and consultancy work she undertook with various employment firms in Leeds before starting her pupillage at Park Square Barristers.

Chelsea has a busy employment practice and undertakes both advisory and litigation work in the Tribunals and County Courts. She regularly represents claimants and respondents across all levels of work, from preliminary hearings, judicial mediations to multi-week trials. She has become a main source of referral to advise on the merits of successful claims, on behalf of insurance companies.

She has experience across the range of employment matters. She has advised and acted in claims involving:

  • Unfair dismissal (including automatic unfair dismissal and constructive unfair dismissal)
  • All forms of discrimination (direct and indirect discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments, and harassment)
  • Whistleblowing
  • Equal pay
  • Unlawful deduction from wages
  • Worker status
  • Redundancy
  • National Minimum Wage
  • Breach of contract (in the Employment Tribunal and County Court)

Chelsea’s paper and advisory practice ranges from pleadings, opinions and policy drafting, covering both black letter law and topical matters such as social media, dress code policies and flexible working. She is familiar with exit negotiations and settlement agreements on behalf of employees and employers, as well as advising during disciplinary and/or grievance processes.

Examples of recent cases:

  • Nassir Hussain v Capita Plc – Successfully represented the Claimant in 5-day Tribunal, in a claim for Disability Discrimination and Failure to Make Reasonable adjustments.
  • PH v Manchester City Council – Represented the Claimant a Senior Social Worker in a 4-day unfair dismissal tribunal. It was a complex case involving child protection issues, and the gross misconduct of an experienced social worker, with a bundle spanning more than 1000 pages, it dealt with complex investigations and detailed safeguarding policies.
  • Megan Gorman v Terrence Paul – Successfully represented the Claimant at a Preliminary Hearing to deal with Employee Status. The case was highly covered in the media and was described as a “Landmark Case” for beauty industry workers. Click here for media coverage.
  • Ramsden v Spa Medica – Successfully represented the Claimant on the issue of disability. The Claimant was found to satisfy the test in s.6 of the Equality Act 2010.
  • Garry Thompson v North Sea Ventilation – Successfully represented the Respondent in an Unfair Redundancy Dismissal claim.
  • Swailes v Muller UK – Successfully represented the Claimant in an unfair capability dismissal. The case concerned the need for seeking proper medical advice before the decision was taken to dismiss.
  • Gajewski v Associated Waste Management – Successfully represented the Respondent in an unfair misconduct claim. The case concerned the need to interpret the meaning of “under the influence” in the respondent’s Drug and Alcohol Policy.
  • Little v BCA – Successfully represented the Claimant on the issue of disability. The Claimant was found to satisfy the test in s.6 of the Equality Act 2010.

Training

Chelsea is happy to offer the delivery of in-house seminars and training for both employers, HR Practices and Solicitor’s Firms.

Paper Practice

Chelsea accepts instructions to draft pleadings and is happy to provide pre-action advice on the merits of individual cases. She is happy to work to short deadlines where papers need to be turned around quickly.

Public Access

Chelsea may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Chelsea’s clerks

Senior Clerk – Andy Reeves on 0113 213 5252

Talia Webster on 0113 202 8609

Joshua Duree on 0113 213 5246

Mike Alexander on 0113 2135268

Ben Ellison-Tope on 0113 2135207

Prior to commencing pupillage, Chelsea was employed as a Litigation Executive, where she gained extensive experience in civil, commercial and chancery litigation. Her caseload ranged from multi-million pound breach of contract claims against government bodies, high value contested probate matters, and complex bankruptcy disputes.

Chelsea also grew a healthy clientele within property litigation. She has advised and represented clients in boundary disputes, landlord and tenant disputes, leasehold disputes, possession claims and housing disrepair. Recently she has successfully represented the Claimant in a complex building construction dispute where the issues involved both breach of Building Regulations, the Building Contract and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.

Chelsea has previously appeared in the Civil Appeal Court in Leeds where she was instructed to represent the Claimant in an appeal against a Deputy District Judge’s decision to strike out a claim for an Abuse of Process following a claim being presented against a non-existent company after the company was deregistered from the Companies Register and thereby proceedings being a nullity.

Examples of recent cases:

  • Malheki v Kalasarloo – Successfully represented the Defendant in a breach of contract claim to the value exceeding £100,000.00. The claim revolved around an alleged business partnership under s.1 of The Partnership Act 1890, further whether the contract was enforceable with regard to the provision for consideration and also allegations of duress.
  • A Company v Debtor – successfully represented the Applicant in an argument for costs arising out of a petition for bankruptcy against the Debtor.
  • A Company – Advised the letting agents on the issues surrounding Prohibited Payments under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
  • A company v A company – Advised the Potential Defendant to a breach of contract claim involving the payment of agency fees and the fundamental legal principle of “effective cause” to recover such fees.

Chelsea’s practice ranges from Breach of Contract to Defamation. Her practice covers:

  • Breach of Contract
  • Partnership Disputes
  • Professional Negligence
  • Defamation and Slander
  • Contentious Probate
  • Unlawful Interference with Goods
  • Bankruptcy
  • Landlord and Tenant
  • Construction Disputes

Paper Practice

Chelsea accepts instructions to draft pleadings and is happy to provide pre-action advice on the merits of individual cases. She is happy to work to short deadlines where papers need to be turned around quickly.

Public Access

Chelsea may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Chelsea’s clerks

Senior Clerk – Andy Reeves on 0113 213 5252

Talia Webster on 0113 202 8609

Joshua Duree on 0113 213 5246

Mike Alexander on 0113 2135268

Ben Ellison-Tope on 0113 2135207

Prior to her pupillage Chelsea gained significant experience of representing clients in personal injury matters in road traffic accidents, employers/occupier’s liability, holiday sickness, industrial disease and clinical negligence claims on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants in the firms where she previously worked.

Chelsea regularly attends Fast-Track Trials, Small-Claims, Disposals, Stage 3s, Infant Settlements and Interim Applications. She also advises on liability and quantum.

Chelsea is experienced in cases involving Credit Hire, Low-Velocity-Impact, Fundamental Dishonesty, and s.57 of the 2015 Criminal Justice and Courts Act.

Chelsea has previously appeared in the Civil Appeal Court in Leeds where she was instructed to represent the Claimant in an appeal against a Deputy District Judges Decision to strike out a claim for an Abuse of Process.

Paper Practice

Chelsea accepts instructions to draft pleadings and is happy to provide pre-action advice on the merits of individual cases. She is happy to work to short deadlines where papers need to be turned around quickly.

Public Access

Chelsea may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Chelsea’s clerks

Senior Clerk – Andy Reeves on 0113 213 5252

Talia Webster on 0113 202 8609

Joshua Duree on 0113 213 5246

Mike Alexander on 0113 2135268

Ben Ellison-Tope on 0113 2135207

Chelsea is an experienced Regulatory Practitioner.

Chelsea has experience in all matters which touch upon the work of the police, having spent considerable time on secondment at the Humberside Police and South Yorkshire Police in their legal departments.

She has a keen interest and specialisation of matters involving the police, both on behalf of the force and police officers. She is regularly instructed by the Chief Constable from a range of forces, specialising in firearms/shotgun appeals under the Firearms Act 1968, Domestic Violence Protection Orders, Forced Marriage Protection Orders and Employment Law matters. She also has experience in actions against the police involving allegations of false imprisonment, personal injury claims, malicious prosecution and cases arising out of the seizure and disposal of property.

She also has experience representing in private prosecutions on behalf of both the Prosecution and the Defendant. Chelsea has recently been instructed to represent the Defendant in a prosecution by the RSPCA involving allegations of animal cruelty. She has also recently appeared on behalf of the Insolvency Services prosecuting a high-profile Fraud case. Click here for media coverage.

Chelsea also has a keen interest in Professional Misconduct Cases which contributes to her employment practice. Chelsea is developing a Police Misconduct Practice and is willing to represent any professional facing misconduct proceedings. Chelsea is able to represent parties at Police Misconduct Hearings, Special Case Hearings and Police Disciplinary Appeals across the country. She has extensive knowledge of the procedures involved prior to the hearing, e.g. arguments relating to evidence admissibility, and is able to advise swiftly on the same in order to achieve the most favourable outcome.

At the beginning of her tenancy Chelsea became a member of the ‘junior junior’ panel for Government Legal Department which involves drafting various documents on behalf of the GLD in a range of matters such as inquests.

Recently Chelsea has commenced the Coronial Course at the University of Bolton and will be expected to obtain a Certificate of Attendance. Chelsea has experience of Coronial Law and accepts instructs to represent Interested Parties in Inquests.

Chelsea has also developed a healthy criminal practice. She regularly appears on behalf of both the Prosecution and the Defence and is a Grade 1 Prosecutor. She quickly developed a healthy defence practice particularly for members of the Armed Forces appearing at the Court Martial.

Public Access

Chelsea may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Chelsea’s clerks

Madeleine Gray on 0113 202 8603

Patrick Urbina on 0113 213 5250

Imogen Brown on 0113 2135225