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
